ABSTRACT
For more than 2000 years, interest in the health effects of magnets on biological processes has been explored and debated in the scientific community. The public has perceived that magnets are an important source of natural energy and good health and has created a worldwide demand, spending more than $500 million in the United States and Canada and $5 billion worldwide in sales last year. Anecdotal endorsements by more than 70 sports figures in golf, baseball, tennis, football, etc. have also enhanced utilization. As we enter the new millennium, there has been a shift in focus. Rather than ignoring it, the public’s and medical community’s interest and curiosity about the subject of alternative medicine has heightened. What are the facts and what is fantasy? This chapter explores the topic of magnetic therapy in terms of static magnets, mechanisms of biological effects, and current investigations. While timevarying magnetic field (electromagnetic) devices are mentioned, a comprehensive discussion is beyond the scope of this chapter.
