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How Magnetic Therapy works

Magnetic Therapy

A magnetic field is at the very foundation of life on this planet. Millions of years ago when the first signs of life were emerging, the Earth’s geomagnetic field was perhaps hundreds of times stronger. Our bodies were developed in an environment rich in oxygen, water, nutrients, gravity and magnetism.

All of the body’s systems are electromagnetic in nature. The process of cell division, the very core of the living system, takes place due to magnetic energy.

Ever wondered how Magnetic Therapy works?

The body’s cells have electromagnetic properties which means they can be energised by a magnetic field. Magnetic Therapy encourages blood flow and increases cellular activity in the body however, magnets in themselves, do not heal. When a powerful magnet is placed against the body, cellular activity is increased, and this in turn can increase the rate at which cells regenerate and repair.

 Magnetic Back Pad with Magnets LRWhat makes Equilibrium Magnetic Therapy® different from other products?Magnets 1 LR

Most magnets present only a north or a south pole to the body. The VITAflex® magnets used in the Equilibrium Therapy® range are twice as effective, as they present both poles to the body.

They are of clinical strength so the magnetic fields can penetrate deep into the tissues.

The heat insulating structure of the magnets also results in a slight warming, thereby improving local circulation.

Magnets are often referred to in Gauss strength, what does this mean? 

Gauss (G) is simply a measurement of magnetic induction but it is important to understand its relevance in magnetic therapy.

Magnetic Back Pad LREvery magnet will have a gauss surface strength.  This is what makes it stick to a metal surface,  ie. a fridge magnet sticking to a fridge. It is important to understand however, that this surface measurement is not necessarily representative of its therapeutic effect.   What is important is how much of a magnetic field is maintained around the magnet, the further you get away from the magnet, ie. how deep the magnetic field can penetrate into the body’s tissues.

Whilst a surface reading of 2000 gauss may sound impressive, the real therapeutic strength of a magnet is in the induction, ie. What is the strength of the magnetic field away from the surface.

A magnet can have a very strong surface strength reading but if it is not creating a magnetic field at 4cm away (of 10 gauss), it is unlikely to have a therapeutic effect.

What Gauss are Vitaflex magnets?

Vitaflex magnets have been measured to produce 550 G on their surface and to provide at least 10 G at a depth of 4cm. 

ccmIs Gauss strength alone important?

Gauss alone is not important; the effectiveness of the magnet also relies on pole configuration and the total area of magnetic surface facing the body.  It has been shown that a minimum of 10 Gauss is needed to penetrate into the body to have a therapeutic effect.

For a magnetic field to have an effect on the blood, the magnetic field should cross through the blood vessels at 90˚. 

The VITAflex® magnets used in the Equilibrium Therapy® range present both north and south poles to the body in concentric circular magnetisation, (CCM).

This means that there are repeated circular patterns on the surface of the magnet presenting continuous alternating polarity. 

There are 3 main reasons why CCM configuration is important.

  1. It enables both North and South poles to be presented to the body at the same time. This can be difficult to achieve using a magnet with straight, parallel poles or a single axial pole.
  2. It increases the chance of the magnetic field crossing a blood vessel at 90 degrees. This is needed to aid the Hall effect*
  3. The magnets can be positioned exactly where healing is needed. CCM presents the most efficient magnetic pole pattern conceivable. The orientation of the magnet is therefore not important. No other magnet can do this. 

Will a magnet have any therapeutic effect if it doesn’t pass a blood vessel at 90 degrees?

If the blood travelled parallel to the magnetic flux lines, it is unlikely to have a beneficial effect.

As the direction of flow changes to cross the alternating flux lines, the beneficial effect increases until its maximum benefit is achieved at 90o.  The unique concentric circle pattern in Vitaflex magnets allows for maximum beneficial effect to be delivered.

Magnetic Hall effect

Note: To date, no negative side effects are known from treatments with static magnetic fields in general and from VITAflex® in particular. However caution should be used by those people with electrical devices, such as pacemakers or hearing aids. It is also recommended that pregnant women or pregnant animals should avoid strong magnetic fields.

*The Hall effect was discovered by the American physicist E.H. Hall in 1879.The effect describes a transverse electromotive force which occurs when a magnetic induction is directed vertical to a conducting probe thereby, the Hall effect is created (Koch 1999).