Are magnetic therapy treatments safe for everyone to use?

Healing magnets are perfectly safe to use as there are no known harmful side effects to using them providing you do not fall into the following categories:

• People with an internal pacemaker - the magnetic field may interrupt the signal between the pacemaker and the heart. Magnets could cause a pacemaker to malfunction. You may use magnetic products such as magnetic jewelry or straps if your partner has a pacemaker, but they should be removed for periods of intimate contact with your partner.

• People with an internal defibrillator (machine which re starts the heart) - the magnetic field may interrupt the signals between the defibrillator and the heart, causing the defibrillator to malfunction. If a partner is using therapeutic magnets follow the precautions for a pacemaker above.

• People with an internal insulin pump - a magnetic field could interfere with the timing and delivery mechanism of the pump, causing the machine to administer an incorrect dose of insulin. If your partner is using magnets follow the precaution as per the pacemaker.

• Women during pregnancy - north pole (positive) magnetic fields stimulate new cell growth. Because new cell growth is occurring in the fetus during pregnancy there is a potential to increase cell growth within a developing fetus. Tests have not been carried out to ascertain whether magnetic fields produce abnormal cell growth in developing fetuses, so with the absence of clinical data, to prove otherwise, it is recommended to avoid using magnets during pregnancy. It is however safe to use magnets whilst breast feeding as the magnetic field is not carried in breast milk.

• During chemotherapy and radiotherapy - The aim of chemotherapy and radiotherapy is to kill off cancerous cells. North pole magnetic fields promote and stimulate new cell growth, studies have not seen any evidence that magnets can stimulate the growth of new cancerous cells and to the contrary there are study results that suggest that cancerous cells cannot live in the presence of a strong magnetic field, but as there is always a possibility of new cell growth during chemotherapy or radiotherapy it is recommended to avoid using magnets during these treatments.

However it is safe to use magnets before and after chemotherapy and radiotherapy and many patients find the south pole very beneficial for treating the side effects of many cancers.

• People who are undergoing dialysis as their immune system are compromised.

• Magnetic products should not be placed directly over an open wound or trauma to the skin, where the skin is broken - for example on a burn. You should place the healing magnets as close as possible to the wound but on good skin. The same applies for ulcers. In case of leg ulcers where compression bandages are being used, magnetic straps may be used on top of the bandages to accelerate healing.

• People who use drug patches such as GTN or morphine patches should not place healing magnets close to the area where they place the patch. This is because there is a chance that due to the increase in circulation around the area where the magnet is placed, more drugs that is required get absorbed in the blood stream.