Many people swear that magnetic bracelets, wraps, insoles and mattresses can relieve pain. But do magnets really help? Our Healthy Skeptic investigates.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
The Claim: Magnets reduce pain.
The idea that magnets can relieve pain has been around for centuries. Today you can find it in the form of magnetic bracelets, necklaces. wraps, insoles and mattress pads, which have attracted lots of dollars but little proof that they really work.
The type we’re talking about are so-called static magnets, the kind on your refrigerator, except stronger.
They’re said to relieve pain by increasing blood flow or affecting nerve cells, though this is just speculation.
As for the evidence, a few studies have found benefits.
For example, one trial of nearly 200 people showed that a magnetic bracelet decreased arthritis pain of the hip and knee more than a non-magnetic bracelet did.
But most studies have failed to show an effect, leading the national institutes of health to conclude that scientific evidence does not support the use of magnets for pain relief.
Part of the reason may be inconsistencies in the way research has been conducted.
Different studies have used different strength magnets, placed in different locations for different lengths of time.
Plus many of the studies have been too small or poorly designed to yield definitive results.
Then again, it may be that magnets simply don’t work and any apparent benefits are due to the so-called placebo effect, the belief that they help.
Whatever the case, magnets should be, at most, an addition to standard care, not a replacement for it.
And they should not be used if you have a pacemaker or other implantable device like an insulin pump, since magnets can interfere with them.
But otherwise magnets are generally considered safe so there’s probably no harm in using them if you think they help. And even if they don’t, they may still attract attention as a fashion statement.
Helping you be a healthy skeptic, Robert Davis.