by Dr. William Pawluk, MD, MSc.
The human body floats in a sea of magnetic fields--those of the earth, moon, sun, and other galactic fields. The body is full of magnetic materials. Every cell and atom of the body is a small magnetic dynamo. The body's fields, which are very tiny, are measured in devices called SQUIDS. The earth's field is 100,000 times or more stronger than the body's! We are so dependent on the earth's fields that astronauts in space for long periods require artificial magnetic fields to maintain health.
Magnetic fields penetrate the body as if it were air. Nothing in the body stands in the way of a magnetic field. The body is 70% or more water, which doesn't reduce or block magnetic fields. A strong magnet held on one side of the hand can easily deflect a compass needle on the other side of the same hand.
SQUIDS show that tissues exposed to magnets have enhanced magnetic signals afterward for some time. Various types of magnets produce these effects. They include permanent magnets, such as flat magnetic pads and electromagnets of various kinds, such as MRI machines and nerve conduction testing devices.
Some acupuncturists use permanent magnets because they are painless and allow to continue after a visit. While a student in acupuncture, I was experimenting on myself with two of the most powerful acupuncture magnets available. In two separate trials, I felt an obvious buzzing sensation in my chest and abdomen. By chance I stimulated two acupuncture meridians! This proved that magnets significantly affect acupuncture points and meridians. I also worked with a physician friend who owns some sensitive electrical testing equipment. We were able to show that magnets increase the energy (chi) flow along a hand meridian. In my practice, I now frequently replace needles for magnets.
Magnetics act on the body in many ways:
- They stimulate the acupuncture points and meridians. In this way, they can be used for all kinds of problems, especially for pain, fibromyalgia and muscle strains.
- They work on red blood cells because they contain iron. I placed a round bulls eye magnet on a nurse's knee bruise following a ski injury. The next morning she had a perfect bulls eye pattern over her bruise!
- Most people report warmth and gentle tingling under the magnets. Europeans have measured increased blood flow. Others have seen this on thermograms too.
- They affect some chemical processes within and between cells. Chemists use sensitive magnetic equipment to measure simple and complex molecules. Researchers at Harvard found that salt water passes a membrane quicker with a magnetic field.
- They can affect nerve signals. High strength magnets can cause anesthesia, through a principle in physics called the Hall effect. Dr. Robert Becker (author of Body Electric) put salamanders to sleep before surgery with electromagnets more safely than anesthetics. Magnets can stop epileptic seizures. They are also used to study and map nerve structures deep in the brain, normally only accessible during brain surgery.
I hope the above has helped to inform you about the exciting new field of biomagnetics which has great potential to help people. We are clearly seeing a new day in medical sciences and health care with the expanded awareness and use of complementary techniques of care.
Several books have been written on magnetic therapy. Check your library or bookstore.
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Originally presented in Baltimore Resource Journal, Vol 9, No. 2, Summer 1995, Baltimore Maryland. Dr. William Pawluk, MD, MSc has been a Board-certified family doctor since 1974, has training in acupuncture, hypnosis and homeopathy and is on the faculty at Hopkins
