Magnet Therapy

Term Paper # 101197

Medical and Health
Physics > Electricity and Magnetism

Magnet Therapy

An overview of the history of magnet therapy and its use as an alternative form of medical treatment.

1,098 words () | 6 sources | APA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

Magnet therapy is a non-invasive alternative treatment used for many disorders ranging from anti-aging to pain control. This paper highlights the history of magnet therapy, provides a discussion on the proposed biological mechanisms of action and provides scientific peer-reviewed evidence on the effective nature of magnet therapy. The paper concludes with a reflective section on what was learned and the writer's overall feelings on the subject.

From the Paper:

"Static, rather than pulsing magnetic therapy, where magnets are placed on an area and taped in place, is believed to be effective due to the increase in blood flow in the locally affected area (Ramsey, (n.d.)). Faraday's Law dictates that magnets exert a force on moving ionic currents (Ramsey, (n.d.)). Adding Hall's Law that tells us that a magnet will deflect and separate charged ions when placed perpendicular to the direction of the electrical current, one can assess the implications for circulation (Ramsey, (n.d.)). "

Sample of Sources Used:

Carter, R., Hall, T., Aspy, C. B., & Mold, J. (2002). The effectiveness of magnet therapy for treatment of wrist pain attributed to carpal tunnel syndrome. The Journal of Family Practice, 51(1), 38-40.
Chistyakov, A. V., Soustiel, J. F., Hafner, H., Trubnik, M Levy, G. & Feinsod, M. (2001). Excitatory and inhibitory corticospinal responses to transcranial magnetic stimulation in patients with minor to moderate head injury. Journal of neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 70(5), 580-591.
Murray, A. (2005, January 22). Technology and science: The laws of magnetic. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved on November 30, 2006 from http://nzherald.co.nz/section/ story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10007514
Ramey, D. W. (n.d.). Magnetic and electromagnetic therapy in horses. Task Force for Veterinary Science. Retrieved on November 30, 30, 2006 from http://www.vet-task-force.com/MAG.htm
Tergau, F., Naumann, U, Paulus, W. & Steinhoff, B. J. (1999). Low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation improves intractable epilepsy. The Lancet, 353, 2209-2210.