(The earth s surface is about 0.5 gauss.) Magnet therapy experts begin their therapy at low gauss and increase the strength gradually. Last words There had been claims from patients on some significant improvements in their conditions (pains and other ailments) with the application of magnet therapy. Pain relief Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston found magnets effective at blocking pains caused by post-polio syndrome. The syndrome is marked by leg pains and affects up to 20% of polio patients later in life. In the study, 76% of the patients who were treated with a magnet had pain relief. The imbalance is demonstrated in times when we are injured. The electromagnetic field is put out of balance and pain and swelling are the result. When magnetic therapy is applied on the injured area, both the capillary walls surrounding the muscles and the connective tissues relax. This action increases the flow of blood. Like acupuncture, magnet therapy has only been recently become an accepted form of natural healing in the U.S. European influence Until the 16th century, the healing powers of magnets were not officially recorded or advocated. It was first noted by the Swiss physician Paracelsus and at around the same time by Dr. Placements Another consensus is that the magnet should be as close as possible to the affected body part. The magnet can be taped to the skin. One way of doing it is to slip the magnet inside a bandage over the injured area. The second method is to use a wrapping device that has magnets embedded in it. It had also been mentioned in the earliest writings in Egypt, India and Greece. How it works For the layman, magnet therapy works on the natural energy of magnetism and its relations to a person s overall health. A magnetic field provides a natural method in helping the body s normal healing processes.