Magnets, Meridians

7/30/2019 Magnets, Meridians

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Russ Mason, M.S.

W

illiam Pawluk, M.D., M.Sc., ispresident of the AdvancedMagnetic Research Institute of

the Delaware Valley, L.L.C., and principalof William Pawluk, M.D., P.A., both ofRancocas, New Jersey, in addition toworking as a medical director for a healthplan for individuals who receive publicbenef its. Born in a refugee camp in Ger-many after World War II, he emigratedwith his parents to Calgary, Alberta,Canada.

He received his medical degree fromthe University of Alberta, Calgary, Alber-ta, Canada, and completed a residency infamily medicine at hospitals connected

with McMaster University, in Hamilton,Ontario, Canada. At McMaster, he trainedfurther in clinical epidemiology, with anemphasis on health care services, andreceived a masters degree in clinical epi-demiology from that institution.

After 2 years of teaching and practic-ing family medicine at Case WesternReserve Medical School, in Cleveland,Ohio, Dr. Pawluk relocated to CherryHill, New Jersey, where he worked as afamily physician and medical directorfor a local health care plan. His work inNew J e r sey l ed to an inv i t a t i on to

become the medica l dir ector of Th eJo hns Ho pkins He al th Pla n, in Ba lti -more, Maryland. There, he was respon-siblefor teaching young doctors and forthe hea l th care needs of more than140,000 people. It was at Hopkins thathe began to move from conventional

family practice medicine to a moreholistic, multimodal medicine.

Dr. Pawluks exploration of a broadrange of healing modalities led to hismajor interest in using magnets and elec-tromagnetic energy to support the healing

and written process. He has researched,consulted and written on medical applica-tions of magnetism, including coauthor-ing a book on magnetic therapy research.*Dr. Pawluk recently described the windingcourse of his lifes work, and his interest inenergy medicineincluding medical usesof magnetismwith Russ Mason.

Russ Mason: What would you consid-er the formative way stations on your

journey from practicing conventionalfamily medicine to exploring energy

medicine?William Pawluk: At both McMasterand Case Western Reserve, my colleaguesin the family medicine departmentemphasized the importance of consider-ing family issues and family counseling inthe health care of individuals within theirfamily contexts. This showed me theimportance of addressing mindbody andpsychospiritual issues in order to achievebetter health outcomes.

Whi le in New Jersey , when I wasresponsible for over 30 health practition-ers who were caring for the health of

40,000 people, I began to realize t herewere limits to what could be done to helpindividuals within the conventional med-ical model. Conventional medicine hadonly some of the answers. I once heard aphysician from England speak at anacupuncture conference. From years ofexperience, he concluded that to givepatients the widest perspective of care,holistic physicians need training in atleast three additional disciplinesprefer-ably environmental medicine, acupunc-ture, and homeopathy. It was at Hopkins

that I committed to doing just that. Onlin retrospect do I now appreciate the widom of what he said.

After managing many doctors and largnumbers of people, I noticed that doctorhad significant differences in how they pra

ticed medicine and that many patients hatoxic reactions to the therapies they werreceiving. For example, most physicianwere using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatordrugs [NSAIDs] as pain-management medcation, and a substantial percentage of thpatients had severe side-effects as a result otaking them. In an attempt to figure outbetter method of pain management, onthat was less toxic to the patients, I decideto study acupuncture, hypnosis, homeopathy, and hands-on healing. Over the nexseveral years, I became certified in home

opathy, acupuncture, and hypnosis, andstudied various bodywork traditionincluding reiki, and became a reiki master.

After Hopkins and these studies,spent time on the faculty of the Universitof Maryland, doing complementarmedicine. During my clinical experiencthere, I found that it would become cleato me, during the history-taking proceswhat the most efficient method of treament would be, from my grab-bag of diciplines, given consideration of what pa t i en t wan ted and how he o r shthought. Some patients came in asking fo

a certain modality while others just camin to see a physician. Id consider complance issues, general beliefs and valueand what a person could afford. I sawpeople from all walks of life. Havintrained in those multiple disciplineallowed me to be more effective and noto be constrained by any one discipline.

Early on in my acupuncture training,looked for a similar therapy that did noinvolve the use of needles. This led me tan investigation of traditions regardinthe use of magnets on acupunctur

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Magnets, Meridians,and Energy Medicine

An Interview with William Pawluk, M.D., M.Sc.

*Jerabek, J., Pawluk, W.Magneti c Therapy inEastern Europe: A Review of Thirty Years o fResearch. Chicago: William Pawluk, M.D., Pub-lisher, 1998.


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points. Chinese doctors had written trea-tises on how to use magnets, or lode-stones, as far back as back in 2 00 BC .Hippocrates and the Egyptian physicians

also used lodestones.A personal experience convinced me

that magnets have an impact on the samemeridians that are used in TraditionalChinese Medicine, acupuncture, andother therapies.

I was treating a periodontal pocket bytaping a tiny acupuncture magnet to myface, near my nose, before I went t osleep. After a couple of weeks, I experi-enced some numbness, and thought: Ifone is good, lets see what two will do.I taped two acupuncture magnets (3000

Gauss each) next to each other, and wentto sleep. In the middle of th e night, Iwas awakened by a buzzing, searingsensation, like two hot cables going upand down my che s t and abdomen .When I removed the magnets, the sensa-tion went away. When I repeated theprocedure, the same thing happened.

I was intrigued, so I studied diagramsof meridians and changeover points. Ifound that I had experienced my ownstomach meridian as a result of magneticoverstimulation. I concluded that mag-nets do have an effect on meridians and

that magnets on the acupuncture pointscan stimulate the body in various ways.

RM: Before we go into the medicalapplications of magnetism, will you

review the basic magnetic principlesunderlying the effects of electromag-netism on the human body?

WP: First, the body is transparent to amagnetic field. This means that the fielddoes not attach itself to the body butwill interact at the atomic level. Remem-

ber, at the atomic and subatomic levels,everything is in motion and magneticfields internal and external to the bodyare constantly interacting with the body.

Another key factor is that our entirebiology is based upon the earths magnet-ic field. There have been experiments thatinvolve shielding biological systems fromthe earths magnetic field. When the mag-netic field is blocked for any length o ftime, biological systems begin to degrade.Russian space scientists are looking atthis. We can talk more about this later.

Human beings are functionally exposedto at least three types of magnetic fields.The first is the magnetic field of the earth.Although the general output is 0.5 Gauss,there are areas with a higher magneticconcentration because of the ground andthe rocks in the earth. This is the principalbehind dowsing. A dowser is able to per-ceive tiny variations at the ground level inthe magnetic field and is able to findflowing water.

The second type of magnetic field is, forthe average person who goes out for awalk, the electromagnetic stimulation of

the body that radiates from the earth. Thehistory of our species has been that wehave always been in motion, on the sur-face of the earth. We were foragers, orhunter-gatherers. Yet, now we tend to sitindoors and are subjected to other non-natural electromagnetic influences. Theseinclude the wiring in our homes, themicrowaves in the air, and, of course, TVsand computer terminals. Interestingly, themost powerful magnetic field we areexposed to on a day-to-day basis turnsout to be the electric stove.

The third type of magnetic field is thwhich is defined as the Schumann Reonance. This is the natural electromagnetic [EM] frequency in the atmospher

produced by electric storms, by lighning. Lightning is going on, all arounthe planet, all the time. Lightning produces a band of EM frequencies, in thatmosphere, between the surface of thearth and the ionosphere, that all life othe planet tunes into, or resonates withnaturally. It just so happens that oubrains function in the same frequencspectrum as the Schumann resonanceScientists believe that the average standing wave Schumann Frequency is 7.8 H(Hz is the measure of frequency per sec

ond). But, in fact, the Schumann Frequencies actually range from 1Hz tupward of 40Hz, although with an aveage of 710Hzwhich, as it turns out, between Theta and Alpha wave frequencies in the human brain. It has be efound to be the same pattern of frequencies emanating from the hands of heaers.

What all this means is that humans arvery much connected with the naturaEM activity of the planet. Disruptions ithis natural activity may be very impotant to human disease. It therefore make

sense that EM-based therapies could bvery important to human health.

RM: What are some of the benefits ousing magnets in a healing context?

WP: One of the major benefits of magnetics is that a patient doesnt need tkeep seeing a physician. The patient maonly need to go once, like getting a prescription for medication. Then he or shgoes home and continues to treat thproblem. Self-treatment isnt that easwith acupuncture needles.

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I concluded that magnets do have an

effect on meridians and that magnets on the

acupuncture points can stimulate the body in various ways.

A lodestone is a naturally occurring rock witha high concentration of iron and is naturallymagnetized.


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RM: What differences are there in theeffects of magnets and acupuncture?

WP : Acupunctu re needles are morepowerful than magnets in creating rapid

improvement. But the effects drop offover time after treatments end. Someonewith a chronic problem may need some-thing to continue to help with therapyand magnets let one treat oneself at home.Also, magnets have other actions on cellsthat acupunture doesnt.

RM: Do magnets ever wear out?

WP: No. They will last for a very longtime. Other benefits are that magnets arereusable, nontoxic, and inexpensive.What one must bear in mind also is that

the earth emits a magnetic field of 0.5Gauss and the magnets used for thera-peutic purposes may be 10 Gauss, 40Gauss, or as much as 3000 Gauss, whichis a lot of energy. It was twin 3000-Gaussacupuncture magnets, taped to my face,which caused the overstimulation of mystomach meridian. They are very power-ful. People dont realize that the bodysown organs produce the i r own EMfields. They are lower by over 100,000times the earths field strength. In addi-tion, the body has its own magnetite,micro-lodestones so to speak. Remem-

ber, magnet ic fields are highly interac-tive.

RM: Do you use magnets personally?WP: Yes, in several ways. Always for

health maintenance. I also have carpal-tunnel syndrome in one of my wrists andI find that magnetic therapy manages mypain from this. My father had the same

problem and we were able to cancel hissurgeryhe could barely make a fist! Ialso use a pulsed magnetic mattress thatis called a QRS. I lie on it for about 8

minutes, twice a day. That quickly andeffortlessly negates the stress of my busydays.

RM: What does it do?

WP: The concept is a bit like droppinga pebble into still water. With pulsedmagnetic field exposure, the effects radi-ate and last much longer than 8 min-utesthe equivalent of throwing thepebble into the water; the water keepsrippling long after the pebble has hit thebottom. So, a fter an 8-minute treatment,

a wave of EM action continues to workin the body for hours after that to helpany imbalances. What this means is thatone doesnt have to wear a magnet forhours. The body can adapt to a constant-ly used magnet signal over time andbecome less responsive The same thinghappens with medicines. Also, for thepractitioner, it is somewhat difficult todetermine the correct magnetic doseand for how long the patient ought t ouse it. Its similar to medicines in thatrespecthow is the correct dose deter-mined? How many a day is enough?

How do you know what the reactionwill be?

RM: Tell me more about the QRS, thepulsed magnetic field device. Is i t

expensive? How does it work?WP: This is an excellent approach to

helping the body achieve homeostasisand maintain it. One just puts the QRSsystem on a flat surface or lounge chair,selects the appropriate settings, lies onit for 830 minutes, twice a day, andthen gets off. Thats it. As to cost, I have

tested systems that are $1,000 or lesand systems up to $5,00 0. The onechose retails at about $2,600. The factorI used to decide which system to use fom y s e l f a n d r e c o m m e n d t o o t h e rinc luded f lex ib i l i ty of use of f i e lstrengths, allowing various surfac

areas of the body to be treated (locaregional, or whole body) ability to seledesired lengths of treatment t imeportability and, finally, cost. The quetion to ask is, what is lifetime healtmaintenance worth? A good investmenkeeps returning dividends for a lifetimin my way of thinking.

RM: In what circumstances is magneic therapy not advisable?

WP: During pregnancy, since there not enough data to be sure it is absolute

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Someone with a chronic problem

may need something to continue to help with

therapy and magnets let one treat oneself at home.

Quantron Resonance System, distributed byBody Fields, USA, Inc., Des Plains, Illinois.

William Pawluk, M.D., M.Sc., AdvanceMagnetic Research Institute of the Delawa

Valley, L.L.C.


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safe, or if there is electronic equipment inthe body, such as a pacemaker or defibril-

lator. So you have to be very careful. Likeaspirin, magnetic fields decrease bloodplatelet clotting. In this respect, the actionof magnetic fields is very similar toaspirin. A patient who is on anticoagu-lants needs to be careful about the use ofmagnetics even though they work in aslightly different way than prescriptionblood thinners . Apart from these, mostreations can be controlled.

RM: Will magnetics be more widely

used therapeutically in the future?

WP: Yes. We are at the dawn of a newtechnology, or new science, with the use of

magnetic fields. There is a lot that magnet-ics can do to help doctors achieve morebenefits for their pa tients. In the CzechRepublic, for example, it has become astandard part of care. But in the UnitedStates, our challenge also relates to theFDA [Food and Drug Administration] interms of making health claims; so the man-ufacturers of magnetics areat this pointsomewhat constrained. It is important tomention that several magnetic deviceswere indeed FDA-approved, more than 30years ago.

But, as far as the actual application omagnetics go, lets say youre a massagtherapist. If you had a patient lie on

pulsed magnetic field for 15 minutebefore you actually started treatment, yowouldnt have to work as hard: Thosmuscles would be more relaxed already.

Approximately 60 percent of peoplwho go to health care practitioners go fopain management. So, if you are managing patients with pain, then magnets aralways an option, either as a pretreament, or in combination with your therapy. A good part of the time, they are besused in a complementary way; but sometimes they work fine all by themselves i

specific areas.One of the challenges we face in complmentary medicine is to know what we diversus what the person has donefor him herself. Some people call this the placebeffect; I prefer to call it The Doctor Within. There is a new book out, called Undestanding the Placebo Effect in Complementar

Medicine , by David Peters [EdinburghChurchill Livingstone, 2001]. Given mepidemiology background, that is one othe areas I look into and also to find goodcredible, scientific evidence to support thefficacy of pulsed magnetic fields and o

magnetic therapy in general.We know that all magnets are biolog

cally active, providing the magnetpower exceeds the earths own field leveor 0.5 Gauss. Putting a little magnet (evea refrigerator magnet) next to the skinyields some magnetic action, although is very local.

I once developed a little arthritis pain imy big toe from kicking a soccer ball thwrong way. I later took a flat refrigeratomagnet and wrapped it around in a Ushape. Within minutes the pain was gone


If you are managing patients with pain, then magnets are always

an option, either as a pretreatment, or in combination with your therapy.

Electromagnetism and Subtle Healing Processes

According to Dr. Pawluk, all healing processes arefundamentallyelectromagnetic. Acu-puncture, medications, herbs, vitamins, and other treatment modalities function electro-

magnetically, in the living organism, where they stimulate or dampen physiologic, cellular, and

molecular processes that are electromagnetic in nature.

The influence of electromagnetic energy on molecules is not limited to chemical interactions.

Healers who use Therapeutic Touch, reiki, acupuncture or other energy modalities work via

electromagnetic activity. Healing may occur via the meridians, on an etheric level, and at the

physical levelor on many levels simultaneouslyand these changes are facilitated by

electromagnetic activity. Therefore, the healer, the healing environment, and the attitude of the

therapist all play roles because of the energy sharing pattern between the healer and the person

being healed. In this way, the molecular environment is changed on an electromagnetic level.

A cell that has become diseased or nonhomeostatic for any reason is likely to lose cell-

membrane permeability because the molecules in the cell membrane stop responding to

molecular resonances that they would have let in naturally. Exposure to an electromagnetic

field can shift bond angles and loosen up receptor sites on and inside the cell, thereby opening

the cell to therapeutic molecules and other homeostasis-restoring interventions. Magnetic

treatment stimulates and restores the natural functioning of the body without introducing a

foreign substance or foreign object (surgical tool) into the body. This is one reason that many

people consider magnets to be a form of natural medicine.

Some of the fields that are usedespecially like those the Quantron Resonance System (see

text) producesare gentle enough that they do not typically create effects on healthy cells. When

the body is healthy and the restorative function is strong, the response to electromagnetic

stimulation is small and temporary. The tissues with diminished homeostatic capacity are the ones

that respond most significantly to electromagnetic stimulation.


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But remember that problems and thera-pies are layered in four levels. The first isthe energetic level; the second is the phys-

iologic level; the third is the pathophysio-l o g i c l e v e l ; a n d t h e f o u r t h i s t h epathologic level. These four levels reallyare part of a gradual continuum, fromslight ill-health right down to life-threat-ening conditions and death.

When someone first starts to get a cold,for example, one just feels off. I t is notfelt anywhere specifically, but generallyone is just off . That is at the energeticlevel.

When one starts to experience a clearrunning nose, a sore throat, and sneezing,

that is at the physiologic level.Next, when the symptoms are moresevere, and one is coughing matter up,and there is some tissue damage (infec-tion), that is at the pathophysiologic level.

If someone ends up with pneumonia,or chronic bronchitis, then that is close tot h e p a t h o l o g i c l e v e l , s i n c e , i f l e f tunchecked, the condition may compro-mise the life of the person or organ viabil-ity.

The primary actions of magnetic fieldswork through calcium metabol ism,through the movement of calcium in the

tissues. The earliest FDA-approved mag-netic devices were for bone healing. Themagnets help to move osteoblasts into afracture, for example. Most of our currenttreatments for osteoporosis stop the pro-cess of the bones breaking down, butthey do not reverse it. That is, they do notcreate osteogenesis.

Osteoblasts build up the bone; osteo-clasts break it down. These are the prima-ry bone cells. They are normally in thebody and the re is a b alanc e be twee nthem.

Now, a person who decides to take upwalking, or running, or some other new

activity, will start to remodel his or herbones , by pu tt ing a load on the bonesthat they have not experienced previ-ously. In this case, osteoblastic activitypredominates over osteoclastic activity.

In people who are indolent, or bedrid-den, or have a sedentary lifestyle, t heosteoclastic activity takes over; new bonecells are not generated and the bonesbegin to soften.

However, magnetic fields increaseosteoblasts; they increase osteogenesis.This is a very importance health mainte-

nance aspect. As we know, osteoporosis a total body problem and that is wh

pulsed magnetic therapy is a good idea.

RM: Isnt pulsed magnetic therapsimilar to magnetic mattress pads?

WP: The mattress pads are usually nostrong enough, and I thinkover t imecan have some other health consequenceTherefore, the pulsed magnetic fields arthe most efficientbecause they provide thoptimal level of benefit with less exposure

RM: Again, this is for 8 minutes, twic

a day?

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Pulsed magnetic fields are the most efficient because

they provide the optimal level of benefit with less exposure.

The Three Kinds of Doctors

Dr. Pawluk comments on his perception of the three types of doctors:I started this whole processmy journey, if you willby trying to decide if I was going to

take the spiritual route, or the physical, or the medical, route. And, in the physical route, Iwanted to try to do some of the things I was expecting to do in the spiritual route. I got steeped

into the culture, the whole medical process. But that was also modified by my epidemiologytraining, which created a certain level of objectivity and the ability to assess and analyze theeffectiveness of what I did, but also what doctors and [medical] systems can do.

I came to the observation there are three kinds of doctors: The first are doctors, includingthose individuals who have Ph.D.s. At that level, a doctor is one who has skillsan expert inan area.

The next level is the physician. My family medicine training gave me that layer, or level, ofknowledge. The physician deals with individuals in their overall holistic contexts; their family

relationships, work environments, the communities they live in, and other factors, all contributeto the physicians assessment.

The third level is the healing level. This level transcends the individual, the society, andprimarily deals with the spiritual level (the level of values and beliefs) as well as other dimensionsWhen it involves healing, you can say that everything ultimately is spiritual. It is the level forhuman beings, that extends their senses, their perspectives, and their perceptions about whothey are and what caused them to be in the circumstances which they are in.

Part of the third level, of healing, or self-healing, is the question: How do we engage thehealer within for those whom we treat? Sometimes this could be healing in the way many

people perceive a healer: the laying on of hands, reiki, Therapeutic Touch, or what happensin the churches when there are healing ceremonies. In this context, the healer is a facilitator,one who creates a healing cause, so that the patients own healing systems can respond andmove toward homeostasisphysical and spiritual.


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WP: That is for health maintenance. Fortreating specific health problems, it couldbe upward of 30 minutes, three times a

day; it depends on what you are manag-ing. At a conference on the QRS in Darm-stadt, Germany, in February 2001, R.G.Funk, [M.D.,] from Frankfurt, Germany,presented a paper showing that the main-tenance level of exposure8 minutestwice a dayproduced a 2030 percentimprovement in reversing osteoporosis.So, bone healing is one aspect of whatmagnets do.

Magnetic fields also increase RNA andDNA in tissues; they decrease nerve-cellfiring (that is, they decrease the irritabili-

ty of nerves); they open up blood ves-selsso they increase circulation totissues and bring more oxygen into thetissues; and they relax muscles. Theseare all important effects of magneticfields.

RM: Please explain a more about themuscle reactions.

WP: Magnetic fields are able to relaxall kinds of muscles. So this means thelong muscles of the body, which help uswith motion, the striated muscles. Butmagnetic fields also affect smooth mus-

cles. This means that magnetic fields canalso relax blood vessels and open up cir-culation to tissues. When you open upcirculation to and from tissues, you alsoreduce edema.

Every time there is cellular injury, oneof the consequences is edema; there is amovement of fluid into that tissue. Theedema then, itself, causes an impairmentof circulation, which then delays healing.Increasing circulation then increases oxy-gen to tissues, decreases edema, andaccelerates healing.

One of the other benefits of magneticsis an increase in heat stress proteins.There are proteins in cells that protect

them from heat stress. Lets say someonegoes to the beach and lies in the sun. Thispersons tissues are immediately exposedto heat stress. Not only does body tem-perature increase but the ultraviolet rayson the skin itself raise the temperature ofthe skin locally, and that creates stress tothe cell.

However, if this person has precondi-tioned the tissue to some minimal amountof heat exposure first, and then goes into asharp sun exposure and stays there forseveral hours, his or her cells will have

the ability to protect themselves from thedamage from the sun to an increasedextent. And one of those protectant fac-tors is called heat stress protein.

RM: How does that work? Does thatmean going out into the sun for a few

minutes and then coming back inside, toprecondition the cells?

WP: Exactly. One gets some exposure,but doesnt stay out too long. One comesback inside and a llows the cells developthe heat stress proteins because just goingright into the sun and staying there over-

whelms the cells and they do not have theopportunity to create the proteins. Mag-netics have been shown to increase heatstress protein.

Magnetics may be useful in precondi-t ioning people for various kinds of surgery. In Eastern Europe, magnetics aresometimes used in this way. Someonewho i s going to have a ga l lb ladderremoved exposes the future incision siteover a period of a few days (for example,8 minutes twice a day) and the cellsshould become more resilient to the

surgery. They are healthier and more effcient metabolically. After surgery, thhealing process begins. The magneti

fields used here enhance the bodycapacity to restore itselfthe vasodilation, the increased circulation to tissuand the increases in RNA and DNA. Ishort, magnetic fields optimize cellulafunction and recovery.

RM: You mentioned the Russian spac

program research earlier. Can we g

back to this?

WP: When I was at the QRS conferencI mentioned earlier, I interviewed thmedical director of the Russian spac

program. He told me that the Russianare beginning to experiment with pulsemagnetic therapy to help cosmonautmaintain their physical integrity durinlong trips in outer space, and overcomwhat have been called space effectsloss o f bone and musc l e mass anchanges in biochemical and some physologic funct ion . At one t ime i t wathought that these effects were solely thresult of spending time in a zero-gravitenvironment. Recent Russian researcsuggests that the absence of a magneti

field in outer space contributes, as welto the space effects.As we learn more about the role o

electromagnetic energy in the humaenvironment, we will surely learn morabout how to enlist it in the healing process. n

To order reprints of this article, write to or ca

Karen Ballen,ALTE RNATIVE & COMP LEMENTARY THERAPIES , Mary Ann Lieber

Inc., 2 Madison Avenue, Larchmont, NY 10531961, (914) 834-3100.


As we learn more about the role of

electromagnetic energy in the human environment,

we will surely learn more about how to enlist it in the healing process.

Magnets, Meridians

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