I've used magnets for over a decade now. I don't use them everyday...but only for severe episodes. I've used them on my right knee (first applications), my broken toe, my ankles, my back, over the years, and on my fingers now and then.

Every year or so I search on Google, and there are always new products coming out. Use the keyword search: Medical Magnets

You'll find several links to start with in this thread, and many more.

Here is what I have sent to others for basic information. I just checked the links and they are still active.
Most are just "examples". Medical magnets continue to appear on the net. This info I compiled in Nov 08.

The bottom line is high gauss (very strong) are the best, and the South pole toward the body blocks the pain. North may stimulate nerves. These are called neodymium magnets. One side is S and one N.

http://www.health-science-spirit.com/magnet.html

This is a pretty good explanation of how they work. There are very inexpensive sites out there, with some very powerful magnets. Strong is what you really need.
But strong needs to be used wisely....do not use if you have a pacemaker, do not wear near computers, will set off airport scanners, I don't use them near the eyes or heart.
Things like that. Given what is happening with the new hybrid cars lately, and their computer controls, I would not wear the magnets driving either. The ones I use are very very strong and may affect the operation of the car--who knows these days?

The downside to buying cheap magnets is that they are not marked according to polarity as a rule.
The first site gives hints on how to know which is N and which is S. With strong magnets you can also tell by putting them on. I don't have good effects with N towards the skin.
It stimulates nerves for me, and may increase pain. If placed over a painless spot like behind the knee, I'll get an uncomfortable buzzing. But when the S is placed where I have my pain, it changes it..and over days, it can get rid of it even.
I used the smaller magnets 1/2 inch neodymiums on my knee over 10 yrs ago. They cost $30 a pair! Now I have 1 inchers I bought online about 2 yrs ago that cost $1 each!
http://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=DE2

and
http://www.rare-earth-magnets.com/c-9-disc-magnets.aspx
(I would go with either of the bottom two choices....the very bottom is thicker but much stronger).

My podiatrist uses magnets and was surprised when I told her I did too-- (I had a broken toe and used it for pain). She suggests putting either moleskin or tape on the S side that goes towards the skin, since some people get a "magnet burn" or rash from the nickel. It is sort of a raised itchy spot. There are other ways to keep the metal away from the skin, and some companies charge alot for that.
http://www.magneticarts.net/medical.html

http://www.123ezpainrelief.com/neo.html

http://www.magneticarts.net/mag_patch_research.html

So I think for experimental purposes, I'd go with the cheapest easiest ones, and experiment. If this needs long term exposure, and you like the results you get, you can then spring for a more expensive version.
http://www.whatareneodymiummagnets.com/safety.html

I use a medical tape I get at WalMart, to make them stick...the clear tape with holes in it.
I use 3 pieces in a star pattern to keep it on. I don't need these large very strong magnets for very long...they are so much better than the 1/2 inch ones I used to use!
I find that if I wear them for long periods I sometimes get lightheaded... dizzy. I don't know why...but I have inner ear problems anyway, and these must stimulate the nerve in my left ear which is damaged. Brian here on PN has never become dizzy with his, that I know of. So that might be a unique thing for me.

Many people laugh at magnets...some doctors think it is placebo. But I don't ...I know they work. One just needs to use them correctly. A while back some magnets were sold thru Walgreens' etc and they we called Nikkon...they were very weak and useless--they were black and iron and about 800 gauss (compared to 10,000 gauss of the neodymiums which are rare earth elements). People remember those, and have no idea about NOW.

I had a great article from NY times, but it just was taken off the web: Her is another similar:
http://energy-healing.suite101.com/a...or_pain_relief

And here is a meta analysis of many papers about static magnets:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18818562

So one can see that it is not really laughable anymore.

In fact the FDA has just approved a magnet device for the head, to treat difficult depression!

This is the new website for MagnaBloc magnets. They are the premier ones, and I wonder if the 4 combined smaller neos with mixed poles is actually needed. I get such good results from my single mega strong 1 incher.
But here is their website:
http://www.quadrabloc.com/

They are the form researched at Vanderbilt University. And I saw a Dateline TV program about them many years ago where a young man had huge pain in his abdomen, and no one could find a cause (like appendicitis etc) and he recovered quickly by using these magnets, one on each side of his lower back!
The website is pretty interesting, but they are expensive as you'd expect.

Placement of high gauss magnets is similar to that of Lidoderm patches. This post of mine discusses placement to hit the major nerves:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread118240.html
Here is a 3D link showing nerve distributions for placement:
http://www.healthline.com/human-body...eg-vessels#4/1
Interrupting a nerve path, before it gets to the spine, is the best way
to use magnets. The new very strong ones don't have to be worn all day long either, I have found. About 20 minutes a day works for me.

If you need further advice, please send me a PM.

The Quadrabloc website also has a section devoted to placement. So interested readers can check that one out too.
They have specific placement patterns based on the polarity of their mixed magnets.

This is a pretty complex subject, and really I think the most benefit can come to people with specific targets for their pain.
Diffuse symptoms, like burning all over, or generally burning feet, may not respond. But if you have had an EMG that targets a specific nerve as your problem, then you can find a way to place a magnet for that type of pain.

Since some magnets are so inexpensive, a few dollars, some here may want to try them. Read the safety information about pacemakers, implanted devices, computers, cars, etc before using them at all. Keep them away from small children who may swallow them.

This thread is for any questions, or additional comments. Don't hesitate to ask.

Very informative post Mrs D, can't add much but be very careful when handling these strong magnets, don't put them close to each other they can slam together with a mighty force and if your fingers are in the way been caught many times before.
There are a lot of magnetic gimmicks out there that are expensive & useless, the magnets are to weak to do anything , the strong neodymium magnets are a different story, the power of the magnet and just as important the placement of the magnets are the key things for successful use.

In your Lidoderm placement thread, I posted about my recent problems with meralgia paresthetica and lower back pain. I want to try magnets for the lower back pain, and have looked at the links you posted, and did my own search for "magnets for lower back pain". When I am in the state of pain I am now, I don't absorb things well, so the answer may be right in front of me, but I'm not seeing it.

Everything I found seemed to point to purchasing a type of belt with several magnets attached. I would prefer not to spend $60-90 until I am able to experiment a little with them.

Could I simply purchase several magnets and tape them to my lower back using medical tape and an ace bandage to hold them in place?

If I do that, what strength and number of magnets would you recommend?

Or, considering this is almost always linked to the meralgia paresthetica, is there something else you would recommend.

Thank you again for your timely and informative posts.

Yes, you can.... I'll get you examples today some time.

I'll edit this thread...so look in later.

Some magnet suppliers have low prices, but they hit you with a service fee say for items less than $20-50. Also shipping is a factor.

I have found 4 suppliers on Ebay which are more affordable. I hope you are active there.

http://cgi.ebay.com/5-STRONG-Neodymi...item1c117a0d37
1.5in-- this is larger than I use, and thicker. But stronger.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=120550055996
1 inch -- a good price for 10 including shipping Same size as I use, and you will have to determine the polarity

plastic coated
http://cgi.ebay.com/10-Neodymium-Mag...-4-x-1-8-Disc-
N48_W0QQitemZ360091715556QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_Def aultDomain_0?hash=item53d72387e4
PLASTIC-COATED- these are 3/4 in before coating. They may appeal to you since they are less likely to cause magnet burns. But they are thicker because of the coating. These are slightly smaller than the one I use.


best price size uncoated:
http://cgi.ebay.com/10-Neodymium-Mag...item2eac08801e

I like this last one the best. The size is right, the price is right.
You will have to put some moleskin on the pole toward the body. You will have to determine the S pole yourself. This is the size I use.

I bought mine at a computer supply place...you know a build your own... 5 of them + shipping for about $10 a few years ago. They were being discontinued then. I bought the last of them.

I cover my bare magnets with surgical tape, and replace it when worn and icky, and mark the S pole. The polarity is easy for me to figure out, since the wrong pole (N) causes more pain, or at least buzzing feelings.

The belts typically use 1/2 inch neodymiums, many of them. Seagem who posted here for a while bought an expensive belt that was really strong. I wonder how he is doing. Some people don't come back after they find their answers tho.
This is the belt he bought:
http://www.drbakstmagnetics.com/inde...=62&Itemid=315
he bought the most expensive one...which is onsale now.
The belt is less flexible for use IMO.... I use my magnets in alot of places on the body.

The quadrablocs have 4 --1/2 inch neos in them, two poles up and 2 down, in an X pattern . That was the type studied by the doctor at Vanderbilt. They are covered in plastic for longevity etc. They are the most expensive, IMO. But they have over a decade in use etc.

I find these large really strong ones, you don't have to wear all the time to get benefit. I only wear them at night typically. I don't want them near the computer, etc.

Thanks for taking the time to give me so much good advice. The listing for the plastic-coated magnets from ebay was removed, but I did find another set of 10, so ordered that.

I already have surgical tape and ace bandage, so I'll be all set when the magnets come in.

I like the photo in your signature. Is that periwinkle? We have 12 different gardens in our yard (most around trees) that we mulch every year. Last year I decided on "natural" mulch, so we planted 1000 periwinkle plants as ground cover for most of the gardens, and planted strawberries in the rest. The periwinkle isn't that thick yet, but almost all the plants have blooms on them. I'm hoping it will spread and thicken this year. In the meantime, it looks like mulch again this year.

The photo is of scilla (Siberian squill)... a little bulb with a short life but very beautiful. They reseed and spread quickly.

When we moved in here there was a patch by the back door about 6ft by 4 ft. It is now moving thru our whole yard. (almost a 1/4 of an acre --the yard is 1/2 acre--- and when it blooms all at once it is a total blue carpet. Then the leaves die back and for about 10 days are slimey and icky...but I think it is worth it.
So hubby rakes in the direction away from the house, and the seeds disperse outward.

The ants also carry the seeds around. I used to sit out on the front steps down in front (we live on a hill), with my son and wait for Daddy to come home from work. I'd watch the black ants carrying the seeds around! Some get stored, and some planted that way. We have the scilla in the rock gardens down in front from that method of dispersal too!

I put my garden things in my siggie (and sometimes avatar) all during the growing season....you see them soon!

scilla:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scilla

http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/p....asp?code=R160

http://www.theplantexpert.com/springbulbs/Scilla2.html

Sometimes I have to wonder about myself. My magnets arrived today, and I was so anxious to try them out, I thought the mid-day nap would be appropriate. So, I quickly scanned this thread, pulled out my surgical tape and ace bandage, and went to work on my first attempt at using the magnets for my lower back. And, I do mean Work! After 15 minutes I was so exhausted, I fell into bed sans magnets.

Let’s start with the fact that the magnets came in a roll, like a roll of nickels. Of course they were magnetized together, and my fingers just didn’t want to rise to the challenge of prying them apart. And, when I would finally get one pried loose from the roll, it would snap right back. It only took my brain about 20 attempts (may be an exaggeration) to realize that I had to place the newly freed magnet about 5” from the roll to lessen its strong desire to return.

All this, Cagney & Lacy (my Avator) found extremely fascinating. They would creep closer for a better look, only to jump back again when the magnet snapped back to the roll.

Once I got the hang of prying the magnets apart, I started to place them on the tape. This is where actually reading would have come in handy.

I laid out one long strip of tape, and attempted to place the magnets on the tape side by side. But, they kept escaping the tape and snapping together. I finally figured out that if I placed them an inch apart, it curbed their desire for companionship. When I had finally succeeded in getting 5 magnets placed on the tape, I was ready to tape the strip to my back.

I picked up one end of the strip, and snap, snap, snap. The tape folded accordion-style between the roll of magnets. My attempt to straighten the tape back out, was what finally ended today’s experiment. I took hold of each end of the strip and pulled. The magnets flew off the tape, clattering against towel rack, commode and sink. Thank god one didn’t venture near the window.

If the bathroom door had been open, Cagney & Lacy would have bolted through in their mad scramble to escape flying magnets. Instead, they both took to the bathtub, where they found one of the errant magnets had landed. I left them trying to pry it loose from the tub drain, while I recovered with a nap. Their success was no better than mine had been with the roll. The darn thing kept snapping back to the drain. They were still playing with it when I woke.

If nothing else, I have found a great way to keep them entertained.

It is like they are "alive".... I know.

You really should start with just ONE.

I rarely use more than one anyway. These guys are strong and penetrate 6in. You don't need them in a row. Nail the right nerve and one is plenty.

Twisting to remove from the stack is best...twist or slide. The coating helps...it is far worse with uncoated ones like I have.

I also keep a bit of the tape to overlap the diameter of the magnet and use that as a handle. Twice folded on itself, it works quite well.

The websites on Ebay all have warnings on them about how to handle the strong aspect of them. I have mine in a little plastic box, and once during the night it grabbed a paper clip you know the type with handles, and snapped it in the night across the table and woke me up! Keeping them in the sock drawer is handy, since metal is not normally in that drawer. They are safely away from other things, and computers, etc.

You know where I just saw on TV another odd use for these strong magnets? The show Meteorite Men, on the Science Channel? They put 3 of those neodymiums on the head of their dirt pick, and when a piece of meteorite is in the ground it jumps up and sticks to the magnets. They showed a closeup of this process many times on the shows. I love that show...the guys are funny and the situations funky and in the end they take the ones they found and get scientific analysis and evaluation. I always get thirsty watching them suffer out in the desert! LOL

This is hilarious Thank you I'm sorry but I just had to laugh and I know it wasn't funny to you, but thank you

Thanks mrsD.

Using only one sounds so much easier, and that will leave me with 9 for kitty playthings.

So, for lower back pain - would I place it directly over the sore spot, or somewhat above? below?