Magnetic Therapy, Good For Your Patients Great For Your Practice
By Bruce Spiegler, Reg. Magnetic Therapist
Magnetic Therapy is one of the most powerful and yet underutilized tools at a chiropractor's disposal. While it can help your patients heal faster - and grow your practice - many practitioners are either unaware of its uses, or else do not understand magnetic therapy enough to put it into practice.
Some practitioners are worried about magnetic therapy's effectiveness and have concerns that it may compete with the chiropractic services they already provide.
At Therion, we educate chiropractors on how magnetic therapy can help their patients and how it can be integrated into their existing practice.
It is important for chiropractors to understand exactly how magnetic therapy reduces pain and speeds the healing process. All physical and mental functions are controlled by electromagnetic fields produced by the movement of ions within the body. When an injury occurs, positively charged ions move to the affected area, triggering pain and causing inflammation. In order for healing to take place, the electromagnetic fields at the injury site must be restored to their normal balance.
The application of a magnetic field to an injured area helps restore the electromagnetic fields to normal levels. The magnetic field relaxes capillary walls, as well as surrounding muscle and connective tissues, allowing for increased blood flow. More oxygen and nutrients are transferred to the injury site, while inflammatory-related toxins are removed.
In recent years magnetic therapy may have seemed like a passing fad. Yet the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) classifies magnetic therapy as a form of Energy Medicine. The NCCAM is one of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health, and falls under the Public Health Service in the Department of Health and Human Services.
The NCCAM states "Static magnets have been used for centuries in efforts to relieve pain. Numerous anecdotal reports have indicated that individuals have experienced significant, and at times dramatic, relief of pain after the application of static magnets over a painful area." In fact over 300 studies have been published worldwide and the health benefits of magnetic therapy are being researched today more than ever before.
Varying results can be expected with any treatment and magnetic therapy had previously shown an unusually wide variation. Recently, Therion Research was the first to identify the root cause of this problem.
During the course of our research we found that a large majority of the magnets used in existing products were very small and weak. As a result, the magnetic field strength and effective penetration depth (how far the magnetic field can reach) were much too low. Since many injuries are located in tissue or bone several inches beneath the skin - these products were rendered effectively useless.
We were particularly intrigued by a number of results showing that pain seemed to increase in some people. The products used were found to have their magnets installed backwards so the polarity was reversed. As the north and south poles of a magnet have opposite effects on the body, when a magnet is installed in the wrong direction it can actually make the problem worse.
Therion is a direct manufacturer, producing a complete line of professional quality magnetic therapy products. We have developed products with the proper polarity and magnet strength. As part of our process we figured out exactly how strong our magnets needed to be to achieve full magnetic field saturation. When our products were tested they had an effectiveness rate approaching 90 percent. Patients tend to see results from magnetic therapy fairly quickly. In general older people respond to therapy faster than younger people.
For acute injuries, most people start feeling better in a day or two. Some actually see results within hours or even minutes. With chronic pain related conditions, it could take several days or even a week or two before you start to feel better.
Magnetic therapy should not be considered an alternative to traditional chiropractic care. Instead, it is intended to complement and enhance your overall treatment plan. We are aware of the fact that chiropractors are accustomed to using the treatment methods they have been trained for. Yet, we understand that most health care professionals are open to trying new products that can benefit their patients and help them live the life they deserve.
Magnetic therapy products can be prescribed by you as part of your regular patient visits - and used to improve healing and help your patients feel better between standard procedures. If you are unaware of how to use magnetic therapy products, magnetic therapy training is available through Therion Research, the leading manufacturer of professional magnetic therapy products.
With the serious side effects and health risks of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Vioxx and Celebrex now public knowledge, patients need a safe, effective alternative to relieve pain and feel better. Magnetic therapy is a safe, effective, complementary treatment option to incorporate in your practice.
In addition, magnetic therapy products will end up boosting your reputation and help build referrals. When patients see their pain and inflammation decrease and they begin to heal faster, it is a natural instinct for them to tell their friends and family that you are the one responsible. Everybody wins.
Source: New Living Magazine, August, 2005
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