J. P. Gilliver (John)
2019-11-27 00:12:02 UTC
Do anyrats know anything about Tourmaline/magnetic products for medical
purposes - or self-heating products?
My friend has asked me to get her some "Tourmaline socks" for Christmas.
I've ordered them as they'll make her happy, but I must say they seem to
be the worst sort of quack medical/pseudoscience, that presses all my
buttons (the bad ones). An example of the socks:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Liamostee-Tourmaline-Magnetic-Self-Heating-Therapy/dp/B07PM777GP
The same sort of thing seems to be made into belts, neck braces, and so
on. Sold mainly as pain-relief, with a side order of "self-heating",
especially the socks. The products have tourmalines and magnets in them.
They have no battery or similar power source, so basic physics tells me
they don't _create_ heat ("FIR" - far infrared - or otherwise!). [The
only way I can think of for them to _generate_ heat would be if they are
radioactive, and anything that is radioactive would be dangerous -
especially if worn touching the skin! - at much lower levels than
required to be feelable as warm!] As far as I can tell, tourmaline
itself is just a boron silicate mineral, which when it contains assorted
other materials takes on various colours, and makes common gemstones (I
mean they're not expensive).
Reading some of the amazon customer reviews (for the back and belt
product), it seems they _do_ get warm (some say too hot!) _when worn_.
It seems they do this by stimulating blood flow - so the heat is not
coming from the product, but the wearer's own body heat; it also seems
that it's the magnets, not the tourmaline stones, that have the effect
(some of the reviews say as much). [There may be some benefit - despite
the snake-oil! - from _that_ effect; heat often does ease some pains.]
Wikipedia on Tourmaline makes no mention of either medical or
"self-heating" properties/uses; NICE is mute on the matter; the (US) FDA
seems to be too.
purposes - or self-heating products?
My friend has asked me to get her some "Tourmaline socks" for Christmas.
I've ordered them as they'll make her happy, but I must say they seem to
be the worst sort of quack medical/pseudoscience, that presses all my
buttons (the bad ones). An example of the socks:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Liamostee-Tourmaline-Magnetic-Self-Heating-Therapy/dp/B07PM777GP
The same sort of thing seems to be made into belts, neck braces, and so
on. Sold mainly as pain-relief, with a side order of "self-heating",
especially the socks. The products have tourmalines and magnets in them.
They have no battery or similar power source, so basic physics tells me
they don't _create_ heat ("FIR" - far infrared - or otherwise!). [The
only way I can think of for them to _generate_ heat would be if they are
radioactive, and anything that is radioactive would be dangerous -
especially if worn touching the skin! - at much lower levels than
required to be feelable as warm!] As far as I can tell, tourmaline
itself is just a boron silicate mineral, which when it contains assorted
other materials takes on various colours, and makes common gemstones (I
mean they're not expensive).
Reading some of the amazon customer reviews (for the back and belt
product), it seems they _do_ get warm (some say too hot!) _when worn_.
It seems they do this by stimulating blood flow - so the heat is not
coming from the product, but the wearer's own body heat; it also seems
that it's the magnets, not the tourmaline stones, that have the effect
(some of the reviews say as much). [There may be some benefit - despite
the snake-oil! - from _that_ effect; heat often does ease some pains.]
Wikipedia on Tourmaline makes no mention of either medical or
"self-heating" properties/uses; NICE is mute on the matter; the (US) FDA
seems to be too.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)***@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
I hate people who quote Shakespeare at you but are proud that they can't add
up. Stupid People. - Carol Vorderman (Radio Times, 1-7 March 2003)
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)***@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
I hate people who quote Shakespeare at you but are proud that they can't add
up. Stupid People. - Carol Vorderman (Radio Times, 1-7 March 2003)