Magnetic Bracelets - Myth or Substance?

In a world of hyperbaric chambers and other 21st century ways of how to get over an injury or indeed how to prevent one, there has been a myth around many sports for hundreds of years on a cure or even a prevention of injuries.
From professional sportsmen to royalty it is rumoured that magnetic therapy is now one of the most popular alternative medicines with over one hundred million people worldwide using it or have used it.

Much like myself I wondered how the treatment would affect me or if it would. I injured my right wrist playing football, with no break or sprain it was just a shooting pain, as a keen golfer as well it was proving a problem.
I was at the NEC Golf Show late last year and saw the stall of magnectichealthcare.com, I explained my situation and I was persuaded to wear one of their products for up to six months to see if the pain would go away without a visit to the doctors.

I was very cautious and sceptical about the whole thing, but I was willing to give it a try.

For thousands of years, magnets have been used to help the body recover. Research in America has been done to prove that magnetic therapy can speed up the healing of injuries. Recently there was an independent trial at the University of Virginia with the magnet based therapy. Scientists found 66 per cent of those who took part needed a lot less pain relief when using the therapy.

The treatment is not as weird as it sounds, you don’t have to strap magnets to yourself, special bracelets, necklaces, jewellery and body straps can target specific areas. The research done over the years has shown that magnetism can make capillary walls relax and blood vessels widen, allowing more blood to pass through. This means the body can get rid of toxins much quicker, speeding up the healing process.

Magnetic therapy has established itself as a very effective alternative to drug treatment or the relief of pain and discomfort associated with a wide range of ailments. The more people who try this form of therapy, the more are becoming 'converted' and pass the word along to fellow sufferers.

The Ventilon design and Hi-Density Magnets attract fresh blood to the painful area. This stimulation of the blood circulation carries away damaged and toxic materials which cause the pain. This process not only helps to relieve the discomfort but can also speed up the recovery time. The advanced design of products retains body heat in the area of pain whilst allowing the skin to breathe. This coupled with the circulation stimulation is why these products are the most comfortable and effective magnetic therapy products available.

Sportsmen and women from the world of Golf, NBA, MLB, NFL, Tennis, Cricket, Squash and many more sports, wear magnetic bracelets or necklaces.

Probably the more famous brand you will see on the market is the Trion:Z series. With its patented brand of dual bracelets held together by 1,000 Gauss medical-grade magnets in various colours are on sale in most good sports shops.

Gauss is a unit of measure that indicates the strength of a magnetic field. The greater the gauss, the greater the field it extends from the surface of the magnet.

World renowned golf instructor David Leadbetter is one of Trion:Z ambassadors and he could not speak more highly of the product:

“I recommend Trion:Z to everyone. It’s natural. When I wear Trion:Z I walk off the 18th green as fresh as I did when I left the first tee.”

You can get the therapy in many forms of metals, the most popular are copper and silver but you can also get titanium, tungsten, stainless steel and even in specially design body straps, that works just like any other bandage but with the added help of magnetism.

Trion:Z have just sign PGA Tour player Rory McIlroy to try and get the younger generation to wear their products not just for medical reasons and the health side of it but because they can also look good.
I have been too many amateur events over the past few months and I have seen countless people wearing them in the colours of their golfing attire. In fact it wouldn’t surprise me if they have dressed themselves around the colour of the bracelet. That is the question now, are people wearing them as a fashion accessory rather than health reasons? It can do them no harm that’s for sure.

It is said that even back in the times of the ancient Egyptians, magnetic therapy was tested. It is rumoured that Cleopatra wore Jewellery charged with magnetism and even Queen Elizabeth I is said to have used magnetism to ease her arthritis.

So back on to my problem, I spoke to Andrew Payne from magnetic healthcare.com, who was very informative and gave me many options to try. Like many of the golfers I had seen I wanted it to look good as well, so I went for one of their real silver collection. A thin silver bracelet with the magnets on the inside fitted nicely and I was away.
Six months later I am happy to say that the pain has disappeared and I continue to wear the bracelet for both reasons.

February 2006, the Sunday Times Newspaper revealed that the NHS has for the very first time allowed magnetic therapy treatment devices to be prescribed by G.P's.

The main problem with not getting the therapy into diagnostics is the knowledge and money has never been made available.

The British medical Association recognizes now that magnetic therapy is a proven form treatment and has invested funds into further clinical studies and is now available on the NHS and through your local G.P.

With further research and investment, the next few years could certainly see more and more people turn to magnetic therapy.