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The British Complementary Medicine Association (BCMA)

10th - 12th June South of England

23rd - 27th June Hickstead Derby

3rd - 4th July Danson Festival Bexley

9th -11th July Dalemain Cumbria

16th - 18th July Kent County Show

21st - 25th July War and Peace Show Kent

27th - 1st Aug Hickstead Royal Int

7th - 8th Aug Bowood Wilts

13th - 15th Aug Sandringham

17th - 19th Aug Pembrokeshire Show

28th - 30th Aug Cheshire Game and Country Show

4th - 5th Sept Gt Missenden

11th - 12th Sept Sandringham

17th - 19th Sept Leighton Hall Carnforth

25th - 26th Sept Powderham Exeter

2nd - 3rd Oct Herts Country Show

6th - 10th Oct Horse of the Year Show NEC

15th - 17th Oct Windsor Craft Fair

23rd -24th Oct Broadlands

30th -31st Oct Beale Park Berks

4th - 7th Nov Hatfield House or Trinity Park Felixstowe. Prov

13th - 14th Nov Woburn

26th - 28th Nov Sandringham Chrsitmas Fair

2nd - 5th Lincoln Christmas Market

14th - 20th Olympia Christmas Show

With regard to the recent newspaper articles about magnets being ineffective - click here

Q: Why do some magnetic therapy products work better than others?
A: Ultimately this could be due to the cause of the problem and not the therapy; but in the case of magnetic therapy it depends on how and where it's worn, comfort and strength. The size and power of the magnet will ultimately dictate how effective the product works and not all magnets are the same! For example the Pulse Wristband will put a magnetic field 8 to 10cm (3 to 4 inches) away from the surface and into the area being worn! By comparison most jewellery items being offered as therapy products will only put a field 3 to 4mm away from the surface even with the same gauss strength!

Q: How can a magnet on my wrist help my back pain?
A: There are 2 common ways of using magnets as a therapy; direct and indirect. DIRECT is when the products are worn on the area concerned in the form of wraps or supports. INDIRECT is when the product is worn on an acupressure or pulse point. For example, when the Pulse Wristband is worn on a pulse point the magnetic field stimulates the red blood cells into absorbing oxygen more efficiently which is then delivered to the whole body thereby aiding the body's natural healing mechanism. (See "HOW IT WORKS").

Q: Can magnetic therapy cure my condition?
A: No! Magnetic therapy can help the body's natural healing mechanism work more efficiently and some people do feel as if the problem is "cured" but unless you remove the cause of the problem, the problem is not going to go away! This is why the Pulse Wristband is so successful; it works on the whole body, so even if the problem is caused by referred pain the whole body benefits and it can be placed on the site of pain if necessary.

Q: Can I use any magnet?
A: Most magnets are large, bulky and can loose power and then they have to be held in place! The strength and polarity of the magnet is also important in order for it to effect a change. The majority of MAGNETiC's therapy products are handmade in the U.K under stringent controls. The "rare earth" magnets are manufactured in a controlled and protected environment then checked for strength and polarity before being placed into the product and are guaranteed for at least 70 years.

Always seek professional medical advice before use if unsure!

Q: Can you tell me whether your magnetic bracelets are the same as the ones or as strong as ones shown in the paper which were subject of a clinical trial.

ANSWER:

BMJ Trial Report

The following is in response to the recent publicized report on the use magnets to help with pain relief.

On or around the 18th December 2004 a report was published in the British Medical Journal on the result of a "Randomised controlled trial of magnetic bracelets for relieving pain in osteoarthritis of the hip and knee".

The preceding weeks saw a plethora of articles appearing in most of the UK newspapers citing the report together with images of some magnetic jewellery.

The report showed that a difference was seen with those wearing a magnetic therapy product of a certain strength and size but failed on several points to check whether the information supplied by the product supplier was correct. Set out below are my comments and corrections I feel will clarify the overall concept of the trial.

1. The size of magnet that was quoted in the journal is said to have been 20mm Dia. It was in fact 15mm Dia. The 20mm Dia quoted was in fact a 15mm Dia magnet set in a non - magnetized metal cup giving an impression of a larger surface area which would in effect create a larger flux field than was actually the case.

2. The term "bracelet" is misleading. The product used was in fact a strap with a plastic case holding the magnetic medium. A bracelet implies an item of jewellery which is also sold by some magnetic therapy suppliers. The magnets in a bracelet are much smaller and some are much weaker in strength than that which was used in the trial.

3. The magnetic field strength was measured using a gauss meter and was published in both the journal and the newspapers in the unit of mTesla. Unless someone works in field of magnetism (no pun intended) they would not know what a mTesla was! The resulting newspapers reports of this and the term "bracelet" only compounded the confusion of what to look for in a magnetic therapy product.

4. In both the trial paper and subsequent newspaper articles they quoted the ideal price range of between £30 and £50!!!

5. Pictures published in some newspapers not only showed items that were not used in the trial but were also less likely to help those with hip or knee pain due to the weak magnets used in these particular items.

I will now set out my response to the above.

1a. The 15mm magnet used was a Neodymium alloy magnet with a surface gauss rating of between 1700 and 2000 gauss. The depth of flux field is approx 5cm (2 inches) from the surface and as with any magnet, weaken the further away from that surface. The magnet was set in a metal "cup" set within a resin to hold it in place with an overall diameter of 20mm. This "cup", which is not magnetized, is then seated in a plastic case with a plastic cover which in effect further reduces the surface gauss measurement if taken on the surface of the plastic cover? A strap held the whole device on the wrist. The pattern and concept of this design is not unique.

2a. The term "bracelet" was used throughout and in my view is very confusing as this term commonly used to describe an item of jewellery in the form of either links or chains with a clasp. Some companies market magnetic bracelets which have magnets set between the links or set into the links themselves and are usually made in stainless steel or a light alloy or copper with gold or silver plating. The gauss rating of these magnets vary and fall between 1000 to 2000 gauss, however the size of magnets used in these items are small usually 5mm Dia and as such have a limited flux depth which at best can be 2cm (3/4 inch) from the surface but more often than not no more than about 5mm!

It is important to note that is often implied and rarely corrected that because a bracelet has several magnets it is stronger! This is not the case and each magnet is working independently of each other unless they have opposing poles on the surface, which is unlikely. The magnets used in most bangles are the same but some (not many) use opposing pole magnets in each end to create a field across the gap. In fact our Elegance range of jewellery are designed specifically to do this!

3a. The term mTesla is used in laboratories and in research and for example 100 mTesla equates to 1000 gauss, therefore the gauss rating of the magnet used in the trial is between 1700 and 2000 gauss. Some companies publish a "core" gauss rating which would be a lot higher than the surface gauss and in my opinion is only used to confuse and/or imply that because of the higher rating the "stronger the better" eg. 13000 core gauss!! Increased strength of a magnetic device does not necessarily mean an increase in health benefit, and studies have shown that magnets of a surface gauss of between 700 and a maximum of 2000 gauss is an ideal strength to show a health benefit depending on how the product is used. Eg: Weaker magnets sited directly onto the site of pain as opposed to over a major blood supply, have been shown to give beneficial results in a variety of muscular aches and pains.

4. Why mention price? A cheap magnetic bracelet sold for between £12 and £25 may well now be inflated to £30 plus in order to fit the criteria and indeed I have seen the same bracelets sold for between £5 and £50 and I believe that none of them have either the strength or penetration to give a lasting effect on health problems!

5. The pictures published showed various items and the price range would be in the region of £12 to £30. In both cases the magnets would have trouble in picking up a small nail or paper clip. These items now may well be sold for a far higher price than there worth because " it was pictured in the paper as part of a medical report"!

There is no mention of the type of product used in the trail that acted as the placebo! Was it the same design, look and appearance to the trialed device? This difference may have guided those who were used in trial into picking a certain device by appearance rather than the look of efficacy! A sentence taken from the report further confuses the results and the reader. Quote: " Therefore, we cannot be certain whether our data show a specific effect of magnets, a placebo effect, or both".

In short, whilst the study is welcome and shows that, all of us who work within this market already know, is that - magnets do work! The use with animals bears this out, a dog, horse or a cat cannot tell if they are wearing a magnet, we can see only the results.

Here at MAGNETiC we have always endeavored to provide the best possible product in order to achieve the best possible results and by designing and manufacturing our own range we feel that we can provide this more than any other company in the current market place. Our magnets not only fit the criteria set out in the trial and in most cases they exceed them and never fall below. For comfort, our customers have many times commented on their comfort and ease of use. Our jewellery range is the only one of its kind in the world and expanding.

Three of our main core products eliminate over a dozen items designed to fit various parts of the body in the form of wraps and supports AND ours have a stronger magnetic field! The Pulse is covered by a money back guarantee so you can try a cheaper product before committing to one of our more exclusive line of jewellery for example, in real gold or silver.

Our Pulse Wristband uses a 2000 gauss (200mTesla) magnet and exceed the criteria on depth of penetration two fold i.e. 13/15cm (5-6 inches) it is lighter and can be adapted to be worn around the knee or ankle AND is cheaper!! The magnets used in our Jewellery are 1700gauss (170mTesla) minimum each.

Important note: At no time is the above meant to be detrimental to either the trial itself or the product used in that trial. The sole aim of this report is to clarify certain points that were published in order that the reader can understand more the context of the trial report and subsequent newspaper articles.

To view the trial report, go to: www.bmjjournals.com

© MAGNETiC January 2005

Newspaper Article

With regard to the recent newspaper articles that most of you would have probably read under various titles such as: “Magnetic bracelets fail to ease arthritis” and “Magnets are a waste of money”.

This article was written by two supposed reputable scientists Professors Finegold and Flamm based in the US. If you read in depth you will see that they offer no evidence to support their theory other than it couldn’t possibly work because of this that or the other i.e. “MRI scans show no ill or healing effects” and “some companies claim that magnets are effective for cancer”.

Over 20 clinical trials have been published that have showed that static magnetic fields can and do have an effect on human tissue and have shown to help with pain relief. Citing the effects of an MRI scanning machine is not proof that the therapy doesn’t work as the subject is not exposed to the field long enough or the field is directed at the problem area and yes, claims regarding cancer should always be avoided but again this only proves that some companies are either unethical or simply do not know what they are talking about which unfortunately, is in my estimation 95% of the market place.

Why this article was published in the British Medical Journal is beyond me and many of my peers who have studied this subject from a professional medical or scientific perspective and like me have contributed a counter argument to the BMJ discussion page which can be seen at www.bmj.com

BBC Daily Mail Article

With regard to the recent article on BBC news and Daily Mail/Daily Telegraph.

Every now and then a news headline pops up saying something is not safe to eat and then a few months later another article says it is!! We have seen this with salt, wine, tea and coffee, butter, milk.
TV ads tell us to take such and such a pro-biotic liquid only for it to be withdrawn as having no proven benefits.

If we go back to 2006 and 2004 clinical trials DID show that magnets were effective for Osteoarthritis of the Hip and Knee and one company even had a product approved to be used by the NHS! This was, I might add granted not after a proper controlled clinical trial but by asking a selection of wearers to fill in a form as to how they felt?
In January 2008 a trial conducted in Virginia USA concluded that magnetic therapy can reduce inflammation when the magnet was applied directly. 2 of these trials were also conducted by the same organisation as the current one, Arthritis Research Campaign, (ARC).

I am not going to get bogged down by explaining why the trial could be wrong until I have seen the report fully for myself but one thing I do know, after speaking to Mr Stewart Richmond at York University is that:

  1. Some people DID feel a benefit and that the trial was limited to osteoarthritis only and NOT in a specific area.
  2. The main product used which whilst still being sold in some places are in fact bankrupt here in the UK and are now only trading in Canada!
  3. The magnet used was a Biopolar magnet that could be changed to single pole but given the timescale and the four different possible configurations.* This means that with 45 people each trying a different product for 4 weeks each. With the option of changing polarity reduces the time scale even further to give it time to take effect. See * below.

If it is all in the mind does it matter? If wearing a Magnetic or Copper bangle makes someone feel better then why not! If wearing a product triggers the benefit by placebo and it does no harm then why not! My argument is that so many magnetic products are so weak and cost a lot more that people are bound to feel cheated but I believe the strength is important. Despite what is sometimes said, the human body DOES respond to magnetic fields otherwise an MRI scan wouldn't work!

The problem with science is they want to know how !No problem with that and perhaps there is no reaction with iron in the blood but what made my red blood cells separate within 8 minutes after being exposed to my wrist band when sitting on glass plate under a microscope?. How did a mans injured hand and fingers show a remarkable increase in blood flow when viewed through a thermal imaging camera after wearing my wrist band for just 20 minutes?

As you can see on other pages of my web site there are several companies that claim to use certain strength magnets but when checked, are simply not the case and it is this difference that can make all the difference in the world!

I, along side some my more ethical colleagues would like to see some legislation in place which controls the criteria and quality of magnetic therapy products which would weed out some (most) of the more, shall we say, "rip offs" that don't even carry a CE mark! This will take some time and with the world wide web, control will be pretty much imposssible

* Note: Magnamax use two circular magnets one set inside the other and set within a plastic case with the ability to change the polarity to either north on the outside and south on the inside or south on the outside and north on the inside OR both north and north or both south and south!!! Still with me? This is 4 different configurations that the company says you need to change to find out which suits you personally. Given that it can take several weeks for some people to feel a benefit and the fact to change these magnetic configurations need nimble hands and fingers would someone with osteoarthritis of hands and fingers be able to do this therefore possibly impede the wearer from receiving the necessary benefit and to change the result of the trial?????

If you have any comments do please email me on magnetic@btinternet.com

Ray.

 
   
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