Magnetic bracelets reduce the pain of osteoarthritis (Medical News Today)
17 Dec 2004
Magnetic bracelets reduce pain in osteoarthritis of the hip and knee, finds a
study in this week's Christmas issue of the BMJ.
Osteoarthritis affects around 760,000 people in the United Kingdom, producing
over 3 million general practice consultations in 2000. Manufacturers of magnetic
bracelets claim that they can reduce pain and worldwide sales were estimated at
£2.6bn ($5bn) in 1999. But evidence about their effectiveness is contradictory.
Researchers from the Peninsula Medical School recruited 194 patients aged 45-80
years with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee from five rural general practices
in Devon. Patients wore either a standard strength magnetic bracelet, a weak
magnetic bracelet, or a non-magnetic (dummy) bracelet for 12 weeks. Changes in
pain were recorded using a recognised pain scoring scale.
They found a significant reduction in pain scores between the standard and dummy
magnet groups. The results for the weak magnet group were similar to those of
the dummy magnets, and this suggests that the magnetic strength of the bracelet
is important.
The authors emphasise that the benefits are in addition to existing treatments,
which should not be suddenly stopped without discussion with their doctor. Also
they note that high strength magnets (170mTesla or more) seem to be needed.
Although factors such as use of painkillers and patients' beliefs about the type
of bracelet they were testing did not affect the results, the authors cannot be
certain whether their findings are due to a specific effect of magnets or a
placebo effect. But, whatever the mechanism, the benefit from magnetic bracelets
seems clinically useful.
The (one-off) cost of bracelets (around £30-£50 or $58-$96), also compares well
with that of painkillers, such as paracetamol and anti-inflammatory drugs, and
larger investigations should now test the safety of magnets relative to the
well-known risks of these drugs, they add.
Further work is also needed to replicate these findings and determine whether
the effect extends beyond 12 weeks, they conclude.
Contact:
Hannah Skeggs, Communications Department, Peninsula Medical School, Plymouth, UK
Email: hannah.skeggs@pms.ac.uk
World of Magnets Ltd, 45 Birches Lane, South Wingfield,
Nr Alfreton, Derbyshire. DE55 7LY tel: 0115 8226260/61
magnet therapy is a natural
alternative pain relief treatment for fibromyalgia, gout, arthritis, sciatica and many other chronic
painful conditions.
