I am not a physician. I am writing from my own research and experience. This is not meant to take the place of medical care.
I love working with magnets. What I love most is the broad range of healing applications magnets can be applied to. One of my favorite uses, outside of the typical Biomagnetic framework, is the stimulation of acupuncture points. To understand how to use magnets this way you will need a deeper understanding of Traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture’s role in it.
What is Acupuncture?
Traditional Chinese medicine is a system of medicine that has been around for thousands of years. It is partly based on the idea that energy, called qi (pronounced “chee”) flows through the body along specific pathways called meridians. These meridians or channels are connected to all the main organ systems. In Traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed illness can occur when the flow of qi is blocked or out of balance. Qi can become imbalanced in several ways:
· External forces, like wind, cold, or heat.
· Internal forces, like strong emotions of anger, joy, or jealousy.
· Lifestyle factors, like poor diet, inadequate sleep, poorly managed stress, or excess alcohol consumption.
Qi can be balanced by several Traditional Chinese medicine approaches including acupuncture, Chinese herbalism, cupping, gua sha, moxibustion, and qi gong. Acupuncture uses thin needles, pressure, or the burning of moxa (moxibustion) on specific points, called acupuncture points, to unblock or balance qi along the meridian. It is through the mechanism of stimulating these points that acupuncture and Biomagnetism go hand in hand.
How to Stimulate Acupuncture Points with Biomagnetic Magnets
Just as an acupuncturist would use needles to move or modulate qi, magnets can be used to do the same. There is no risk of “harming” yourself when using the magnets on acupuncture points. They do not overstimulate the system, however they bring it into balance, whether there is an excess or lack of qi or the qi is blocked. The magnets will move the energy in whatever way is needed. In my practice, I often give clients homework to help lengthen the impact of their Biomagnetism session. Some of the most common placements I teach them are acupuncture points. Because a single acupuncture point stimulates a whole meridian and thereby a whole organ system, the impact is wide ranging and powerful for a single magnet placement.
A few things to keep in mind when using magnets on acupuncture points. It is important that the magnetic field is powerful enough to move the qi which is why I only recommend using Biomagnetism magnets. Kitchen magnets will not do the job. Acupuncture points are usually bilateral, meaning on both sides of the body. When stimulating bilateral points, have the black magnet touching the skin on the point on the right side of the body and the red magnet touching the skin on the point on the left side of the body. If the point is unilateral or midline use the black magnet to stimulate it. Biomagnetism magnets are more forgiving when it comes to being placed correctly than acupuncture needles. Magnetic energy is a field, not a laser. Placing the magnet close to the correct location is good enough. Do not let the fear of “doing it wrong” stop you from using the magnets at all. The worst thing that can happen is nothing. If you place them incorrectly you will not notice your symptoms improving, but nothing harmful will occur. The timing for leaving the magnets on is slightly different then with conventional Biomagnetism. When using them on acupuncture points leave your magnets on 15-30 minutes, approximately the same amount of time acupuncture needles would remain inserted. If you leave the magnets on longer no harm will come.
By now, I am sure you are excited to learn some acupuncture points to use your magnets on. My personal acupuncturist and dear friend, Kathleen Murray, from Dovetail Medicine came by my office and demonstrated some of her favorite acupuncture points for relieving the common complaints of headaches, feeling stressed, neck pain, and menstrual cramps. In the videos that follow she will explain the acupuncture point and I will explain how to use your magnets on it. These videos were originally published on my social media accounts, which is why I mention saving and sharing the videos. I would recommend bookmarking this webpage for later reference.
Acupuncture Point for Headaches
This point is described in the introductory video of this post. Kathleen recommends using Large Intestine-4 to address headaches or any pain in the body. If using pressure to stimulate the point, press firmly for 30-seconds. If using your magnets, tape them on for 15-30 minutes until you notice the headache start to ease.
Acupuncture Point for Stress Relief
This video is lightly different because Kathleen teaches us a face massage to relieve stress. By applying firm pressure all along the eyebrows we stimulate several acupuncture points and release stress related tightness in the face. You can place your magnets bilaterally at the inner and outer corners of the eyes.
Acupuncture Point for Neck Pain
This complaint is closely related to both headaches and stress. Start by using the Jing-Well point on the pinky, described in this video. If that does not address the neck pain adequately you can try stimulating Large Intestine-4 and doing the face massage. When applying pressure to a Jing-Well point press firmly and repetitively. When using Biomagnetism magnets tape them in place for at least 15 minutes or until you feel the neck tension ease.
Acupuncture Point for Menstrual Cramps
Out of the four points Kathleen demonstrated, Pericardium-6 has become the one I use most frequently. It is very effective at relieving menstrual cramps and nausea. The feedback from my clients has been incredibly positive. They all report an improvement to their discomfort within minutes of placing the magnets.
I hope this article and interview empowers you to try using your magnets on any of the dozens of acupuncture points. Let me know in the comments if you have tried combining acupuncture and Biomagnetism, what your experience has been, and your favorite acupuncture point to stimulate.