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Duration of Magnetic Therapy Application
Factors such as severity and length of disease, individual susceptibility, age of the patient,
organs to which magnets are to be applied and the strength of the magnets decide the
duration of the application. Normally, each 'sitting' should be for a duration of 10 to 30
minutes, though prolonged exposure for even 45 minutes may be allowed in cases of
paralysis, rheumatoid arthritis, polio and sciatica. The above period of exposure applies to
treatment with magnets not exceeding 2000 gauss and not for extra-strong magnets with
higher gauss powers.
It is absolutely necessary to stick to the periods of exposure as longer exposures may lead
to over-excitement of tissues and may, in certain cases, result in cellular shock, especially
in extremely susceptible patients. As every medicinal substance has a safe dose, the 'dose'
of magnetism for every individual should be worked out on the basis of the following
considerations.
- Severity and Length of Disease
As a rule, acute diseases of recent origin require a shorter duration of application of
magnets. Experience shows that the severer the disease, the quicker it responds to
magnetic application and hence shorter durations of exposure are adequate for
desired results, On the other hand, chronic and long-lasting diseases demand longer
exposures to magnets as the response in such cases is slow due to the slow reaction
of the organism. Also, some of the crippling diseases like polio and arthritis require
longer periods of application. In such cases, it is advisable to increase the number of
sittings rather than the duration. For instance, in a case of rheumatoid arthritis, two
sittings of about 20 minutes each should be taken 12 hours apart - one in the
morning and the other in the evening. In the diseases of the heart, brain and eyes,
the duration of each application should not exceed 10 minutes, as these are delicate
organs with highest fluctuating magnetic fields.
- Individual Susceptibility to Magnets
No two individuals are alike with regard to their susceptibility to magnets. One person
can stand an exposure up to several hours, while another may not tolerate an
exposure even of a few seconds. This fact has been repeatedly verified in everyday
practice. In some paralytic patients, the magnetic susceptibility is so great that they
experience acute spasm of the muscles and pulling sensation after an exposure of
merely one or two seconds. Such patients may be required to take several sittings at
shorter intervals to derive maximum benefit from such treatment. Therefore, the
method and duration of application have to be tailored for individual patients and no
general rule should be applied to all.
Every magneto therapist keeps handy two of the well-known antidotes to over-
magnetism, namely, a zinc plate and the homoeopathic zincum metallicum 6. In case
of any suspected over-reaction to magnets, the patient should be asked to
discontinue contact with the magnet immediately and to place his or her hands on the
zinc plate. If the reaction is violent, which however is very rare, the patient should be
administered a few doses of the homoeopathic medicine, every 15 minutes.
The age of the patient also has an important bearing on the duration of application.
Infants and very young children need a shorter duration of exposure to magnets than
adults. Children also require smaller low-power magnets - MEM and CCM - for
general and local applications.
Very strong magnets or prolonged exposures should be avoided in old persons. In
any case, the first application should be under the direct supervision of a
magnetotherapist to avoid any untoward effect.
The recommendations about the duration of exposure given here are based on the
magnetic strengths of 500 to 2000 gauss and not the extra-strong ones. Hence, the
duration of exposure requires to be manipulated according to the strength of the
magnets available. In case magnets stronger than 2000 gauss are to be used, the
duration of application may be reduced to 10 to 15 minutes in adults and 5 to 7
minutes in old persons. The extra-strong magnets should not be used in children or
debilitated patients as these can adversely affect their organs. These should never be
applied to delicate organs like the heart or brain.
Low-power magnets of a gauss strength of less than 200 can be used for longer
periods. Very small magnets should better be tied to the affected organ for 12 hours
or more to derive the required benefit. Low-power magnets are also used in
magnetic articles like necklaces, head and waist-belts, wrist bands and chains, as
these are worn on the person for longer periods. However, a sitting on powerful
magnetic chairs which utilise electro-magnetism and have a magnetic strength
exceeding that of normal permanent magnets should not exceed 10 to 15 minutes. In
such chairs, the poles lose significance as the electro-magnets provide only the
magnetic flux. Such chairs are used for painful afflictions rather than on
considerations of individual characteristics of the two poles.
Some magnetotherapists use discarded industrial magnets more due to easy
availability than any biomagnetic considerations. Such magnets can be used for
healing purposes, provided their gauss-power is known and distinct polarity is
available, or else it may not be advisable to use these in the treatment of diseases,
especially those attended with infection.
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