Magnetic therapy is thought to relieve pain and offer therapeutic aid for many conditions. While "Pulsed" electromagnetic fields have in fact demonstrated in clinical tests to be effective in the treatment of slow healing bone fractures, there are very few studies published to support the often wild claims that magnets can reduce pain, heal or even cure. Static magnets (such that you purchase in a wrist band for example) have never been proven to have any effect on pain or circulation - largly because their strength is so weak that there is little chance that the magnetic force can even penetrate the skin - let alone descend deeper to the circulatory system.
Here is a brief synopsis of pain studies recently executed that showed static magnets are ineffective:
Clinical study at New York College of Podiatric Medicine on patients with heel pain. Over a 4-week period, 19 patients used a molded insole lined with a magnetic foil, the control group of 15 patients wore the same type of insole that was magnet free. 60% reported improvement in both the control and test groups which indicates that there is no difference between those with a magnet and those without.
A study done by the VA Medical Center - Prescott, Arizona: A random, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 20 patients with chronic back pain revealed that there was no difference in either pain or mobility. (http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/283/10/1322)
A Mayo Clinic study of 101 people with heel pain found no difference between the placebo group and the treated group. (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/09/050925152632.htm)
Further, claims that these magnetic fields increase circulation are not theoretically viable. When magnetic therapy magnets are placed against the skin - the area under the magnet should become red if the circulation is indeed enhanced in the area -- it doesn't. Additionally a study that actually measured blood flow involving 12 healthy volunteers who were exposed to either a 1000-gauss magnetic disk or an identical looking disk that was not magnetizedn found no change in the blood flow.
Still - the placebo effect can't be ignored, sane logical people find that when they wear the magnet they feel better - isn't that all you really need?
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