Modern techniques in medicine are transforming as science blends with health care to produce new, innovative treatment methods. For instance, the inclusion of strong magnets in hospital equipment has produced strategies that help amplify the success of existing solutions. As advances are made, it is becoming easier for physicians to discover noninvasive strategies for healing chronic ailments. For instance, physicians discovered strategies for healing addiction and psychosomatic disorders. Using magnets to curb nicotine addiction According to Steven Reinberg, a reporter for HealthDay News, the desire to quit smoking often requires more than willpower to be successful. Although addiction is typically subjective and often difficult to monitor, the news provider noted that a study conducted by Ben-Gurion University found that thirteen intense, noninvasive treatments that included powerful magnetic fields helped stem cigarette cravings. This technique, which stimulates the brain with repetitive, high-frequency transcranial magnetic forces, imbues the brain with electric impulses. For effective treatment, researcher make sure that participants are aware of the target behavior. To do this, cue cards with an image of lit cigarettes were shown to the control group before stimulation. As a result, these participants displayed the best results, reported the news provider. "If you stimulate regions in the brain that are associated with cravings for drugs, you can change the circuitry in the brain that mediates this dependence and eventually reduce smoking," lead researcher Abraham Zangen, associate professor at Ben-Guirion University, told the source. "And many of those treated [stopped] smoking." The process is also relatively simple. Magnetic coils, with the same attractive properties found in block magnets or bar magnets, are fitted inside helmets that the patients wear during treatment. Then, because of the placement of the apparatus, the prefrontal cortex and the insula receive high-frequency stimulation. According to the source, the side effects of the procedure were minimal. Patients suffered from headaches and muscle twitching, but with continued applications of the treatment, the symptoms ceased. For patients to see the continued benefits of these treatments, The Guardian reported that it's unclear whether prolonged exposure to the treatments will be necessary. As the repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) supplies the brain with the same impulses that yielding to cravings provides, the ongoing success of this strategy is still uncertain until there are more trials. Furthermore, HealthDay noted that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved rTMS as a solution for cigarette addiction. Additionally, the company Zerosmoke sells two small magnets that are supposed to be placed on on each side of your upper ear to hit a pressure point to help people stop smoking. When the two magnets squeeze this particular pressure point, it releases endorphins, feel-good chemicals that could reduce nicotine cravings. It's a similar concept to acupressure. While there isn't scientific evidence behind this idea, some have found success with this product. Magnetic impulses used in the fight against eating disorders Alan Mozes, another reporter for HealthDay, reported that rTMS is also useful in the ongoing battle against eating disorders. By utilizing the same noninvasive techniques, physicians can treat individuals afflicted with anorexia or bulimia. Physicians can do this by focusing the magnetic impulses with different cues. Additionally, rather than providing stimulation that mimics addiction, rTMS can reduce the desire to binge by diminishing activity in these areas of the brain. "[We] think that maybe if we change the stimulation target for these patients, and change it to inhibit rather than excite stimulation, we might ultimately be able to help even these patients," said Dr. Jonathan Downar, scientist in the department of psychiatry at the University of Health Network in Toronto. The source also noted that these therapies are still largely experimental. However, more patients are responding well than are experiencing no results at all. As the treatment advances, different strategies are designed to increase and lower frequency strength. This means that the treatment can be used which is a method of dosage monitoring. Discover More With Apex Magnets Want to stay up-to-date on the latest magnetic discoveries? Sign up for our newsletter to get these stories and more sent straight to your inbox each month.