How Do Magnetic Back Belts Work?

Back pain results from a malfunction in your nervous system and is generally the result of injury or an arthritic condition. The National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine says that magnets have a history of successfully treating pain.

Magnetic Therapy

• Your body sends pain impulses to your brain, and they travel on positively charged ions. Magnetic therapy is a nonsurgical treatment that uses negatively charged magnets to block the positively charged pain impulse from reaching your brain. The magnets may be in a back belt and cover the sore area of your back.

Back Belts

• The efficiency of magnetic therapy improves with consistent treatment. If your back pain is from a genetic condition or arthritis, the pain probably will not cease immediately. However, if you wear the back belt whenever possible, magnetic therapy consistently treats the area and blocks pain.

Caution

• If you have an embedded electro-medical mechanism or are pregnant, do not use magnetic therapy. In addition, for at least 2 weeks after having a cortisone shot, avoid putting magnets over the area where you had the shot. Never cover a bleeding or open cut with a magnet.