Additionally, some practitioners believe that the north side of the magnet calms a person while the south end stimulates. From a scientific view, however, there seems to be no differences between the two poles as to their effects on body tissues. Placements Another consensus is that the magnet should be as close as possible to the affected body part. A Primer On Magnet Therapy These days, magnet therapy or using magnets to heal pain is becoming popular with the public at large. Unfortunately, this popularity goes on unabated despite the lack of scientific evidence that can prove magnets have any real therapeutic benefits. In the medical profession, doctors have been skeptical about the magnets having any therapeutic value. Being overweight and obese could cause serious health problems like diabetes, hypertension and cancer. People are starting to become more aware of this. In fact, America has spent $46.3 billion in 2004 for weight loss products. Diet books, exercise videos, weight loss camps for children, adult facilities, weight loss surgeries, nutritionist diet plans, hospital-clinic diet plants, diet pills, health clubs are low-calorie dinners are among weight-reduction products and items that American spend their money on. Magnet therapy is effective minus the side effects associated with pharmaceutical drugs. Magnet strength To be therapeutically effective, a magnet therapy product must have a strong enough magnetic field to penetrate much deeper than the injured area. Manufacturers of magnets provide gauss ratings of their products. With the use of magnets, it is possible to restore energy to the body, improve sleep, relieve pain and even, stress in a natural way. There are several cases where magnet therapy was able to prevent and treat chronic sicknesses. How did it all start? Early civilizations, apparently, were already using magnetic therapy. It is here that the north-negative magnetic field was discovered to possess healing qualities. Some precautions Because the body s own electromagnetic fields are affected by the weakest of magnets, several precautions are given in the use of magnets. For those using pacemakers and other electronic devices, refraining from the use of magnets is the best policy.