Alternative and Complementary
Using Magnets for Pain
There is a lot of information on the Web about various "cure alls" for chronic pain. Some treatments may have benefits while others may not. One such therapy – applying magnets to various areas on the body to treat pain – has been used for centuries. According to a study published in JAMA in 2004, Americans spend an estimated $500 million per year on magnets to treat pain.1 There is little research, however, on the effectiveness of magnets in treating pain. "What little research is available suggests that magnets are of little clinical benefit for individuals with chronic pain conditions," says Todd Sitzman, MD, MPH, medical director for the Center for Pain Medicine in Hattiesburg, Miss. "Consequently, magnet therapy for chronic pain remains a controversial topic."
Magnets produce a specific type of energy called a magnetic field. Most magnets sold to consumers are "static" magnets, meaning they have an unchanged magnetic field.2 Electromagnets, unlike static magnets, only generate a magnetic field when electricity is applied. Electromagnets are used in health care, but usually only under the supervision of a health care provider or in clinical trials.3 No one is sure how magnets may work. Some researchers theorize that magnets may change how cells function; others suggest that magnets may change the brain's perception of pain or may affect how cells respond to pain.4 Another theory is that because blood contains iron, it may act as a conductor when magnets are applied. According to this theory, increased blood flow results in increased flow of oxygen and nutrients to tissues.5
In one randomized, clinical trial, researchers from Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Prescott, Ariz., examined the effectiveness of magnet therapy in chronic back pain, and found no effect when compared with placebo.4 "With diabetic peripheral neuropathy, the story is different," says Dr. Sitzman. Researchers from the department of neurology at New York Medical College conducted a scientific trial and found that, after three months of use, magnets reduced diabetic peripheral neuropathy symptoms, such as burning, numbness, and tingling, by 10% compared with 3% in the placebo group.5 Dr. Sitzman says that, "Although the study reports a statistically significant magnet effect over time – three to four months – for practical purposes this is of little clinical benefit."
Magnet manufacturers may claim that magnets work miracles, but such reports are unsubstantiated. Patients and physicians also have shared their experiences with magnets – some have had success while others have not. Dr. Michael Loes, director of the Arizona Pain Institute, says he has used magnets in his practice with mixed results. "They helped pain, especially myofascial pain, for some patients when used in conjunction with acupuncture. This effect could be augmented with an acupressure effect – that is, pushing on them a lot during the day," says Dr. Loes. "Bottom line: Don't discard this type of therapy. Seek to understand it. Remember, when the idea of MRIs were born...the initials stand for "magnetic resonance imaging," says Dr. Loes. However, as Dr. Rollin Gallagher, editor of the National Pain Foundation, points out, "Most patients with pain have undergone multiple MRIs. There is no evidence that this extremely strong magnetic field has benefited patients with pain. Magnets appear to have a strong positive placebo effect on pain, which is a very real and important effect."
For more information about magnets, visit http://nccam.nih.gov/health/magnet/magnetsforpain.htm.
Magnets produce a specific type of energy called a magnetic field. Most magnets sold to consumers are "static" magnets, meaning they have an unchanged magnetic field.2 Electromagnets, unlike static magnets, only generate a magnetic field when electricity is applied. Electromagnets are used in health care, but usually only under the supervision of a health care provider or in clinical trials.3 No one is sure how magnets may work. Some researchers theorize that magnets may change how cells function; others suggest that magnets may change the brain's perception of pain or may affect how cells respond to pain.4 Another theory is that because blood contains iron, it may act as a conductor when magnets are applied. According to this theory, increased blood flow results in increased flow of oxygen and nutrients to tissues.5
In one randomized, clinical trial, researchers from Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Prescott, Ariz., examined the effectiveness of magnet therapy in chronic back pain, and found no effect when compared with placebo.4 "With diabetic peripheral neuropathy, the story is different," says Dr. Sitzman. Researchers from the department of neurology at New York Medical College conducted a scientific trial and found that, after three months of use, magnets reduced diabetic peripheral neuropathy symptoms, such as burning, numbness, and tingling, by 10% compared with 3% in the placebo group.5 Dr. Sitzman says that, "Although the study reports a statistically significant magnet effect over time – three to four months – for practical purposes this is of little clinical benefit."
Magnet manufacturers may claim that magnets work miracles, but such reports are unsubstantiated. Patients and physicians also have shared their experiences with magnets – some have had success while others have not. Dr. Michael Loes, director of the Arizona Pain Institute, says he has used magnets in his practice with mixed results. "They helped pain, especially myofascial pain, for some patients when used in conjunction with acupuncture. This effect could be augmented with an acupressure effect – that is, pushing on them a lot during the day," says Dr. Loes. "Bottom line: Don't discard this type of therapy. Seek to understand it. Remember, when the idea of MRIs were born...the initials stand for "magnetic resonance imaging," says Dr. Loes. However, as Dr. Rollin Gallagher, editor of the National Pain Foundation, points out, "Most patients with pain have undergone multiple MRIs. There is no evidence that this extremely strong magnetic field has benefited patients with pain. Magnets appear to have a strong positive placebo effect on pain, which is a very real and important effect."
For more information about magnets, visit http://nccam.nih.gov/health/magnet/magnetsforpain.htm.
References
- M H Winemiller et al, "Effect of magnetic vs sham-magnetic insoles on plantar heel pain: A randomized controlled trial," JAMA 291 (Jan 7, 2004) 46.
- "Research report: Questions and answers about using magnets to treat pain," Available from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/magnet/magnet.htm
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
- E A Collacott et al, "Biopolar permanent magnets for the treatment of chronic low back pain: A pilot study,"" JAMA 283 (March 8, 2000) 1322-1325.
- M I Weintraub et al, "Static magnetic field therapy for symptomatic diabetic neuropathy: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial," Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 84 (May 2003) 736-746.