PRODUCT WATCH
Magnetic bracelets: Powerful or placebo?

By Jodi Mailander Farrell
February 15, 2005

Product: Magnetic bracelet, $10-$70, sold at golf shops,
flea markets, drugstores and magnet-makers' Web sites.

Key ingredients: Stainless steel accented with gold plating;
contains two magnets inside the balls at each end. Medical
magnets vary in strength from 300 to 5,000 gauss.
(Refrigerator magnets range from 35 to 200 gauss.) Magnets
marketed to treat pain are static (or permanent) magnets,
with unchanging magnetic fields.  They're different from
the electromagnets (which generate magnetic fields when
electrical current flows through them) that doctors used
to speed the healing of bone fractures.

The pitch: Provides relief from a wide range of diseases
and conditions, including pain, respiratory problems, high
blood pressure, circulatory problems, arthritis, rheumatism
and stress.

How it works: Unproven theories include the belief that
static magnets change how cells function and help balance
cell death and growth. Others believe that static magnets
increase the flow of blood, increasing delivery of oxygen
and nutrients to tissues.

Pros: Some people have reported pain relief from wearing
magnets.  Studies are examining magnets' impact on fibro-
myalgia pain, migraine pain and Parkinson's disease.

Cons: Some researchers suggest a placebo effect could be
responsible for pain relief. The Food and Drug
Administration has not approved the marketing of magnets
with health benefit claims. Magnets should not be used by
pregnant women or people who use a medical device such as
a pacemaker, defibrillator or insulin.

Bottom line: Research so far does not firmly support claims
that magnets are effective for pain treatment. In studies
showing benefits, the relief generally occurs quickly. The
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
advises that if you buy magnetic jewelry, make sure there
is a 30-day return policy and return the product if you
don't get satisfactory results within two weeks.