© Greg Sefton

The equine community is currently being offered a wide range of permanent magnetic devices for treating a number of injuries and ailments. Some present "clinical scientific" studies and published articles extolling the virtues of their particular magnetic product. It may be time for an impartial look into the marketing claims made by their purveyors.

On the surface it seems that these devices, which range from small discs epoxied into the hoof to full body blankets, might just be a wonderful therapeutic panacea for many horse problems. The hoof magnets claim to treat navicular problems, laminitis; even thrush. The leg wraps tout their ability to speed healing, generate heat and increase blood flow by rearranging the ions in the blood stream as it passes through a magnetic field. These are designed for leg injuries including shin splints, bruises and abrasions. Tendon and bone problems are also said to be improved greatly by the application of magnets, according to the distributors. They all quote glowing testimonials showing wondrous recoveries and heart rending reprieves for animals that had been given up on by the conventional veterinary practitioner. Some present "clinical scientific" studies and published articles extolling the virtues of their particular magnetic product.

As an avid equestrian and breeder with about two dozen broodmares, this sounds like a dream come true for me. But, as a chemist who has studied the effects of magnetic fields on various substances and lectured on the subject, I feel we need to take a closer look. Unfortunately the primary source of information on equine magnetic therapy is from the individuals and companies who sell the products. The only published articles I could find were written by representatives of these companies or people who make their living applying them. This makes it very difficult to get an impartial, expert opinion. I believe that these articles should carry a disclaimer from the editor identifying the author as possibly biased. It's a little like asking a barber if you need a haircut or reading a hamburger nutrition study by McDonald's.

Many of you may remember some of the magnetic devices that came on the market in past years with great fanfare. There was a fuel saving device which was installed in the gas line on your car. It was supposed to rearrange the molecules in the gasoline as it entered the carburetor and increase mileage by 20%. It didn't work. Then there were the magnetic water conditioning gadgets which, when clamped on your pipes, worked on the molecules in your water by aligning them so they didn't scale the pipes and water heaters. There have been close to a hundred of these dating back to the 1930's. They claimed you could use less soap, be healthier and have cleaner clothes; not to mention "no more bathtub rings". A few of these devices are still on the market although a number of states have lawsuits pending against the distributors for fraud and false advertising. I saw another one last month called Magnalawn which screws onto the garden hose and, using permanent magnets, actually claims to soften the water. The brochure claims that fertilizer is a thing of the past with "Magnalawn". Having tested a number of such devices in the laboratory, and found them to be bogus, I called the number of the local dealer. It had been disconnected.

Magnetic water treatment devices are still around even though they have been proven to be totally ineffectual and there are those (customers) who swear they work. The purveyors of these devices produce convincing testimonials and official looking studies (just as the equine therapy magnets do) which attest to their effectiveness. Yet, when the devices are examined by impartial and qualified experts, the marketing claims simply don't stand up. A number of independent university studies have been commissioned by the National Association of Corrosion Engineers and others to determine if permanent magnetic devices can actually produce the Hall effect and rearrange the molecular bonds as claimed. These are the identical claims made by the equine devices. In every case the magnetic device proved to have no measurable effect whatsoever on the medium its field was surrounding. This would hold true whether the (non-magnetic) substance was water, blood, bone, muscle or ... peanut butter.

Why are magnets the "in" thing now? Who knows? You may remember the pyramid power of the 70's when people were building houses shaped like pyramids and sleeping in pyramid beds. There were numerous benefits claimed including vitality and decreased aging. It was even claimed that food placed under a pyramid which was correctly aligned with the earth forces would not spoil. Mine spoiled. Perhaps I didn't have it aligned properly. There were intelligent, well educated people who signed on to this before it finally died out. The testimonials demonstrating the healing powers of pyramids were rampant and quite convincing. Maybe the next thing will be harnessing the awesome power of sub-atomic mesons, leptons and baryons; we mustn't forget the quarks.

There is much about magnets that is still unexplained. Add to this the many different sciences involved such as chemistry, anatomy, physics, thermodynamics and micro-biology, and it's easy to see why there is a shortage of accurate, unbiased information regarding magnetic therapy.

The most prominent equine devices being sold are from a California company called Norfields. Their products are quite expensive ranging from $120 for a lower leg wrap to nearly $600 for a blanket with several magnetic strips attached.

CLAIMS:

The brochure states, " ...The (product), with its alternating bipolar magnetic field embedded in the polymer pad uses the scientific principal of the HALL EFFECT (charged ion particle separation)."

There is a large illustration of the Hall effect which depicts the splitting of sodium chloride molecules into separate charged sodium and chloride ions. The ions are migrating to the respective magnetic poles and the explanation of the significance of this action on the horses injury is explained below.

1. "Blood carries charged ion particles such as NA+Cl-." This is true, although in very tiny amounts of less than 1 percent. The vast majority of dissolved solids in blood are organic and have little or no charge.
2. "When blood passes through the magnetic field, the charged ion particles separate." Magnetic fields are characterized according to electro or ferro. As you can surmise, the former uses electricity and the latter is a permanent magnet such as that used in the devices we are discussing. The strength of a magnetic field is basically referred to as it's magnetic flux density (MFD) which is often stated in terms of Gauss. The permanent or ferro magnets can only generate a few gauss in the form used in pads or blankets. This is the impregnation of magnetic particles of substances such as barium ferrite into plastic or rubber (Norfields calls it polymer). This material is similar to the flexible magnetic signs that are used temporarily on vehicle doors. The MFD of these units would probably be less than a few hundred Gauss.

The distance from the magnet affects the strength. An inch away from the pad would greatly reduce it's magnetic field. This would render magnetic blanket claims of deep muscle benefits somewhat suspect. The effect they are describing in their brochure may happen to a very tiny fraction of the charged ion in a minute amount (a few drops) of blood, but, would require a magnetic field of tens of thousands Gauss, and the changes (separation) would only be momentary. For a change to occur in the charged blood ions as claimed, the process requires changing the electron spin resonance (ESR) or the actual spin of the electrons in the atoms involved which themselves are tiny magnetic fields. This would require magnetic fields hundreds of times the strength generated by these devices and could only affect a few drops of blood for a brief instant. Horses have a very large volume of blood. According to leading educators in physical chemistry, it would be impossible for such magnetic forces being used in the leg, foot, and blanket devices to impose the hall effect on any substance.

It is common practice for a sales pitch to single out one tiny scientific morsel which would make their product look good but totally ignore the overall picture. In effect, since this magnet purportedly lasts forever, there is no expending of energy. For any process, such as the separation of charged ion particles, to take place, it must either be spontaneous, like a chemical reaction, or work must be applied. Since it is obvious that no work is being applied here, we are seeing the elusive perpetual motion machine. This is not long haired upper level theory we are talking about here, but, basic physical ABC's we learned in high school.

In fact, it's probably fortunate that the claims of migration of the negative and positive ions in the blood do not occur. If they did and adhered to the walls of the blood vessel, there could be serious plugging as these dissolved solids were accumulated around the magnet area. When the magnet was removed the mass could then move "downstream" causing further blockage.

STUDIES

When one calls the toll free number of Norfields's, as their ad suggests, you receive a very slick, well put together package consisting of a university study, a magazine "article" and a number of testimonials from satisfied users. The company, which advertises profusely, sports a study by a professor at the University of Minnesota which apparently showed an increase in blood flow when the magnet was placed on an un-injured leg. In reviewing the study, a number of questions were raised regarding the significance of the findings. The study, incidentally, was paid for by Norfields. This in itself would not cast doubt on the findings, but, many university researchers subsist on grant money. We can all remember the numerous studies by well reputed institutions, paid for by the tobacco industry, which showed that smoking was harmless to our health.

Study raises questions:

Why were the tests done on healthy legs as opposed to injured ones? This therapy is used to treat injuries and the blood flow changes, if any, should be measured on limbs with injuries. The (horse) body has its own mechanisms for increasing blood flow. This greatly aids in the healing process. In the study, one leg with a lesion was accidentally tested. the results were thrown out but they showed that, on the injured leg, the blood flow was considerably higher without the magnet in place. This could mean that the horse's own natural mechanisms for concentrating blood were adequate and that the pressure of the bandage and magnet may have restricted the capillaries to decrease it.

Another problem with the study is the fact that they did not use a non-magnetic pad of similar material (plastic) on the control legs. This could have shown that the increased blood flow was (or was not) due to the pad rubbing on the third metacarpus bone and causing enough irritation to induce the animals system to dilate the blood vessels in the area as occurred in the above scenario. The presence of the pad could also have retained more heat than the bandage alone, which could account for the higher (<2%) blood flows in the scintigraphic study. Another interesting thing is that, although the literature claims the device generates heat, thermographic studies failed to demonstrate a significant effect.

There is an article reprint in the package from Veterinary Product News with the headline "Magnetic Pad Therapy Promising". I looked up my copy of the issue it came from to see if it had been reproduced accurately or paraphrased. It was complete except for the last line in bold letters which said, More Info, circle infolink #213. The reprints were also printed by the VPN Reprint Management Services.

One of the practitioners I called who had strongly endorsed the Norfields product in their brochure actually turned out to be a paid consultant for the company who represents them at trade shows.

Fabio Nor, a Brazilian horse trainer, is the company founder and developer of the Norfields line of magnetic devices. When I pointed out to Mr. Nor that the claims of the Hall effect being the basis for his products' effectiveness, were insupportable, he agreed. He stated that he had been meaning to redo the brochure eliminating those claims. When I asked him what, in the absence of that claim, was the theory or scientific basis for the assertions, he said he had no idea. Mr. Nor said that he was not a scientist, nor did he have degree of any kind. When I inquired as to his qualifications to develop a line of products that supposedly use complex physical principals to treat equine injuries, he told me he had trained 40 race horses. "I don't know how the magnets work," he said, "they just do".

When asked about the claims of increased oxygen carrying capacity of the blood (up to 200%) he steadfastly maintained that the product accomplished this. He again was unable to cite the specific mechanism by which this occurred. (quote) I also pointed out that the thermographic studies which measure heat generation did not support his claims in that regard. He said that he didn't recognize those studies; relying instead on his own which supported his claim. Mr. Nor did acknowledge that much of the local temperature increase was due to the wraps containing body heat. When asked if a standard neoprene leg wrap might not work as well he said it would "help". Mr. Nor inquired of the laboratory studies planned and was told we would try to generate heat in a saline solution using his product. He offered to pay for the study. The offer was declined.

A list containing 21 questions asking for explanation and clarification of claims made for the product was sent to the company. They declined to answer any of them, saying it was too time consuming, and may involve "proprietary" information. I also asked for a copy of the purported patent on the products. The response was that it was too voluminous so I told them I'd settle for an abstract or even a patent number. At this writing it has not arrived.

Hoof magnets:

These are small wafer shaped metallic permanent magnets which are installed in the hoof wall by drilling or burning a hole in the foot and epoxying them in place. among the claimed benefits are the treatment of navicular disease. The mechanisms claimed are essentially similar to those for the wraps and blankets.

One might think that, as we become more sophisticated and educated, we should be less susceptible to sales pitches which promise incredible results. Unfortunately, we are just as likely to take the lure as our great grandparents were with medicine show cure-alls. One example of a currently touted practice with no scientific basis (that I could find) is "laser therapy". This is not the very successful use of high level lasers in surgery and other legitimate medical applications. These are what is commonly referred to as low level lasers. They are equivalent to the pointing devices used by a public speaker to highlight something on a chart. The therapist claims to aim these light beams at various points on the horse (some use acupuncture points) to relieve various ailments and injuries it may have. I attended a lecture at the veterinary conference in Orlando, Florida last year which touched on this subject. The lecturer, a professor from a major veterinary school, pointed out that tests had been done on these "laser treatments" which showed the effect to be about equivalent to shining a flashlight on the animal. The light beams did not even penetrate the hair, let alone the tissue.

This is not to impugn the use of alternative therapies. On the contrary, I believe that a number of them including equine massage, nutritional and wellness programs, and accupuncture (without B-12 injection), all have a place in the treatment of equine ills. Chiropractic also has, in my opinion, potential to help in the treatment process. There are some Chiropractic practices which I strongly disagree with and consider to be stage shows. These include pinching the muscles along the horse's spine to make him flinch and then pounding on it with rubber mallets. As they run their hand back over the spot after "treatment" with the owner looking on, they don't pinch the muscle. Of course the horse doesn't flinch this time. They proclaim that the vertebra is, thus, realigned. No one can know the vertebral alignment of a horse with-out X-rays and I would never let anyone pound on my animal's spine with a rubber mallet.

Any improvement in a horse's injury or ailment with a magnetic device in place is likely, purely coincidental. The improvement is probably due to natural healing processes, bandaging associated with the magnet or to other treatment regimes undertaken simultaneously. Another reason could be that an injured horse usually receives better treatment and attention than one that is not. He would probably be stalled in a quiet place and receive regular visits and improved nutrition. The horse might be allowed to graze in the sun alone part of the day with no competition. All of these contribute to the animals sense of well being and enhance his body's normal healing ability.

A magazine editor asked me why, if the magnets are ineffective, do we still get reports of success with this kind of therapy. I had no answer for her except to say that faith healing is still a practiced form of therapy in this country and, to a greater extent, other countries around the world. The next time you pass a palm reader's establishment, take note of the car in the driveway. Chances are, it's a Mercedes or similarly expensive vehicle. Hope seem s to spring continually from trusting horse people who are looking for simple solutions to complex problems with no easy cures.

What harm could be done?, you ask. if there is any chance that it may help. The answer is probably none. The problem would be if effective treatment is delayed or replaced by this procedure. Dr. Calvin Kobluk who conducted the Norfields study stated that he wouldn't use the pads as an "alternative therapy" but in conjunction with conventional treatment. He also stated, " I don't believe anything actually speeds up healing."

More research?

If this magnetic phenomenon is to be properly proven or disproven it should be studied in a major university on injured horses. It should be a closely controlled study with no outside funding and should include as many horses as possible. As of now there is no scientific or medical basis for the use of magnets that this writer could find. Perhaps I'm more skeptical than most, but I need more than faith.

When the basic laws of physics and thermodynamics are applied to magnetic gadgets, they simply cannot work as advertised. There may be some laws (unknown to modern science) in process here that we are not aware of , but, certainly not those being claimed by the marketers of these devices. You are probably saying, you don't know anything about the laws of physics and thermodynamics; right? What about Grampa's old laws of living that seem to work when all else fails? One of them went something like, "if it sounds too good to be true, it more'n likely is".

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