MAGNETIC THERAPY
"Magnetic Mattress Pad Therapy"
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MAGNETIC THERAPY: AN INTRODUCTION
During the past few years, magnetic devices have been claimed to relieve pain and to have therapeutic value against a large number of diseases. Magnetic therapy has established itself as a very effective alternative to drug treatment or the relief of pain and discomfort associated with a wide range of ailments. The more people who try this form of therapy, the more are becoming "converted" and pass the word along to fellow sufferers.
More than 140 million people around the world use magnetic therapy to relieve pain with great results. Magnets have been used for their life enhancing properties since the days of Cleopatra. Magnetic devices that radiate an unchanging magnetic field are available in a variety of configurations. One of the famous ones is the magnetic mattress pad therapy.
MAGNETIC MATTRESS PAD THERAPY
 | Magnetic mattress pad is generally an ordinary mattress with some magnets placed underneath. These mattress pads are usually provided with removable, washable, long wearing covers and underneath the removable cover is a breathable, waterproof liner which protects the magnets and construction. Properly designed mattress pads made with therapeutic magnets is claimed to provide the restorative energy to ensure restful sleep. Damaging force fields bombard us almost constantly as we go about our lives in this modern |
age. These force fields come form household electricity, televisions, computers, just to name a few. They are damaging because they disrupt the structure of our cells that puts extra stress on the body to restore them. |
An example of a magnetic mattress design (Kenko Pad Deluxe mattress)is shown below.
 | This unique innovation in sleep technology consists of five different layers that provide:
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Force field from properly designed therapeutic magnet assist the body in repairing this damage, thus reversing the effect of the damaging force fields. Sleeping in this healing force coincides with the healing cycle of the body which occurs at night. The extra energy provided by the mattress pad can assist the body to help heal injuries, pain and many other conditions such as cancer, rheumatoid disease, infections and inflammations, headaches and migraines, insomnia and sleep disorders, circulatory problems, fractures and pains.
EVIDENCE (OR LACK) OF SCIENCTIFIC PRINCIPLES
How Does It Work?
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Blood, like all tissues, contains electrically charged ions. A physics principle known as Faraday's Law states that a magnetic field will exert a force on a moving ionic current. Furthermore, an extension of Faraday's law called the Hall effect states that when a magnetic field is placed perpendicular to the direction of flow of an electric current, it will tend to deflect and separate the charged ions. While the deflection of ions will be in opposite directions depending on the magnetic pole encountered and the charge of the ion, this force is not based on the attraction or repulsion of like and unlike charges. The Hall effect implies that when a magnet is placed over flowing blood in which ionic charges (such as Na+ and Cl-) exist, some force will be exerted on the ions. Furthermore, the separation of ionic charges will produce an electromotive force, which is a voltage between points in a circuit. In theory, this produces a very small amount of heat. These physical effects, which do exist, provide |  |
the basis for a quasi-scientific theory to account for the purported effects of static magnetic field therapy. For example: |
When a magnetic field with a series of alternating North and South poles is placed over a blood vessel, the influence of the field will cause positive and negative ions (for example, Na+ and Cl-) to bounce back and forth between the sides of the vessel, creating flow currents in the moving blood not unlike those in a river. The combination of the electromotive force, altered ionic pattern, and the currents causes blood vessel dilation with a corresponding increase in blood flow.
Promotional information for the pads indicates that the "concentric circle" arrangement of the magnetic mattress pads increases the likelihood that the magnetic field would be applied perpendicular to flowing blood, thereby maximizing the Hall effects, In fact, because blood vessels run randomly throughout these dimensions of any tissue, there can be no "preferred" arrangement of the magnetic field that would favor its perpendicular orientation to the flow of blood.
A double-blind test was conducted on 431 people, approximately one-half male and one-half female, 376 wIth magnetic mattress pads and 56 with non-magnetized mattress pads. The testing period ranged from two weeks to six months and was conducted at the San-Ikukai Hospital, the Tokyo Communication Hospital and the Kouseikai Suzuki Hospital in Japan. The following chart shows results for the various ailments treated at the hospitals based on a 99 percent confidence coefficient:
Effectiveness Rating:
56.83 - 85.95 % - Neck and shoulder pain
68.49 - 92.04 % - Back and lower back pain
62.35 - 98.94 % - Back pain
66.76 - 92.06 % - Lower limb pain
76.82 - 97.47 % - Insomnia
70.64 - 94.98 % - Fatigue
 | Image of back BEFORE lying on mattress. Note cool blue patterns in both shoulders. Midline spinal region shows heat which is to be expected. Cool green thermal zones on both hip regions. |
 | Immediately after lying on mattress for just 20 minutes. Notice expansion and changes to central mid-line region. Increased heat throughout mid-back (yellow shades). Elimination of cold patterns in the shoulders. |
Does It Really Work?
Does magnetic mattress therapy really work? Dr. Weil says "Magnetic products are quite expensive and since the claims are unproved, I really can't recommend magnet therapy". Although the simplicity of magnet therapy is attractive, the evidence that it works is scanty. The FDA has not sanctified magnets as healing devices.
Magnetic therapy continues to be a controversial subject, even among people who have tried it. Nancy Fortner has been using magnets to relive pain for several months now. She says: "I have some pain everywhere, however, and the magnets were only helping with the most acute areas. I decided to get a magnetic mattress to see if that would target all my pains. I have been sleeping on my new magnetic mattress for four nights, and I would say that the results are inconclusive. I still have some aches and pains, but I am staying asleep for longer periods. I presume that is because my overall discomfort is relieved."
Leonard Finegold, a Drexel University physicist notes that scientists exhaustively studied the biological effects of magnetic fields when they were testing the safety of magnetic resonance imaging. These machines expose patients to fields hundreds of times stronger than those surrounding therapeutic magnets. There are no known cases, he said, of people recovering from injuries or headaches after an MRI.
The controversy remains. The value of magnetic therapy has never been proven or sanctioned by the medical profession. Before trying to magnetic therapy, ask yourself: "Is it wise to use something that affects the body's energy field?" Most of these magnetic devices, and especially the mattresses, are expensive. Keep in mind that nothing has been proven, and you could be wasting your money.
POTENTIAL HAZARDS TO THE USER
 | While the magnetic mattress pad is testified to be the cure for various pains and aches of the human body, not everybody may benefit from it. As it is, patients with pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators in their chest are frequently warned to stay away from various microwave and magnetic sources that may interfere with the implant's circuitry and function. Both the household electronic appliances (such as the microwave oven) and pacemakers are now better shielded, but |
patients still have to worry if the environmental electromagnetic fields caused by cell phones, security systems and magnets may have the same adverse effect on their implants. |
Studies have shown that while localized therapeutic magnetic devices such as the magnetized headband or bracelet are generally harmless to this group of people, the magnetic mattress pad therapy poses a serious threat to pacemakers. This is due to the distance and duration to which the device comes in contact with the magnetic field. To deactivate a pacemaker or implanted defibrillator, a magnet has to have a field strength of 10 gauss or greater next to the surface of the device. If the device were 6 inches away from the surface however, the magnetic field would have no effect regardless to its magnitude. A patient with the cardiac implant would come closer than the 6-inch zone and be at risk of experiencing arrhythmia for the duration of sleep which can be potentially life-threatening.
While some people do not feel the magnet energy and show little response, others can be hypersensitive. On the physiological side, magnetic overexposure may cause a patient to feel uncomfortable and drained of energy. Pregnant women should not try the magnetic mattress pad therapy as it exposes the fetus to magnetic fields. Also, magnets lessen the stickiness of platelets, which are blood components required to form a scab. Using magnet therapy on an active bleeding wound may actually increase the amount of bleeding. This applies to patients on anticoagulants, or suffering from a condition called polycythemia, which increases the likelihood of bleeding. |  Patients with implanted pacemakers worry that the magnetic fields will interfere with the implant's function. |
RECOMMENDATION OF USE
Magnetic research has revealed there is a significant difference between north and south pole energy. The south pole stimulates, while the north pole sedates. Pain, inflammation, bruising, infection, and most other medical applications require the use of the north pole. The south pole is not used in these cases because bacteria, viruses and cancer could be stimulated also. Nevertheless, one should avoid sleeping over 10 hours per night on a strong north pole mattress pad on a regular basis as over alkalization of the body can occur.
The magnetic mattress pad has yet to be sanctioned by FDA as a healing device. Nonetheless, those who have benefited from the use of magnetic mattress pad therapies are understandably less concerned about the validity of the proposed mechanisms. To avoid fraud, consumers should take on a skeptical attitude when evaluating 'miracle' health claims. Here are some signs of a fraudulent claim:
Statements that the product is a quick and effective cure-all or diagnostic tool for a wide variety of ailments. For example: "Extremely beneficial in the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis, infections, prostate problems, ulcers, cancer, heart trouble, hardening of the arteries and more."
Statements that suggest the product can treat or cure diseases. For example: "shrinks tumors" or "cures impotency."
Promotions that use words like "scientific breakthrough," "miraculous cure," "exclusive product," "secret ingredient" or "ancient remedy." For example: "A revolutionary innovation formulated by using proven principles of natural health-based medical science."
Undocumented case histories or personal testimonials by consumers or doctors claiming amazing results.
In short, do not rely on magnets solely as a "cure all". Rather, use them as a part of an overall approach to good health that includes proper nutrition, water, exercise and the avoidance of overly acidic foods and toxins. If you are still sick and all else fails, pray!
REFERENCES
Modern Seniors Magnetic Shop.
http://www.e-magnetshop.com/index.htmlHow to spot false claims.
http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/govtregulation/Magnets: Attractive Treatment for What Ails You?
http://seniorhealth.about.comMagnetic and Electromagnetic
http://www.healthforge.com/default.htmlTherapy By David W. Ramey, DVM.
http://www.hcrc.org/contrib/ramey/magnet.htmlAttracting Attention: Health claims for magnet therapy difficult to prove.
arthritis.about.com/cs/magnet/Body magnetics homepage.
www.bodymagnetics.comMagnetic Therapy: Does It Work?
www.sleepdisorders.about.com/library/weekly/aa052100a.htmMagnetic Therapy: Plausible Attraction?
www.csicop.org/si/9807/magnet.htmlThe KenkoPad Deluxe Biomagnetic Mattress.
www.healco.com/KenkoPad/The Attraction of Magnet Therapy
webmd.lycos.com/content/article/1668.51111The Drawing Power of Magnetic Therapy.
http://www.sleepdisorders.about.com/library/weekly/aa050601a.htm