The protocol treating ADHD with magnets was first described by Dr. Michael Smith from the Lincoln hospital in New York in the first issue of clinical acupuncture and oriental medicine (vol. 1, no. 1).
A type of magnetic bead or “ear magnet seeds” is commonly used to apply pressure to the surface of the ear using tape. This bead is a round metallic object that is covered with gold. The sensation of Qi is produced when the bead is applied.
This location is above the superior end of the “depression groove”. One can frequently observe distended veins, moderate erythemia, and poor skin tone at this location suggesting a need for tonification treatment. These magnetic pellets merely rest in place; they do not need to be pressed or manipulated. The magnetic pellets must be replaced whenever the adhesiveness of the tape becomes inadequate or once per week. Treatment is more or less continuous for the duration of the patient’s problem but on average it takes a minimum of 22 weeks to see permanent results.
In 2000, a clinical trial was conducted at two child psychiatric clinics in Morrisania and Lincoln hospitals. The procedure was performed by a team of psychiatrists and psychologists.
The participants, who were between the ages of 6 and 12, were selected for the study due to their severe symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder. Although many of them were on medication, none of them were able to successfully respond to the treatment. They were randomly assigned into 2 separate treatment groups.
The two groups were then divided into two. The first group received an experimental treatment and the second group was given a placebo. Both conditions involved the application of a small patch on the back of the ear.
The first group was given a magnetized acupressure patch, while the second group was given a placebo. The patches were placed on the ear using a plain adhesive patch.
After a week, the patch’s placement was checked to ensure that it was placed properly. The participants were also asked to complete a self-report questionnaire at the end of the treatment.
The results of the study revealed that the parents’ and teachers’ connors were not sufficiently blinded. The rating questionnaire was also difficult to complete. Only 32 of the 48 participants completed the teacher connors. The study was only able to compare the results of the two groups since the subjects were blinded to the nature of the treatment. During the first three weeks of the study, the parents were not able to fully observe the alternative treatment.
The results of the study indicated that the patch ‘significantly improved the participants’ scores on the teacher and parents’ connors tests.
Jim Dolan, who is an occupational therapist at a special public school in Manhattan, reports using the Lincoln protocol on a 16 years old down’s syndrome girl with nystagmus. The patient had great trouble sitting still and focusing because of her rapid eye movement. The self-portrait (Fig. 2 – After) patient was asked to draw a self-portrait (Fig. 1 – Before) several months before the magnetic pellets were placed on her ears. Prior to treatment the patient was observed to be “mopey, not focusing, and keeping her head down on the desk. Five days after the bead treatment the patient seemed to be focusing more clearly. She was asked to draw another . The contrast of these two drawings is quite striking. It may be an accurate indication of a treatment-related effect on this girl’s nystagmus.
Warren Whitfield who is the founder of NADA SA as well as Acudetox Clinics SA & Acudetox Academy Online has experienced significant results in treating children from 5 – 13 years old using the protocol developed at Lincoln. He was also fortunate to have studied and qualified there under Smiths’s guidance.
Whitfield also developed the online practitioner course which includes training on using the magnet protocol from Lincoln. For those who prefer being trained in person one-on-one, there is the In Person course option which also includes all of the online training material (only provided in Midrand Johannesburg once a month).