Wholesale and Retail
Magnetic Jewelry and
Other Magnetic Health
Therapy products

Magnets Attract Big Bucks

by Andrei Tavanlar
The rising popularity of magnetic therapy pulls in serious looks from entrepreneurs, pain sufferers, and critics alike. Looking for a great business idea? Take a peak at the lucrative market of the magnetic therapy trade. Estimates say the sales of magnets in the US approached a whopping $150 million way back in 1999 and have continued to increase exponentially year after year, according to Ashley Jude Collie's report. Sources say that worldwide sales of magnetic products have now reached a little over the billion dollar mark and are still climbing rapidly. Collie, a foreign correspondent of the Washington Post, stated that the growing industry has been producing all sorts of magnetic products; from bracelets, necklaces, rings, insoles, back braces, etc. They are available in doctors' clinics, in health stores, vitamin stores, drug stores, and in golf and sporting-goods stores. Magnetic therapy is a type of alternative medicine. When magnets are placed over the body, the magnetic field they emit may have healing powers. Some say that magnets can help broken bones heal faster, improve blood circulation, but most of the tribute comes from those who claim that magnets relieve pain. One of its biggest advocates is 64-year-old Jim Colbert, an all-time top veteran golfer on the Senior PGA Tour, with earnings of more than $1 million in 1998. He didn't enjoy success until he began wearing magnets to relieve his chronic back pain years ago. "I've had back problems since I was fifteen," says Colbert. "I thought I was going to have a very short career. But wearing magnets around my waist while I play has kept my back from hurting, and I've been able to play quite well. They've really been a career saver." Testimonials also come from the physically-intense world of professional football, where Miami Dolphins director of rehabilitation Ryan Vermillion treats at least half of the players with magnets, including quarterback, Dan Marino. When the star player was recovering from a broken ankle six years ago, Vermillion recommended Marino to strap on some magnets. The area healed quicker than expected, and Marino missed only two games instead of much of the season. I think it was a combination of good surgery on a healthy athlete and the magnets," Vermillion says of Marino's quick recuperation. Western medicine once treated acupuncture with skepticism. Nowadays, the ancient Chinese art is widely accepted as a treatment for many things. Many see magnetic therapy heading in the same direction. For now, it remains the latest and most promising remedy in the alternative healthcare industry as evident from the growing number of businesses specializing in magnetic therapy or adding magnetic bracelets to their existing line. There are no bad side effects from using magnetic bracelets. A former factory worker, Howard Ray, who now owns several health outlets in Montana selling magnetic products, said his business began when he first tried magnetic bracelets as an alternative therapy for his arthritis. "I have always had a lot of pain in my legs, arms and hands and tried almost every kind of pain killer out there," said 56-year old Ray, "There was only temporary relief whenever I take them pills. But then, a friend of mine gave me a magnetic bracelet as a gift one day and ever since that day, I have only experienced brief discomfort from time to time." Word of his wonderful discovery quickly spread to his family and friends and they also wanted one for themselves. Soon, many people had been asking him where he got the magnetic bangles from. So, Ray decided to try selling the bracelets himself with his retirement money. He recalled when he first started out; he erected booths showcasing the bracelets at tradeshows and flea markets. "One thing I like about the bracelets is that they fit into a small space, they don't require bulky displays," Ray added. "Also, it's important that you indicate how strong the magnet is since the stronger it is, the deeper the penetration of the magnetic field will be. That's why on every package I sell you will see the strength of the magnet printed." He said it's a good thing that he stumbled into this business because aside from making money you help people with their chronic pain. So how do magnets help the body heal faster and better? The use of magnets as a therapeutic device has always been around since the time of the some of the greatest ancient civilizations existed - Greek, Egyptian, Chinese, and Indian. The Greek philosopher and scientist, Aristotle, for example, was curiously fascinated with magnets and their mysterious effect in bodily functions, as was the Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra, who wore elaborate jewelry with magnets imbedded in them in the belief that the magnets would promote her health and maintain her beauty. Throughout ancient history, alchemists and physicians have been studying the therapeutic properties of magnets. But it is only in recent years that scientists have gathered enough data to prove that magnets, indeed, help the body heal. Magnets work by exerting magnetic fields measured in units of strength called gauss, the higher the gauss, the stronger the magnet. Therapeutic magnets usually range from 200 to 3000 gauss. Magnets may reduce inflammation and relieve pain by increasing blood flow either to a diseased site or within the entire body. This, in turn, increases the availability of nutrients to accelerate the body's own healing process. When magnets are used for mending fractures, for instance, it is said that an unusually large amount of calcium ions adhere to the blood clot at the site of the break. This aids in the speedy formation of the callus that is necessary for healing in fractures. Numerous clinical trials from Europe and the U.S. also showed magnets' healing ability. Patients suffering from diabetic foot pain, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's have also reaped the benefits of magnetic therapy. Magnetic therapy has also been effective to help the body flush out waste at an efficient rate, thus eliminating the buildup of toxins. It positively alters metabolic functions, removes excess acid in the tissues, and increases joint mobility-all by improving blood circulation. Energy levels shoot up, sleep is better, and mental functions are enhanced according to these studies. The most famous study done on magnets was performed at Houston's Baylor College of Medicine in 1997. A double-blind study - neither the doctors nor the patients knew who was given the placebo - showed that seventy-six percent of post-polio patients who wore magnets had less pain. The January 1999 issue of the American Journal of Pain Management reported on another double-blind study that said small magnets could reduce the severe pain of diabetic neuropathy, nerve damage produced as a side effect of diabetes. "Lab research at New York's Mount Sinai Medical Center has demonstrated that when you tear tissue, magnets can promote the healing of the tissue by increasing the level of phosphorylization," Dr. Bakst points out. "It has also been shown that at a bone fracture site, placement of powerful magnets causes increased levels of alkaline phosphatase, which increases osteoblastic activity. This aids in the healing of bone and the Food and Drug Administration has actually approved an electromagnetic product to help in the healing of difficult fractures. It has also been used in the treatment of burns and bruises, especially post operative bruising." Recently, a study in the British Medical Journal found magnetic bracelets reduce the pain in osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. Researchers from the Peninsula Medical School recruited patients aged between 45 and 80 years with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee from five rural general practices in Devon. Patients wore either a standard strength magnetic bracelet, a weak magnetic bracelet, or a non-magnetic dummy bracelet for 12 weeks. Changes in pain were recorded using a recognized pain scoring scale. They found a significant reduction in pain scores between the standard and dummy magnet groups. The results for the weak magnet group were similar to those of the dummy magnets, and this suggests that the magnetic strength of the bracelet is important. They note that high strength magnets (170mTesla or more) seem to be needed. The researchers emphasize that the benefits are in addition to existing treatments, which should not be suddenly stopped without discussion with their doctor. Further evidence suggesting magnetic energy's importance in the body was also noted in space. When Russian cosmonauts experienced space sickness after spending long periods of time aboard the Mir space station, scientists theorized that they had spent too much time away from the earth's magnetic forces. In the U.S. it was called chronic fatigue syndrome. The Japanese called it a "magnetic deficiency syndrome." After a magnetic generator was installed in the space station, the cosmonauts' mood and health improved dramatically. In experiments by NASA, rats that were not given enough magnetic field intensity in space died and it was believed to be due to their energy flow being disrupted. Today, countries like Russia and Australia are starting to unravel the advantages of magnetic therapy. In Japan, magnets have even become licensed medical devices. Although this has not happened yet globally, many health practitioners are now recommending magnetic therapy to their patients as an adjunct, or in minor cases as a substitute, to prescribed medications. It is safe to say that magnetic therapy has boomed in the last decade, as people all over the world attest to their efficacy. The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that the type and strength of magnets used in magnetic therapy pose no health risks. However, people fitted with a pacemaker, insulin pump, and other implanted medical devices should not use magnetic therapy as it will interfere with the mechanisms and electronic signals. And despite numerous and vehement criticisms, magnets are touted to be the alternative choice by many chiropractors and other pain specialists. With this in mind, now is the best time to consider investing in the magnetic therapy business before it becomes mainstream. www.dragonstonemagnetics.com

 

Magnetic Health Products
What are they and what do they do?

Article by Lorraine Cote

For centuries, people of Asia, Greece and Egypt have looked to magnets for the treatment of various illnesses. They believed that magnets helped stimulate the passage of blood through the minute blood vessels found throughout the body and rid itself of waste products that may build up as a result of trauma or poor health. The same belief remains today. Magnets have been used in the treatment of many disorders from inflammation of the joints to strain injuries. In recent years, studies have shown that magnets could also be beneficial in the treatment of some psychiatric disorders such as depression. Magnetic health products come in a variety of styles. Some are worn in the form of jewelry while others are applied directly to the skin. You can slip them into your footwear or you can sleep on them. These products are generally used to treat the discomfort associated with soft tissue injury and inflammation of the joints, but they have also been used to ease postoperative discomfort. They are also thought to be beneficial in treating other problems such as sleeplessness, severe recurring headaches, nervous tension, and convulsions. So how do magnetic products work exactly? Is it some sort of hocus pocus? Or could it be that we would like so much for these therapies to be successful that they in fact are? What we have to be aware of is that there are therapies that do have a profound effect on the body even if we are unable to prove how that effect is achieved. These products are said to generate magnetic energy that is capable of passing into the body. This energy influences the action of each cell while enhancing the performance of the tissues and organs that control the body's reaction to catalysts found both inside and outside of the body. How this is accomplished cannot be explained precisely, but there are more than a few theories floating around. Some believe that the stream of electrical energy generated by magnets disrupts pain impulses in the brain and spinal cord while others argue that magnets boost circulation thus heightening blood oxygenation and the distribution of other beneficial nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats which help to decrease inflammation. One question may be burning in your mind: are magnetic health products safe? According to research results published in 1987 by the World Health Organization regarding the efficacy and safety of magnetic therapy, magnets are said to be a harmless, non-invasive alternative therapy. Other scientific investigations thus far have supported these findings. Magnet therapy can and does bring about positive therapeutic results. Simply because we do not completely comprehend the nature and significance of how magnets work to ease physical discomfort does not mean we should turn our noses up at them. Magnetic therapy has helped scores of people throughout the world. They have tried magnetic therapy and have discovered that it truly offers favorable results. If you have any reservations about the effectiveness or safety of magnetic health products, seek advice from your health care provider and educate yourself by reading publications geared toward alternative therapies in health and medicine.

 

In the early 1990’s, and in the depths of a world-wide recession, my services as a landscape architect were considered a luxury that very few could afford. The small construction companies that my business depended on were falling faster than a row of dominoes. The sweet smell of success I had experienced through earlier years, had given way to the stench of redundancies and bankruptcy. I was owed thousands and had no hope of ever seeing a penny. As each day passed, another client would go to the wall taking a chunk of my business with them. To survive, I had to lay-off my own staff and get back on the tools. What a nightmare!

The coming year took its toll. I found myself right back where I had started some 11 years earlier. Only now, I was truly feeling the physical pressure of running a construction business. I had developed a serious back pain. Some days It was a real effort to get up out of a chair. Some days it was so bad I couldn’t even get up out of bed. It finally got so bad I could hardly walk. It was at this point I decided to have myself checked out by my doctor. I told him about the pains in my lower back and the pains in my legs. After numerous tests he diagnosed sciatica.

Sciatica is a general term and I wanted to know exactly what was happening to me. So he sent me to the local hospital for an MRI scan, which revealed that I had irreversibly damaged two vertebrae in my lower back. I was told to give up the physical work or spend the rest of my days in a wheelchair. Wow, I was in shock! The constant pain was with me for the next two years and I began to accept it. I just had to live with it and get on with my life somehow.

One day a friend called me to tell me about a new business he was starting. I asked him to come over and show me these ‘amazing’ products that he was getting all excited about. He laid out on my kitchen table, a number of wristbands and bangles and explained that they were magnetic therapy devices. He told me how they worked and convinced me that they really can help people in pain. At that time I hadn’t even heard of magnotherapy so I was naturally a little skeptical. Still, he was a friend, and I thought I’d help get his business going by buying a wristband.

During the first two weeks I didn’t notice any difference but continued to wear it, as it wasn’t making me feel any worse. During the third week, I noticed the pain had become nothing more than a dull ache. This was strange. Was it the wristband? Two days later the pain had completely subsided. I was hesitantly grateful but still remained unconvinced that a simple magnetic wristband could have so much power. Until I took it off. I didn’t wear it for a whole day and guess what? Yes, the pain came back.

This all happened over four years ago now, and I’ve been wearing a magnetic wristband ever since. Do I have any pain? Very occasionally, I may get a little twinge, which reminds me of the agony I had to endure on a daily basis. Would I recommend magnetic therapy? You bet! I’m living proof that it works and I have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone. But don’t take my word for it. Why not try it for yourself.

You may publish this article on your website or print it for free distribution provided you include the link to Dragonstone Magnetics

Bill Knight