Can Healing With Magnets Really Work?

By Ed Radi

There is a growing movement today towards what is called alternative or complementary health treatments for chronic pain. Many people are looking for answers through alternative health treatments because they are tired of invasive medical procedures or taking medications that don't really work.

Of course, traditional medicine can be helpful, in some situations and for some people. But if you have chronic pain that hasn't been well controlled with medication or other medical means, you may want to consider trying magnetic jewelry therapy as an alternative or add-on treatment.

For centuries, people in the eastern part of the world, such as China and Japan, have been using energy therapies for better health. Western doctors dismissed these approaches as "quackery" and "old wives' tales" for many years. But more and more healthcare professionals today are starting to recognize the value of many of these therapies, including magnetic therapy.

Magnetic jewelry therapy is thought by many to be helpful in relieving the pain of arthritis, other types of chronic pain, headaches, pain with fibromyalgia, and carpal tunnel syndrome. However, the jury is still out in many parts of the medical community... mostly due to the fact that not enough scientific studies have been done yet to prove whether magnetic therapy jewelry really does work.

But it's important to remember that many of the therapies that ARE accepted today, like acupuncture and yoga, also started out without much support until enough studies were done to prove what ordinary people already knew... they worked.

Magnetic therapy is using magnets for health purposes. In other words, wearing or placing magnets on your body to influence your bodily processes in a positive way. Many claims have been made about how magnets work.

Some say that they improve blood circulation.
Others believe that they alter how nerve cells respond to pain or how the brain perceives pain.
Still others theorize that magnets increase oxygen content in the blood.
A few people have suggested that they move ions—or energy fields—within the body.
Some theories say that magnets increase the temperature of the body part where they are used.

The bottom line is that no one knows for sure what magnetic therapy effects are exactly on our bodies. The same is true for many medical and alternative therapies today. And just because we don't understand how they work doesn't negate the fact that they do... at least for some of us.

If you've been investigating magnet therapy, you may have heard of the Baylor Study, which was research conducted at Baylor School of Medicine in the late 90s that seemed to support the benefits of magnets for health and pain relief. But more studies will be needed before there is widespread support by doctors for magnets. Luckily, more research is in the works, and it's being conducted via a grant from a reputable source... the US National Institutes of Health, in Bethesda, Maryland.

For centuries, Eastern medicine—such as that practiced in China and Japan—has focused on the energy fields in the body. Yoga, tai chi, qi gong, acupuncture, acupressure, and more have focused on manipulating energy fields in the body.

Healthcare professionals in the western world are starting to realize more and more that these practices show consistent results and are more based in science than originally thought. So isn't it possible that magnetic therapy could also have a positive effect on our energy fields?

More information about magnets for healing, as well as a full line of high quality, attractive magnetic therapy jewelry, can be found at Vivians-Magnetic-Bracelets.com.

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What is a Hot Stone Massage?

By Andrew Bicknell

Although the hot stone massage is a relatively new technique it is one that has gained a lot of favor from those who practice its healing powers. It is fast challenging the restorative power of the full body massage in terms of popularity in the world of relaxation. A hot stone massage, first developed in Sweden, is just what it sounds like, the use of hot stones used in addition to a more traditional massage to help relieve stress and relieve tight aching muscles.

A hot stone massage is different then a more traditional full body massage or a therapeutic massage in that it requires a more gentle touch and in some cases the therapist may not even touch you, other then to position the hot stones. The nice thing about this type of massage is that it doesn’t hurt, unlike other forms of massage that require deep and sometimes painful kneading. This makes it perfect for those whose pain threshold may not be very high.

Hot stone massages can vary depending on the massage therapist and the needs of their client, but this is mainly dependent on the training the masseuse has had in the techniques they have studied. The hot stones themselves are always the same, basalt stones that have the ability to retain their heat for the length of the massage. The stones are heated up to nearly one hundred and twenty degrees before they are applied.

After he stones have been heated to the proper temperature the stones are strategically placed on the body parts where they will have the most benefit. Body parts such as the arms and legs will have lighter stones placed on them while the heavier three to five pound stones will be placed on the torso. After the heat from the stones has penetrated into the muscles the therapist will usually begin rubbing a stone over their clients’ body, stopping to work those areas that are unusually tight or tense. Of course if the therapist and client prefer a hot stone massage can be done without any rubbing and accomplished by just allowing the heat from the stones to do all the work.

For more information about a hot stone massage and to learn more about the art of massage visit the web site Full Body Massage.

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