Magnets
Magnets are objects made of materials that create a magnetic field around themselves. This magnetic field is created because magnetic materials have a south pole and a north pole within the elements and attract certain metals towards it.Historically, magnets were used to help navigate because they would always point in a north south direction. Today, magnets are used in many different ways. While many are used to simply hold a piece of paper on your refrigerator, others are used to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy or vice versa. Some of the more popular uses of magnets today are in headphones, stereo speakers, phone ringers, door bells, credit card magnetic strips, and in the seal around your refrigerator.
Because electrical activity exists in the body at all times, magnets are now used to in technology to treat physical and emotional conditions.
The Three Types of Magnets
The three main types of magnets are: permanent, temporary, and electromagnets.
Permanent magnets are what most people are familiar with. Simply put, most magnets that people see on a refrigerator are permanent magnets. They are called permanent magnets because they will always retain a level of magnetism and are not easily demagnetized.
Temporary magnets on the other hand are the opposite of permanent magnets. At times these have the same characteristics as permanent magnets. The big difference is that they use their magnetic properties once a magnetic field disappears. The most common types of temporary magnets are iron products like paperclips and nails.
The final type of magnet is an electromagnet. An electromagnet is a tightly wound coil of wire which acts like a permanent magnet when current is flowing in the wire. The strength and polarity of the magnetic field are adjustable by changing either the current flow or direction.
Magnets in Medicine
Magnets are used in many different medical processes and tests. Only in 1979 were electromagnets first approved in the treatment of bone fractures. Because of this, magnets have been studied ever since to see if they might be used to treat pain.
While the verdict from the scientific community is still out, but there have been some interesting theories presented as a result of magnetic tests. That said, it is important to note that the FDA has yet to approve any treatment of pain using magnets.
One theory states that static magnets might change how cells function. Another theory is that magnets alter the balance between cell death and growth. Because the human body is partially magnetic, some have thought that because blood contains iron, it could be a conductor of magnetic energy. One final medical theory using magnets has been the idea of magnetizing water so to better flush out toxins than ordinary drinking water.
These theories are still unproven, but it is obvious that magnets are being used in modern medicine and will continue to be used in the foreseeable future.