Magnet therapy

Magnet therapy, or magnetic therapy, is a form of alternative medicine based on the claim that certain medical disorders can be effectively treated by exposure to magnetic fields. Some believe that magnetic fields emanating from permanent magnets placed close to the body can cause bones to heal faster, relieve pain, and perform other forms of healing to the body. It is most commonly recommended by practitioners as a cure for joint disorders and back problems. Critics charge that no verifiable evidence has been put forth that magnet therapy has any real benefits, and thus relegate it to the realm of pseudo-science. It may act as a placebo in some people.

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Repetitive Transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is currently under study as a possible treatment for depression, auditory hallucinations, and possibly to temporarily induce savant-like abilities. Initially designed as a tool for physiological studies of the brain, this technique shows promise as a means of alleviating depression. In this therapy, a powerful magnetic field is used to stimulate the left prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain which typically shows abnormal activity in depressed individuals. Studies currently show an efficacy similar to that of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), but with fewer side effects. No sedation is required, and the only reported side effects are a slight headache in some patients, and facial muscle contraction during treatment. A study by the World Parkinson Disease Association (a non-profit organization) gave inconclusive results:

Related Topics:
Transcranial magnetic stimulation - Savant-like - Electroconvulsive therapy - Parkinson Disease - Non-profit organization

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:"In this Japanese multi-center, double-blind study, rTMS was compared with sham stimulation in two groups of PD patients. Some efficacy was observed in rTMS treated subjects, but the degree of the effect was not significantly different from that of the control patients. The existing reports have been conflicting regarding the efficacy of the rTMS in PD, on the base of the differences of the stimulation parameters and the relevance of the placebo effect of the procedure. The results of this study do not prove the efficacy of rTMS, but they do not rule out definitely possible positive effects." -- Sunday, November 23, 2003

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November 23 - 2003

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This form of treatment, however, involves extremely powerful focused electromagnets to produce a magnetic flux density of several teslas over a small region of the brain to produce eddy and induction currents. The flux density of even huge horseshoe magnets is five orders of magnitude (100,000 times) weaker, and that produced by flat permanent magnets is far weaker still. Thus, rTMS is a very different type of therapy than what is promoted as "magnet therapy" in advertisements and on websites.

Related Topics:
Tesla - Eddy - Induction - Horseshoe magnet

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See also: Clinical depression

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