Magnet Therapy
Magnets produce a type of energy known as a magnetic field. There are two types of magnets: static and electromagnetic. Static magnets, which are the most commonly marketed magnets touted to have health benefits, produce an unchanging magnetic field. Electromagnets produce a changing magnetic field when electric current is passed through them.
For centuries, magnets have been used in an effort to treat pain. There are numerous accounts of shepherds, Greek physicians, and doctors from the Middle Ages using magnets to treat arthritis, gout, and other maladies. The interest in magnets to cure ailments has lasted into the twentieth and twenty-first centuries and has become big business. It is estimated that Americans spend $500 million each year on magnets to treat pain. Worldwide, the estimate leaps to $5 billion spent on magnets.
Fact
Scientific research hasn't concluded that magnets relieve pain despite what the marketing campaigns claim. The FDA also hasn't approved the marketing of magnets that make health claims. In recent years, the FDA and FTC have cracked down on magnet manufacturers and distributors that made health claims.
Theories abound about how magnets might work. These include the idea that static magnets may change cell function, magnets may restore the balance between cell death and growth, and static magnets may increase blood flow and increase oxygen to tissues.
There's also the theory that pulsed electromagnets may alter the brain's perception of pain and electromagnets may affect the production of white blood cells that fight infection and inflammation.
Static magnets are placed on the skin or under clothing so they make contact with the body. Studies of magnets to relieve pain have been too small, not long enough, or lacked a placebo or control group for comparison. There is a need for more rigorous studies of magnets for arthritis-related conditions.
Electromagnets were FDA approved in 1979 to treat bone fractures that had not healed. Researchers have studied the use of electromagnets for knee osteoarthritis and other painful conditions. They haven't been approved for this use and are still considered experimental. If you are going to try magnets, notify your doctor.
Essential
In studies that did show some benefit to using magnets, the improvement occurred quickly. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine suggests buying magnets with a thirty-day money back guarantee and returning them if you don't notice any benefit in one or two weeks.
