Magnetic therapy is now one of the most popular alternative medicines - up to 100 million people practice it.

Magnets have always been used to promote health. Cleopatra wore jewellery charged with magnetism and Queen Elizabeth 1 is said to have used magnets to ease her arthritis and it hasn't gone out of fashion. People who practice magnetic therapy claim that it's a natural and simple way of making you feel better, quicker. They say it works on colds and flu, stress, arthritis and rheumatism, headaches, muscle strain, period pain and several chronic skin diseases.

Recently, on an independent trial with magnetic-based therapy, to ease period pain, scientists found 66% of those needed a lot less pain relief when using magnetic therapy.