Magnet therapy has been long popular in Japan, and has recently entered main-stream consciousness in the United States for its ability to possibly treat chronic pain and/or emotional disorders.
For mood disorders, magnet therapy involves applying low-frequency magnetic pulses to the brain. rTMS has been investigated for treating emotional illnesses and other conditions that originate in the brain. The results of preliminary studies have been generally promising.
A special form of magnet therapy, called rTMS, has shown some promise for bipolar disorder.9
The administering of magnets on the wrists is thought to possibly help in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome.
The term magnet therapy usually refers to the use of static magnets placed directly on the body, generally over regions of pain. Static magnets are either attached to the body by tape or encapsulated in specially designed products such as belts, wraps, or mattress pads. Static magnets are also sometimes known as permanent magnets.
In the one reported double, placebo-controlled study of magnet therapy for carpal tunnel syndrome, 30 people with the health challenge received treatment with either a real or a fake static magnet.7 Dramatic, long-lasting benefits were seen with the magnet treatment. However, identical, dramatic long-lasting benefits were seen with placebo treatment as well! In two more small randomized trials, researchers again found that there were no differences between the treatment and the placebo groups. Both groups experienced an improvement in carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms.13-14
Interestingly, the fact that the placebo group was found to have equally effective results does not undermine the efficacy of the treatment - in fact, it raises the question whether simply having a practitioner take the time to administer a particular treatment makes the treatment effective. Perhaps it is less about the modality/treatment chosen, and more about the care brought to the therapy by the practitioner. Traditional scientific study does not, by-and-large, support the idea that the patient/practitioner connection or relationship might in fact be a major part of the healing/treatment that occurs; but in fact, this connection might be just as, if not more, important than the actual treatment in some cases.
The administering of magnets on the wrists is thought to possibly help in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome.
A double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial of 54 people with knee or back pain compared a complex static magnet array against a sham magnet array.18 Participants used either the real or sham device for 24 hours; then, after a 7-day rest period, they used the opposite therapy for another 24 hours. Evaluations showed that use of the real magnet was associated with greater improvements than the sham treatment.
Benefits were also seen in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 43 people with chronic knee pain who used fairly high-power but otherwise ordinary static magnets continuously for 2 weeks.19
And, in another placebo-controlled trial, the use of a magnetic knee wrap for 12 weeks was associated with a significant increase in quadriceps (thigh muscle) strength in patients with knee osteoarthritis.20
A double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study of 20 people who had chronic low back pain for at least 6 months' duration failed to find any evidence of benefit.21 However, the alternating pole magnet used in this study produced a very weak magnetic field.
Another study found hints of benefit that failed to reach statistical significance.22 In a double-blind study of 101 people with chronic neck and shoulder pain, use of a magnetic necklace failed to prove more effective than placebo treatment.23 Another study failed to find magnetic insoles helpful for heel pain.24
Long popular in Japan, magnet therapy has entered public awareness in the United States, stimulated by golfers and tennis players extolling the virtues of magnets in the treatment of sports-related injuries. Magnetic knee, shoulder, and ankle pads, as well as insoles and mattress pads, are widely available and are touted as providing myriads of myriad healing benefits.
Despite this enthusiasm, as yet there is little scientific evidence to support the use of magnets for any medical condition. However, some small studies completed in the last few years suggest that various forms of magnet therapy might have a therapeutic effect in certain conditions. More studies are underway.
Long popular in Japan, magnet therapy has entered public awareness in the United States, stimulated by golfers and tennis players extolling the virtues of magnets in the treatment of sports-related injuries. Magnetic knee, shoulder, and ankle pads, as well as insoles and mattress pads, are widely available and are touted as providing myriad healing benefits.
