With the week to week physical toll of playing NRL I’ve learnt that recovery and injury rehabilitation is so important. Being a physiotherapist as well I’m always open minded and willing to try whatever might give me an edge to help with my preparation. I first trialled Q magnets on my lower back where I experienced regular tightness and pain from a long standing disc bulge. I found that my range of motion and pain levels improved when wearing the magnet. Since then I have found them to be effective with many different injuries such as corks, joint pain and muscle tightness. For me, Q magnets have become an important part of my personal recovery and preparation routine each week as well as a treatment modality that I use on clients I treat as a physiotherapist.
The biggest challenge for magnetic therapy today is the market has been flooded with cheap bipolar magnets that for the most part are ineffective. Opportunistic companies have piggy backed off credible research in the 1980’s and 90’s on pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF), multipolar flexible magnets and quadrapolar magnets to sell common bipolar magnets to an unsuspecting public.
Often times the very research these companies use for promotion bring into question the effectiveness of the bipolar magnets they sell. This demonstrates that neither they nor their customers really understand what the scientific literature is telling us about the types of magnetic fields that have a therapeutic effect.
A static magnet requires no external power source and the most common type used therapeutically are the neodymium rare earth magnets. Pulsed electromagnetic fields are generated by passing an electrical current through a coiled or looped wire. While there are positive studies on static bipolar magnets, clinically they are rarely used by health professionals mostly because they are very unreliable. While they might produce a positive outcome for a few patients it’s uncertain how much of this effect is placebo and how much should be attributed to the magnet or the other parts of the treatments that are usually administered.
What’s the deal with the Power Balance Band and are there any similarities with Q magnets? As we explain on our magnetic therapy page, some products claim to influence the energy fields around the body.
There is no research to show that Q magnets affect the body’s energy fields but the original research pioneered by neurologists at Vanderbilt Medical University in the 1990’s does show a credible mechanism of action and a definite therapeutic effect in the treatment of acute, chronic and post-operative pain and chronic dysfunction. This effect is produced by applying the field gradients generated by the Quadrapolar magnets directly over the offending nerves, which interrupts the pain pathway.
The Power Balance Band is used by a number of high profile athletes as too are Q magnets. The key difference being that Q magnets are used by the medical staff of a number of professional teams including the Queensland Reds, Brisbane Lions, Western Force, Fremantle Dockers and highly respected sports physiotherapists such as Peter Stanton. The Brisbane Lions have used Quadrapolar magnets for over 7 years which would hardly be considered a fad.
These Q magnets have turned out to be my saviour. With lupus there are so many connective tissue issues and joint pain you could pop pills or try the magnets. It takes away pain with so little stress or effort, I cannot recommend them highly enough.
Will be ordering a full set next week so I can body map.
Joc Turner. Trinity Beach, Queensland
Over the past 2 years I have suffered with an ongoing Achilles tendon complaint and last time it took 5 months of intense treatment and rest to fully recover. After recently commencing training in Japan for the NTT Shining Arcs Rugby Team the Achilles condition starting to flare up again.
One of my team mates loaned me a Q magnet to trial and I slept with it attached to my Achilles, alternating each leg each night. The difference in pain and range of movement of the treated Achilles compared with the non-treated one each morning was remarkable.
I was happy to give feedback on my use with Q magnets as they have a significant effect in reducing my pain and helping speed up my recovery and best of all are so simple to use.
Craig Wing – Inside Centre for NTT Shining Arcs Rugby Team and former South Sydney Rabbitoh and Kangaroo
To whom it may concern:
At the moment I am using one magnet (a ProQ) from your company and have attached it to my left Achilles tendon; I can walk much better and started dancing again. In the future I will definitely buy more of your magnets, they are far superior to those I have used in the past.
Prof. Dr. Reinhard Bruch
President
Nanoholding, Inc.
Reno, Nevada
As rugby players we come across many types of techniques and theories about recovering from injures. We look for things new and old to assist us in getting back on the paddock week after week. I recently discovered Q magnets while playing for the Western Force in the Super 14 competition. I was surprised and pleased with the results they produced. I have used them for several different injuries. From bruising to joint pain and have been delighted with their effectiveness. Early in the week they were invaluable helping me get into training mode quickly.
I will be returning to Japan soon to carry on my career and will be packing my Q magnets in with the rest of my rugby playing essentials!
David Hill Western Force flyhalf Former NZ All Black
Different disciplines advance through gifted practitioners. One such therapist is Sports Physiotherapist Peter Stanton who was the team physio for the AFL’s Brisbane Lions while they dominated the national competition from 2001-03. Peter has taken a new technology in Q magnets and developed innovative methods to apply them that dramatically enhance the treatment outcomes for athletes.
Below is a short excerpt of an hour in-service DVD of Peter’s assessment and application of Q magnet therapy in treating somatic dysfunction. Using Q magnets as an adjunct in therapy reduces pelvic instability treatment times by at least two weeks and during treatment the athlete is able to maintain much greater levels of activity. By placing the neuromagnetic devices over the correct spinal segments, the athlete is able to perform after treatment without reverting back to their dysfunctional movement patterns.
“We have been using Q magnets at the Queensland Reds for just over a year and have found them an incredibly useful adjunct to the manual and manipulative therapy that we use on players. We particularly use them for the maintenance of various chronic conditions that the players present with. I would highly recommend Q magnets to any clinician for the treatment of a broad range of presenting conditions”.
Geoff Clark – Head Physiotherapist, Queensland Reds.
Steve Sommerfeld is a professional motocross rider and as what would be considered an extreme sport, Steve has presented with a number of injuries that have put the therapeutic properties of Q magnets to their test. Watch this three minute video complete with images of the injuries being discusses.
With the week to week physical toll of playing NRL I’ve learnt that recovery and injury rehabilitation is so important. Being a physiotherapist as well I’m always open minded and willing to try whatever might give me an edge to help with my preparation. I first trialled Q magnets on my lower back where I experienced regular tightness and pain from a long standing disc bulge. I found that my range of motion and pain levels improved when wearing the magnet. Since then I have found them to be effective with many different injuries such as corks, joint pain and muscle tightness. For me, Q magnets have become an important part of my personal recovery and preparation routine each week as well as a treatment modality that I use on clients I treat as a physiotherapist.
