Magnet therapy (also known as magnetotherapy or magnotherapy) is an alternative medicine practice that subjects an ailing body part to static magnetic fields. Classified as a pseudoscience because of insufficiently proven positive health effects, magnet therapy has its supporters and some recent studies are beginning to make a case for the practice, particularly its effect on the brain.
Function
The principle is that rapidly cycling magnetic fields induce weak electric currents in the brain's tissue. Brain cells are then invoked or inhibited, affecting how these brain cells communicate with each other. It has been believed that the brain is electrochemical in function and that stimulating the electrical component correctly could aid various psychological and neurological ailments.
History
The oldest and most widely used application of this principle is shock treatment or electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). ECT has a history of being overused or ill advised and has a reputation as a harsh prescription, although many believe ECT has been more properly regulated since its inception. An alternative, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) restricts treatments to 20 to 30 minutes at much smaller pulses than ECT (see link in References). Advancements in the magnetic coils themselves enable more specific targeting and frequency. This has reportedly reduced occurrences of memory loss and seizure yet still leaves the patient with side effects along the lines of mild headaches and discomfort.
Other Applications
Magnet therapy has been suggested as a possible treatment for migraines. Stroke, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and osteoarthritis patients have been treated with varying results.
Brain and the Spinal Cord
A preliminary test in 2009 attempted to gauge if magnetic therapy to the brain could help those with partial spinal cord damage, although many more studies will have to be conducted to make this widely accepted (see link in References). The study found that some patients experienced a decrease in intracortical inhibition, which made it difficult for brain waves to move along the spinal cord and reach the rest of the body and left them with increased motor and sensory function.
Treating Depression
The legitimacy of magnet therapy got its biggest boost in 2007 when the U.S. Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) approved transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to treat depression in adults unresponsive to traditional anti-depressants. To stimulate brain tissue, electromagnetic coils are held over the head and concentrated toward the parts of the brain that control mood regulation. A study in Pennsylvania resulted in more than half of the depression-suffering patients showing a decrease in symptoms after undergoing five 40-minute treatments a week over a period of six weeks (see link in References). This approval was met with some criticism, citing a need to configure the ideal dose and identify patients best suited for the treatment.
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