Archive for the ‘Arthritis Knee Braces’ Category
Magnet therapy is an old idea. Ancient Greek, Egyptian, and Chinese cultures have all written about using magnets to treat health conditions from arthritis, to gout, to headaches. NASA recognized how important magnetic fields are for life on our planet back in the 1960′s. From then until now artificial magnetic fields are used in space for the health of the astronauts. Magnets assist in preserving bone mineral density, improving circulation, and improving the quality sleeping. The artificial magnetic fields reduced the effects of being away from the planet’s magnetic field.
Magnetic therapy has been an accepted treatment option for centuries. The National Health Services of Britain recently began permitting physicians to start writing scripts for magnets.
A statement was released by The World Health Organization that there aren’t any health risks when static magnetic fields are used in magnetic therapy. Magnetic therapy when used properly has never been reported to cause health problems.
Some people who use magnetic therapy to treat knee pain experience a warming sensation. Their skin may sweat or tingle when they first begin using a magnetic knee brace. This is a normal reaction and is due to increased circulation. Do not use magnets if you have a pacemaker or if you are pregnant.
Knee braces provide protection and stability. Magnetic therapy helps relieve knee pain. A magnetic knee brace is a treatment option worth considering if you suffer from knee arthritis. This knee brace is not a cure but a tool to help patients get up and moving. If patients can exercise a bit more hopefully they can lose weight to reduce the load on their knee joints. A little exercise and some light stretching can go a long way at relieving knee pain. Adding magnetic treatment can help. No drugs, no surgery… it’s worth a try.
So what’s your resolution this year? How about you get control of the knee pain that is interfering with your life? We can help. Come visit us to learn about conservative treatments for your knee osteoarthritis.
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas from everyone at Osteoarthritis Blog. Please have a safe and wonderful holiday season.
Pain Relief
How do magnets provide pain relief?
Strong magnets must be placed directly over the knee pain, or certain acupuncture points. Pain signals sent by the nerves in your body are blocked or reduced when magnets affect ion channels, some research suggests. Ions are charged (either positive or negative) electro-chemicals. Biological processes like pain signals and muscle contractions are controlled by the movement of ions (ion channels).
The great news about using magnets for your knee pain is that they are safe – no side effects. You don’t have to worry about the gastrointestinal problems associated with drugs, mortality rates associated with surgery, or infections associated with injections.
Magnets should not be used if you are pregnant, if you have an implanted electro-medical device (like a pacemaker), near open wounds, near transdermal drug patches, or over the site of cortisone injection (up to 2 weeks after the injection).
Pain Relief From Magnets
Can magnets provide pain relief for joint pain like osteoarthritis of the knee? Magnet therapy can work as long as the following requirements are met:
1. The negative side of the magnet must face the body.
2. The magnets must penetrate deep enough to reach what hurts.
3. The strength of the magnetic field must be maintained long enough to affect the target area.
4. Use multiple magnets to fully cover the entire treatment area.
5. Must be comfortable enough to wear consistently so the magnets are given enough time to work.
Magnetic therapy appears to reduce pain and increase function in painful knee joints. The results of a study published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine indicated a significant improvement in self-rated pain and physical function in patients wearing static magnets when compared to those who did not wear magnets.
This double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial examined 43 patients with chronic joint pain in one or both of their knees. Subjects wore either pads with magnets or pads with a placebo. Though more studies on the subject of magnetic energy are needed in regards to pain treatment, this is a step in the right direction for conservative treatments of knee pain.
Hinman MR, Ford J, Heyl H., Effects of Static Magnets on Chronic Knee Pain and Physical Function: a Double-Blind Study.: Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. 2002 Jul-Aug; 8(4):50-5.
Magnetic Therapy
Do these knee braces work? The answer is yes.
A 2004 pilot study published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine concluded that “magnetic therapy for knee osteoarthritis could be assessed,” and that “magnets showed statistically significant efficacy compared to placebo under rigorously controlled conditions.”
These researchers from a Boston medical center designed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that divided 29 participants with knee osteoarthritis in two groups. One group received a high-strength magnet knee sleeve to treat knee pain while the other group received a knee sleeve with placebo-magnets. It turns out that after 4 hours of wearing the knee braces the magnets showed a statistically significant efficacy compared to the placebo knee sleeves.
Wolsko PM, Eisenberg DM, et al. Double-blind placebo-controlled trial of static magnets for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: results of a pilot study. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. 2004 Mar-Apr; 10(20: 36-43.
magnetic therapy
Many patients do not realize that magnetic therapy field parameters must be adjusted to specific conditions to be effective. For example the same magnets used to treat the fingers should not be used to treat knee pain.
For a magnetic knee brace to be effective it must be designed to provide the correct magnetic field strength. Penetration and area coverage must also be taken into consideration. The most effective pain relief will come from medical grade magnets positioned and spaced correctly within a knee support.