The practice of using magnets to elicit a therapeutic effect on the body is not a new one. The ancient Greeks, Hebrews, Chinese and Egyptians have all used magnets to alleviate various ailments throughout history. Even Cleopatra donned a magnetized amulet around her head, which she believed would prolong youthfulness and promote well-being.

Only in the last century or so have magnets become popular for pain management in North America, mainly to achieve joint, muscle, and back pain relief. The use of magnets in medicine has become big business in the United States, with magnetic therapy products reaching sales of $300 million annually.

Despite the long history of magnets in medicine, the question remains: are living beings really influenced by the magnetic fields that surround us? Part of the answer may lie in the animal kingdom. Using magnetite, a magnetic substance found naturally in the brain of many living things (including humans), bees, butterflies, and homing pigeons are able to use the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate. Humans also generate magnetic fields in the body, such as in the heart and brain, which is measurable today through medical instruments such as the magnetocardiogram and the magnetoencephalograph.

If you think the effects of magnetic fields on living beings is only minor, think again. Using magnetic fields of high-intensity, scientists have actually been able to levitate frogs. The power that magnetic fields hold on all living things continues to be investigated and is rapidly being harnessed by various magnetic therapy devices in modern medicine.

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