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MAGNETIC FIELDS BASICS Static & Constant Magnetic Fields

Static or nonmoving magnetic fields are usually created by permanent magnets. Since about 1990 in the USA, there has been a huge proliferation of permanent magnetic supplies for therapy purposes. These therapeutic magnets are available for direct purchase at department stores, pharmacies, through distributors and on the Internet. In about 1990, they were primarily available from Japan or China and to a limited extent from Europe. They are now available through much of the world.

How are permanent magnets made?

First, you need a magnetizable material and an already created magnet. The already created magnet is then placed on the material to be magnetized. With only a very brief exposure to new material becomes a magnet. The degree of magnetization depends on the magnetic material. Many complex factors go into creating a magnet.

A material becomes magnetized by the imposed magnetic field, by having the molecules of the material reorient themselves in the direction of the imposed magnetic field. First the molecules may be oriented in a somewhat random fashion. As the material becomes more magnetized more and more areas of molecules, called domains, become oriented in the direction of the imposed field. When there is enough "saturation" of the imposed magnetic field, then most of the domains in the material are oriented in one direction. This is called saturation. This process is depicted in the graphics below.

Similar "magnetization" effects are expected to happen to susceptible (paramagnetic) molecules in the body with exposure to a static MF. These molecules will reorient themselves in the body to conform to the field lines of the applied magnet. Similarly, ions in motion would be expected to alter their flow patterns to some degree based on the field lines of the externally applied SMFs. This motion alteration effect is an established principle in physics.

The following reference books cover how magnets are made in greater depth:

"Permanent Magnet Design and Application Handbook" - Lester Moskowitz, 385 pp. A reference book for the technically oriented layperson.

"Permanent Magnet Materials and their Applications" by Dr. Peter Campbell, 203pp. A comprehensive review of magnet technology intended for scientists and engineers involved in all stages of the manufacture, design, and use of permanent magnets.

"Standard Specifications for Permanent Magnet Materials" - Magnetic Materials Producers Association sets industry standards for specifying magnet materials.
The International Magnnetics Association

This PDF file also has many of the terms used when discussing the making permanent magnets.

Types of magnetic materials

Typical magnetic materials include:
- Ferrous (iron)

- Alnico (Aluminum/Nickle/Cobalt)

- Rare-earth ( e.g., neodymium/Iron/Boron (NdFeB), Samarium/Cobalt and others)

- ron/Chromium/Cobalt (FeCrCo).

The rare earth metals are able to be made with very high field strengths. The weakest magnets are typically from the softer metals, such as iron.

Strengths, shapes and sizes of magnets

These materials are made into a large variety of strengths, shapes and sizes of magnets. They can be available as individual magnets themselves or be embedded into fabrics or other materials to allow placement on different part of the body. Some of the basic shapes of the magnets are: blocks, cylinders, wires, hollow or solid spheres, springs, rings or flat plates or combinations of these.

You can get some sense of the various constructions possible from a commercial magnetics manufacturer. One example is Magnet Manufacturing Inc. They deal primarily with permanent magnets.

There are many others who custom manufacture all sorts of electromagnetic systems. One example is Walker Scientific.

Magnetization patterns

Static magnets can be magnetized in an unbelievable number of ways.

They can also be magnetized with alternating polarity patterns, comprising multiple single magnets or a single material construction that has different polarity patterns imprinted into the material. Rubberized, flexible materials impregnated with iron materials are made in many design configurations.

Each design is based on specific theories of action. Patents have been issued for many of these separate designs. Below are some common design patterns.

Other constructions use multiple individual magnets incorporated into a single containing material. Making these can become complicated because of the need to keep the individual magnets apart from each other.

Variety of magnetic devices for therapy

All these designs are intended to be able to apply a magnet anywhere on the body. Enclosing permanent magnets into holders that are then attached to a spinning motor is another way to emulate a time-varied MF. These would be considered rotating MFs and are fundamentally a sinusoidal waveform.

Many of these "devices" or "products" can be used interchangeably or, while they are primarily developed for one area of the body they are still a magnet and can used anywhere on the body, as long as it would fit. I have even been quoted on radio as saying that "even fridge magnets can relieve headaches."

For example, I commonly use my own shoe inserts over my stomach or a muscle or even on the back of my neck or my low back. The issues again to be considered are ones of field strength for the problem being treated and the configuration of the magnet and it's ease or practicality of use.

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