Magnets have been used for hundreds of years to heal the body and treat pain. In the third century A.D., Greek physicians used magnetized rings in the treatment of arthritic pain and swelling, and they dispensed magnetized pills to stop patients' bleeding. In modern day, magnetic therapy is considered an alternative therapy, and relatively little research has been conducted as to its effectiveness. Regardless, people pay millions of dollars a year for the treatment in the hopes that it will ease their pain and guide them back to health.
Pain Relief
Magnets are most commonly used in the treatment of pain and swelling, which often go together. Experts are not clear on how magnets might relieve pain, although the most common theories are that holding a magnet near the body interrupts the transmission of pain signals to the brain and that magnets help bring blood flow to an injured area. Increased blood flow increases the amount of oxygen and nutrients delivered to the area, which encourages healing.
According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, research on magnets and pain relief has "produced mixed results." A National Institutes of Health study on back pain and magnets suggests a small benefit, but "Overall, there is no convincing scientific evidence to support claims that magnets can relieve pain of any type."
Cancer Therapy
There is some evidence to support the use of magnets to aid chemotherapy. A recent University of California at Los Angeles study revealed that placing large magnets over a tumor during chemotherapy can increase the effectiveness of the treatment. This is because the magnets "help draw the drugs to the specific area where the tumor is located, and keep the chemotherapy from drifting into the bloodstream and causing side effects, such as nausea and hair loss." Although the research is nascent, the findings warrant more research, according to the Lead Researcher, Dr. Scott Goodwin.
Treatment of Depression
Many people who suffer from clinical depression fail to get better with prescription medication, and when that doesn't work, they might turn to electro-convulsive therapy. Both can come with considerable side effects. According to the Daily Mail, doctors at Maudsley Hospital in South London are researching the effectiveness of using magnets to treat stubborn depression in a more gentle manner. Known as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), doctors hold magnets next to the patient's forehead, sending pulses of magnetic energy to the left prefrontal cortex, which is the area of the brain associated with depression. Although this particular study is still in its early stages, the Daily Mail reports that "...studies carried out elsewhere in the world show that the technique is at least as good as ECT, with TMS working for between 50 and 70 per cent of the patients who tried it."