i'm not promoting them.  i don't use them.  i'm simply offering
current views about magnets . . .

     Answer (Published 05/06/2005)

     You probably heard about a study in England that showed that magnetic
bracelets provided pain relief for patients with arthritis of the hip and
knee that was comparable to such treatment as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs (including COX-2 inhibitors such as Celebrex and the
recently-withdrawn Vioxx). A group of researchers in Devon, England tested
magnets on 194 patients between the ages of 45 and 80. The patients were
randomly assigned to wear bracelets with standard field strength of 170 to
200 mTesla , a magnet with a weaker field strength of 21 to 30 mTesla, or a
look-alike non-magnetic bracelet.

     Results showed that the average score on a pain scale index called the
Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis lower limb pain
scale (WOMAC A) dropped 2.9 points among the patients wearing the standard
magnet. The change among those wearing the dummy bracelet was 1.6 points.
The researchers found no statistically significant difference in pain relief
between those wearing the standard and weak magnetic bracelets. They said
this might have been due to the fact that the weak bracelets were found to
range in magnetic strength to as high as 196.

     Earlier studies have suggested that magnets may help relieve the pain
of other conditions. The best known study took place in
     1997 at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. It showed that 76
percent of patients with severe joint and muscle pain due to post-polio
syndrome reported less pain with magnet therapy, compared to only 19 percent
of those who received placebo treatment.

     While the new study from England is encouraging, I'm sure it won't be
the last word on whether or not magnets offer dependable pain relief for
osteoarthritis. All told, the studies showing that magnets help with pain
relief are outnumbered by those that find no helpful effects. I've
recommended trying magnetic insoles for foot pain (plantar fasciitis) - they
seem to work for some people. You should be aware, however, that using
magnets is not risk-free, particularly if you have a pacemaker or other
implantable medical device such as a defibrillator, insulin pump, or liver
infusion pump. We have no proof that magnet therapy is safe during
pregnancy, and there have been anecdotal reports of dizziness, nausea and
prolongation of wound healing and bleeding among people wearing magnets.
They also can get quite expensive, especially if you buy them from
multi-level marketing companies and in forms other than bracelets (blankets
and mattress pads, for instance). Be careful and don't wear out your wallet.

     Andrew Weil, M.D.

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