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I need a couple of things from you good people. I have chronic lower
back pain that radiates down both legs (but mostly the left leg. It
stems from my lower back. I have had a surgery (lumbar laminectomy)
and did not progress out of pain very far. 1) What magnetic treatment
would you suggest? Why? Can any testify to it working?
There are four lower back pain studies that I know of, one is negative
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Treatment of low back pain with arrays of permanent magnets: a controlled study
McLean, MJ; Holcomb, RR; MacDonald, PW, Sanderson, L and Lombard, K:
20th Annual Meeting of the Bioelectromagnetics Society, St. Pete Beach, FL, June 7-13, 1998.
ABSTRACT A 2x2 randomized double-blind cross-over study was done to assess the efficacy of the Magna Bloc in reducing low back and knee pain in 54 patients at two centers. The Magna Bloc is a magnetic treatment device which contains a quadripolar permanent magnet system. Pain was assessed using visual analog scale, ranging from zero (no pain) to 100 (maximal pain). Prior to any treatment the average pain rating was 52.9 + 23.3 points (mean + standard deviation). With treatment, the Magna BlocTM reduced pain by an average of 8.11 + 3.38 points more than did the placebo treatment (P= 0.030). If confirmed, this would suggest that the Magna Bloc is effective in reducing chronic low back and knee pain.
Efficacy Of A Static Magnetic Device Against Knee Pain Associated With Inflammatory Arthritis
Neil Segal, Joseph Houston., Howard Fuchs, Robert Holcomb, Michael J. McLean
Vanderbilt University Medical School; Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine; and, Department of Neurology Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Electromagnetic fields have been used therapeutically for 2000 years, for indications ranging from headaches to gout (1). There is considerable evidence that steady direct current and time-variant electromagnetic fields are produced by living bone through metabolic activity and pizoelectric activity upon bone deformation respectively (2). Pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) have been used for acceleration of fracture and osteotomy healing. These effects have been shown to be mediated by reduction of osteoclastic resorption of bone, increased vascularization and increased rate of bone formation by osteoblasts, and these mechanisms have been studied on cellular and gene transcription levels (3). Placebo-controlled trials have shown decreased pain and improved functional performance in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee with PEMF therapy (4). However, relatively few clinical studies have examined the effects of static magnetic fields.
In this study, we examined the efficacy of treatment with a static magnetic field generator as adjunctive therapy for the joint pain in patients with inflammatory arthritis. The MagnaBlocÔ (MB; U.S. patent no 5,312,321) is a non-invasive non-significant risk device, consisting of four permanent magnets arrayed with alternating polarity in a hypoallergenic plastic case. The MagnaBloc™ is approximately 3.5 centimeters in diameter, weighs approximately 30 grams and generates a magnetic field of 190 millitesla. This device reduced mechanical low back pain and knee pain significantly more than placebo. Much larger time invariant magnetic fields like those produced by magnetic resonance imaging devices have not been shown to be harmful to man or animals
Spine Fusion for Discogenic Low Back Pain: Outcomes in Patients Treated With or Without Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Stimulation
Richard A. Marks, M.D.
Sixty-one randomly selected patients who underwent lumbar fusion surgeries for discogenic low back pain between 1987 and 1994 were retrospectively studied. All patients had failed to respond to preoperative conservative treatments. Forty-two patients received adjunctive therapy with pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) stimulation, and 19 patients received no electrical stimulation of any kind. Average follow-up time was 15.6 months postoperatively. Fusion succeeded in 97.6% of the PEMF group and in 52.6% of the unstimulated group (P<.001). The observed agreement between clinical and radiographic outcome was 75%. The use of PEMF stimulation enhances bony bridging in lumbar spinal fusions. Successful fusion underlies a good clinical outcome in patients with discogenic low back pain.
Bipolar Permanent Magnets for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain A Pilot Study
Collacott E A; Zimmerman JT;White DW;Rindone J P;
JAMA. 2000;283:1322-1325
Context Chronic low back pain is one of the most prevalent and costly medical conditions in the United States. Permanent magnets have become a popular treatment for various musculoskeletal conditions, including low back pain, despite little scientific support for therapeutic benefit.
Objective To compare the effectiveness of 1 type of therapeutic magnet, a bipolar permanent magnet, with a matching placebo device for patients with chronic low back pain.
Design Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover pilot study conducted from February 1998 to May 1999.
Setting An ambulatory care physical medicine and rehabilitation clinic at a Veterans Affairs hospital.
Patients Nineteen men and 1 woman with stable low back pain of a mean of 19 years' duration, with no past use of magnet therapy for low back pain. Twenty patients were determined to provide 80% power in the study at P<.05 to detect a difference of 2 points (the difference believed to be clinically significant) on a visual analog scale (VAS).
Interventions For each patient, real and sham bipolar permanent magnets were applied, on alternate weeks, for 6 hours per day, 3 days per week for 1 week, with a 1-week washout period between the 2 treatment weeks.
Main Outcome Measures Pretreatment and posttreatment pain intensity on a VAS; sensory and affective components of pain on the Pain Rating Index (PRI) of the McGill Pain Questionnaire; and range of motion (ROM) measurements of the lumbosacral spine, compared by real vs sham treatment.
Results Mean VAS scores declined by 0.49 (SD, 0.96) points for real magnet treatment and by 0.44 (SD, 1.4) points for sham treatment (P = .90). No statistically significant differences were noted in the effect between real and sham magnets with any of the other outcome measures (ROM, P = .66; PRI, P = .55).
Conclusions Application of 1 variety of permanent magnet had no effect on our small group of subjects with chronic low back pain.
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The negative study was only 3 treatments, of 6 hours duration. I would not expect a response that quickly as a rough rule of thumb is that long term conditions tend to take longer to solve.
However I have seen of back pain after major back surgery being significantly reduced in less than 10 minutes using a only a wrist band.
So, my suggestion is a back belt and a wristband to be worn 24/7. There can be no guarantees of success and we do not understand the mechanism, so find a distributor who will offer you a money back guarantee and if that particular treatment does not work, try another.
2) If it has worked, where do you get these magnets? How much?
You will find a list of manufacturers on my website. The devices I recommended would cost 125 UKPounds and come with a three month money back guarantee.
And
are they superior to the magnetic belts you can get at the drug
store? If so, why are they superior?
There are two basic ways of applying magnets, with only one pole against the body, or with both poles against the body. There are also different strengths of magnets.
And there is no way of telling which system would suit you and your particular condition best.
If one system doesn't work for you, try another. That's why the money back guarantee is so important.
And your drug store does not offer it. Probably has relatively weak magnets as well.
I'm thinking about investing in some magnets if it seems like a wise
investment.
I think it's a wise investment, but then I would, wouldn't I.<g>
Best wishes
--
John Bain
UK TV Sound Director, magnotherapy user & distributor
http://members.aol.com/JBainSI/Magnotherapy.html
Surround Sound for Television
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