About Magnetic Supports and Braces
Some vendors will not list the type of magnets used in their back supports, elbow braces, knee braces, ankle braces and other orthopedic products. You should be cautious when you see this because the magnets used in these products may be of a lower grade material and lack the sufficient strength to have a health benefit.
Other vendors may use a combination of ceramic magnets and neodymium magnets in their back supports or braces. Ceramic magnets are considerably weaker in comparison to neodymium magnets. For instance, if you compared these two magnets - and both were of the same size, thickness and gauss rating, the neodymium magnet will always generate a stronger magnetic field.
A back support that is composed of ceramic magnets and neodymium magnets is significantly weaker than a back support composed of only neodymium magnets.
There are also vendors that will mislead you to believe the magnetic strength of their products. For instance, if there were 28 neodymium magnets (and each magnet has a rating of 10,000 gauss) inside a back support, the magnetic strength of this product is still only 10,000 gauss.
Unfortunately, some vendors mislead the consumer to believe their magnetic products are much stronger by adding the gauss rating of all the magnets combined. They advertise these magnetic products to have 280,000 total gauss strength. This is inaccurate and as a consumer you should be cautious of vendors who use this method of advertisement.
Unfortunately, some vendors mislead the consumer to believe their magnetic products are much stronger by adding the gauss rating of all the magnets combined. They advertise these magnetic products to have 280,000 total gauss strength. This is inaccurate and as a consumer you should be cautious of vendors who use this method of advertisement.
Concluding Thoughts
Using magnetic supports, braces or orthopedic products can be beneficial so long as they are applied correctly. The downside to using these products is that they should not be worn for long durations. The reason being, these magnetic products prevent your joints from moving through a full range of motion. For instance, a magnetic low back support can help alleviate pain and discomfort but it can also limit the mobility in your spine. If you were to wear a back support throughout the day, you will notice stiffness and restrictions in your back at the end of the day.
The joints in your back are designed to move freely for a reason. The advantage of therapy magnets over the use of magnetic supports and magnetic braces is that spot magnets allow you to retain your normal range of motion while maintaining a level of comfort. In addition, therapy magnets applied directly to the site of injury generate a significantly stronger magnetic field compared to a magnet enclosed within a magnetic support. Magnets will always produce the deepest penetration when applied on skin surface.
For those individuals with sensitivity or allergies to metals such as nickel, you may use hypoallergenic tape to wrap the magnet prior to applying it to the skin.
The joints in your back are designed to move freely for a reason. The advantage of therapy magnets over the use of magnetic supports and magnetic braces is that spot magnets allow you to retain your normal range of motion while maintaining a level of comfort. In addition, therapy magnets applied directly to the site of injury generate a significantly stronger magnetic field compared to a magnet enclosed within a magnetic support. Magnets will always produce the deepest penetration when applied on skin surface.
For those individuals with sensitivity or allergies to metals such as nickel, you may use hypoallergenic tape to wrap the magnet prior to applying it to the skin.
