The theory behind magnet therapy is that when a magnet is placed around a specific joint or body part, more blood is attracted to that area, leading to an increase in oxygen and nutrients. The combination of increased oxygen and nutrients leads to a faster healing process.
Magnetic therapy dates back thousands of years, with the first documented use around 2500-3000 years BC. Cleopatra is one of the first people of note to have used magnet therapy. It is frequently documented that Cleopatra used to sleep on a Lodestone, a naturally magnetized piece of the mineral magnetite, to keep her skin looking youthful. The Chinese were the first people to make use of magnets as a way of treating health conditions, and the Yellow Emperor’s Book of Internal Medicine, the earliest medical writing in 2000 BC, mentions the application of magnetic stones to correct health imbalances. The word magnet comes from the Greek language, and derives from Magnes lithos, meaning ‘stone from Magnesia’. Magnesia was an area of Greece known for its volcanic rocks containing magnetic forces.
Despite the common use of magnets in certain parts of the world, Europe was slow to appreciate their benefits. In the 16th century an Englishman, Dr William Gilbert, published one of the first books about magnet therapy, called De Magnet. Gilbert was the first recognised expert to describe the Earth as one big magnet, with magnetic poles close to the North and South Poles. Gilbert also confirmed that the use of magnetic materials could be beneficial for a variety of medical conditions.
During the next few centuries, scientists continued to study the benefits of magnets and their use became much more widely recognised. One notable pioneer was Dr Kreft, a German scientist, who in 1905 studied the healing effects of magnets on sciatica, neuralgia and rheumatic disease. Since the 1990’s, a huge amount of research has been carried out into the benefits of magnetic therapy on a wide range of issues including osteoarthritis, diabetes and fibromyalgia. Many well known people are advocates of magnet therapy such as Cherie Blair, Anthony Hopkins, Prince William, Michael Jordan and Andre Agassi.
Magnetic therapy devices are now registered as prescribable medical devices in over 50 countries worldwide, commonly used within Complimetary and Alternative medicine and is a and non-invasive natural therapy, deemed a ‘no health risk’ by the World Health Organisation.