Magnet Therapy for Pain Management

Magnet therapy is the use of magnets that treat pain by placing the magnets on or near the skin. While magnet therapy is still ignored by most conventional pain management specialists, the use of magnets to treat pain has become increasingly common. The concept behind magnet therapy is that magnetism will ameliorate pain transmission in the patient, according to HealingChronicPain.org.

Usage

• Place magnets on the area where your pain is most severe. Attach the magnet to the skin using a bandage to hold it in place. Magnet therapy devices range from single magnets you attach to your body to mattress magnets you can lie on, magnetic Velcro straps for your legs and arms and many other variations.

North Pole

• Placing the north pole face (positive magnetic field) of the magnet toward the skin stops the growth and development of life systems, according to AZNewAge.com.

  Use north pole magnets to treat pain associated with cancer or infections. The magnetic field will allegedly stop the progression of growth in cancer cells or keep infections from spreading. North pole magnets are also said to relieve back pain by relaxing muscles and allowing vertebrae to return to their normal positions.

  Place the magnets directly against the skin, leaving them there for 30 to 40 minutes two times per day for most conditions. Cancer therapy should consist of 45-minute sessions three times per day for three weeks.

South Pole

• Magnets with the south-seeking pole (negative magnetic field) toward the skin are used to help treat pain symptoms resulting from conditions where abnormal metabolic conditions have caused the pain.

  The magnetic field does not work as a painkiller or an analgesic, according to HealthCare4.com. Instead, the field has a normalizing effect on the metabolic functions of the body. The magnetic field is said to reduce pain quickly, as the body returns to a state closer to the way it was before the condition took its toll.

  South pole magnets are used to treat pain associated with conditions such as muscle pain and arthritis, and may also be used to speed up the healing process after burns.

Precautions

• Do not use magnet therapy on infections with the south pole facing the skin. The negative magnetic field will encourage growth of the infection and could cause it to get worse, according to AZNewAge.com.

  When using magnet therapy for pain in the head, jaw, eyes or ears do not leave magnets on for more than a minute or two.