Effects of Magnetic Fields on Health and Disease

 

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The use of magnetic materials and devices for therapeutic and/or rejuvenation purposes dates back to the ancient Greeks, Chinese and Egyptians. In the early 1500's, Paracelsus used magnets in an attempt to treat epilepsy, gastrointestinal disease and hemorrhage problems. In the early 1600's William Gilbert treated strangulated hernias with magnets [[1]]. Magnetotherapy has been used to treat many health problems and diseases including bone fractures, pain, facial paralysis, arthritis, osteoporosis, varicose ulcers, phlebitis and cancer [[2], [3], [4], [5], [6]].

With respect to therapeutic modalities utilized in cancer treatment, magnetic fields exhibit characteristics similar to those associated with chemotherapeutic agents and radiation. Under certain conditions; magnetotherapy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy can be used to treat cancer. If the conditions change, some studies suggest that all three of the above therapeutic modalities can be contributing factors to cancer.

For many years, the field of magnetotherapy has been plagued with the inappropriate use of various mathematical models and physical principles. A few critics would state that the models and principles used in this paper are incorrectly applied. In truth, the equations and relationships from mathematics and physics, discussed in this paper, are valid up to a point. The mathematical models and physical principles that follow can help the reader to characterize and visualize some of the interactions and processes that occur in magnetotherapy. However, the mathematical models and physical principles that appear in this paper may not always provide the level of rigor, clarity, accuracy and precision that we would like to see, as we consider a wide range of magnetic field orientations, intensities, frequencies, etc. interacting with biological systems.

At times, the material in this paper may appear to stray from oncology concerns. For instance, the application of therapeutic magnetic fields for a wide variety of health problems and diseases, including fracture healing and neurological disorders, will be included. The relationship that of this material has to oncology will be discussed at the end of the paper.

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Correspondence to:

George D. O'Clock

President, International Association for Biologically Closed Electric Circuits in Medicine and Biology
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering & Technology
Minnesota State University, Mankato

Mankato, MN 56001 USA

Email: george.oclock@mankato.msus.edu