A personal experience with Q magnets from John Kelly, an optometrist from Brisbane, Australia.
By John Kelly, Brisbane
For the past 36 years, I’ve lived with chronic migraines—24/7, ebbing and flowing, but always there, a constant presence. Some days are worse than others, but every morning, without fail, I wake up with pain.
In my case, the headaches are worse if I lie down. I’m unsure why. Sleeping in makes the headache worse. They’re also worse if I don’t get at least 6.5 hours of sleep. Counter-intuitively, lifting weights helps—perhaps due to the release of endorphins. So, for the last 9 years, I have been up at 5 am lifting weights seven days a week.
The headaches are worse, or more apparent, when I have nothing to distract me. Work is excellent at taking my mind off myself. Holidays don’t help. Stress seems to exacerbate them, but paradoxically, some of the worst episodes occur when I’m most relaxed.
The intensity often peaks at a 7 (pain scale), sometimes climbing to an 8 or higher as the day progresses. Over the years, I’ve tried nearly every treatment imaginable: physiotherapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, neurotomies (nerve-burning procedures), various medications including Maxalt wafers, beta blockers, newer injectables like Emgality and Aimovig, TENS devices like Cefaly, amitriptyline (Endep), and Botox injections. Each solution fell short, leaving me mostly with pain and side effects.
Eventually, I settled on a combination of Botox, Endep, and painkillers, reducing the pain to a tolerable level (around a 3). I could function but my overall quality of life suffered. The side effects—exhaustion from Endep and unwanted effects from Panadeine Forte—were difficult to ignore. Then last year, amid one of my worst periods, something remarkable happened.
Surprisingly, I had owned quadrapolar magnets longer than my migraines but never found relief from them. Despite their effectiveness for other conditions, they never seemed to help my headaches. Out of sheer desperation, I stumbled upon the smallest Q6-1.5 magnets, previously overlooked for their size, and applied them to the GB20 pressure points at the base of my skull.
To my utter amazement, they worked immediately.
The pain wasn’t entirely gone, but significantly reduced. As someone skeptical of placebo effects, confirmed by my neurologist, I was genuinely shocked. These small magnets, appearing so inconsequential, transformed my pain management.
I ordered more magnets to experiment further but repeatedly returned to the GB20 points with the smallest magnet, Q6-1.5, as the most effective placement. Pain levels dropped consistently to a 1 or 2. When I wake up, the pain is still around a 3 or 4, but placing a QF-203 magnet on my forehead overnight significantly reduces morning pain intensity. Even on bad days, like today, the magnets notably improve my condition.
While I still use Endep, Cefaly, Botox, and Panadeine Forte, Q Magnets have provided comparable or greater relief. I’m continuing to experiment with placements, but Q Magnets have undeniably given me renewed hope.
Interestingly, smaller magnets seem more effective than larger ones, possibly due to reduced mechanical irritation or more precise therapeutic dosing. This aligns with medical principles—finding the right balance is crucial.
Ultimately, my experience has validated that quadrapolar magnets possess genuine therapeutic power comparable to pharmaceuticals. Q Magnets now have a permanent role in my migraine management routine.
Chronic headaches are complex, and incremental improvements of 5-10% relief are realistic and valuable. Although Q Magnets haven’t cured me, they consistently provide solid relief—occasionally up to 30%.
Practically, I even adapted my hairstyle for easier access to magnet placements, and my wife assists by applying eyelash glue, lasting about five days.
My advice: Bigger isn’t always better. If your magnetic therapy hasn’t worked previously, reconsider with smaller magnets, focusing on incremental improvements. Perhaps try lifting weights instead of lying down. Above all, embrace stoicism—it’s been more helpful to me than any singular treatment.
— John Kelly
