Using the Electromagnetic Field in Therapy

Electromagnetic fields are everywhere on earth. The soil, the rocks and even our own bodies are all subject to electromagnetism. Cleopatra believed that sleeping on lodestone, which is naturally magnetized rock, would make her appear more youthful. Hippocrates used magnetized rocks to relieve headaches. As far back as 200 BC, the Chinese have been writing about using magnetic stones on acupuncture points. In 1892, Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval used magnetic fields to treat skin diseases and mucous membrane disorders. The body itself has its own electromagnetic field and modern scientists are looking into ways this field can be subtly manipulated to treat afflictions such as depression and multiple sclerosis.

One modern use of electromagnetic fields is for depression, which has recently been FDA approved. Depression affects some thirty seven million Americans, with around twenty five percent of women and ten percent of men suffering.

In trans-magnetic stimulation, a powerful electromagnet stimulates the left frontal lobe in the brain, causing brain cells to "fire, to become active, to do things, to kick our brain chemicals which are called neurotransmitters," explains Dr. Charles Epstein of Emory University.

While there is still much left to study, notably the long-term effectiveness of treatment, the attractiveness of the electromagnetic pulse is that it is quick, it is free from side effects and it is often effective on patients who have not responded to anything else.

In the Ukraine, head injuries and electromagnetic field pulse therapy were studied over a two-year period. Doctors used a millimeter wave therapy to treat one hundred and eleven brain trauma patients at Kiev Regional Hospital. For acute brain injury patients, conventional drug therapy was used in conjunction with the electromagnetic pulse. Within seven to nine days, at twenty minutes per treatment, the patients who had used both therapies were doing much better than those using medicine alone. The electromagnetic waves were said to decrease the duration of inpatient treatment by as much as thirty percent while also allowing for better recovery.

In addition to clinical electromagnetic field therapy using powerful magnets, there are also various electromagnetic therapy products that can help with headaches, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, tennis elbow, sciatica and various other ailments. Numerous vendors sell magnetic insoles, bracelets, necklaces and even mattresses online, although not all of them can be backed by scientific claims. These products are generally inexpensive and attractive looking nevertheless, so even if they do not work as advertised, many folks take a "why not?" approach to magnetic jewelry. In fact, total US sales during 2008 were some three hundred million dollars.