Hi
Just joined the list and have enjoyed lurking, but I have had some
recent experience with magnet therapy when my mother in law had a non
healing fracture 2 weeks growth on 6 months and was prescribed to use
a magnet field therapy device before trying rather complicated
surgery. The devices are around 6k$ and require a prescription.
Without insurance, she could not afford the device and she decided
_I_ could build such a thing for her and sent me all the brochures
from the companies.
Well... in spite of my better judgement, I built it. I did not see
what harm it could do and it would give great comfort to my mother in
law.
Many of the companies selling such devices have published their
research and specs. and duplicating the waveform was done with a
simple 555 timer and a tediously wound coil.
The key according to my survey of the literature to this healing
effect is the presence of a changing magnetic field. No company can
agree on duration, field strength, field geometry. There is fierce
debate between brands, but some evidence exists that the changing
field will stimulate growth in bone. The best results seem to come
from when the contacts are actually implanted on either side of the
fracture -the external option seemed better for my purposes :)
Several days after wearing the device my mother in law reported that
the level of pain in the break was reduced. Was it the field or a
placebo affect? Who knows - but she feels better. The Xrays next
month will tell a better story.
I have found no serious lit. regarding the effects of a static field.
So I have not seen any serious evidence that applying magnets to
various body parts will have any effect (other than placebo).
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S. Goelzer
Physics Teacher
Coe-Brown Northwood Academy
Northwood NH 03261
603-942-5531 ext43
sgoelzer@coebrownacademy.com
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