Tag: magnets

Can Magnets Support Mental Health?

Published on by Nikken

Overall well-being includes mental health, not just physical health. When it comes to physical health, much of the science is black and white; whereas with mental health, there are more gray areas. While medication and psychotherapy are often seen as the end-all-be-all treatments for depression and other mental health conditions, magnets can serve as alternative ways to regulate neural activity: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is an advanced method of relieving erratic brain activity that can cause poor mental health.1

Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), TMS usually is used only when other depression treatments haven’t been effective. The FDA also approved TMS for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), migraines and to help people stop smoking when standard treatments haven’t worked well. Research continues into other potential uses for TMS, including epilepsy.2

When used for depression, OCD and to stop smoking, this treatment involves delivering repeated magnetic pulses, so it’s called repetitive TMS or rTMS. During an rTMS session for depression, an electromagnetic coil is placed against the scalp of the head. This coil delivers magnetic pulses that stimulate nerve cells in the region of the brain involved in mood control and depression. It’s thought to activate regions of the brain that have decreased activity during depression.3

The difference between rTMS and deep TMS has to do with the type of coil used. The deep TMS coil stimulates deeper and wider areas of the brain, compared with rTMS. Deep TMS coils have been FDA-approved for OCD and to stop smoking. Although the biology of why TMS works isn’t completely understood, the stimulation appears to affect how the brain is working. It seems to ease depression symptoms and improve mood.4

According to the Cleveland Clinic, the recipient of TMS is fully aware of what’s happening during the entire treatment and can talk, read or nap. The coil delivers stimulation for approximately four seconds, then stops for 15 seconds and then resumes. This is repeated about 75 times per session. During the stimulation, the patient may hear a tapping sound as well as feel the sensation of being tapped on the scalp. Phase one can be time-consuming, with 30 treatments being recommended over a six-week period of time. During the second or maintenance phase, the frequency decreases according to each case, varying from once every other week to once a month or every two months.5

Magnets and magnetic fields are part of nature, and nature continues to be a primary source of solutions for overall well-being. The more we learn, the more we can practice empowered living.

1 https://www.brainsway.com/knowledge-center/the-truth-about-magnet-therapy-aka-tms-therapy/

2, 3, 4 https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/transcranial-magnetic-stimulation/about/pac-20384625 5 https://health.clevelandclinic.org/cant-conquer-depression-how-magnets-can-help

Magnets are Important in Our Daily Lives

Published on by Nikken

Magnets play crucial roles in various industries and in the devices we use every day. From computers and electronics to health and medicine, magnets power our daily lives. We don’t always think of magnets as key components in making our households run smoothly, but the fact is, they do.

From vacuum cleaners to doorbells, washing machines and telephones—they all require magnets. So do credit cards, MRI machines and electric vehicles and computer data storage on hard drives. Magnets help alter the direction of the magnetic material on the hard disk to represent computer data. Additionally, magnets are present in small speakers, USB cables, radios, televisions, and other electronic gadgets we rely on daily.1

Magnets in electric generators turn mechanical energy into electricity, while some motors flip that, turning electricity back into motion. Electromagnets play a vital role in recycling by grabbing large metal pieces. Moreover, magnetic drums are used in mines to separate metallic ores from crushed rock. Food processing units also utilize magnets to remove small metal pieces from grains and other food items.2

There are three main types of magnets:

•          Permanent magnets retain their magnetic properties. Examples of permanent magnets include neodymium, ferrite and alnico. Nikken products most often contain either neodymium or ferrite magnets. Although neodymium magnets are considered the strongest and most expensive, ferrite magnets offer the most corrosion resistance.

•          Temporary magnets are made out of soft metals that become magnetic when close to a magnetic field or electrical current. Examples include common use items such as iron nails, paper clips and refrigerator magnets. These items lose their magnetism when they are removed from the magnetic field.

•          Electromagnets are created by running an electrical current through a coil with a metal core. The energized coil creates a magnetic field. When the current is shut off, the magnetic field disappears.Electromagnets are used for applications that require strength, such as rail road tracks, motor engines, MRI machines and cranes.3 

Magnets are indispensable and make our lives easier and more efficient. At Nikken, magnets are incorporated into many of our products. For example, neodymium magnets are incorporated in the Kenko Precision Set’s sphere and wand. Our Kenko mSteps® and Kenko mStrides® are insoles with patented DynaFlux® magnetic technology. Even our jewelry— necklaces, bracelets and earrings—incorporate magnets. 

Have you seen how dogs turn around in circles before they find the perfect spot to relax in? They instinctively know how to access the natural magnetic energy in their changing environment. Humans are less in tune with planet Earth, but since contemporary lifestyles cannot function smoothly without magnets, learning about them and reaping the most benefits from them can make daily living so much more enjoyable!

1, 2 https://neomagnets.net/6-main-uses-of-magnets-in-our-daily-life/ 3 https://learning-center.homesciencetools.com/article/magnet-types-science-lesson/#:~:text=The%20three%20types%20of%20magnets,by%20their%20source%20of%20magnetism.