Magnet therapy

Magnet therapy is a type of alternative medicine that involves the use of static magnetic fields. Proponents claim that subjecting certain parts of the body to magnetostatic fields produced by permanent magnets has beneficial health effects. These physical and biological claims are unproven and no effects on health or healing have been established. Although hemoglobin, the blood protein that carries oxygen, is weakly diamagnetic (when oxygenated) or paramagnetic (when deoxygenated) the magnets used in magnetic therapy are many orders of magnitude too weak to have any measurable effect on blood flow.

History

Magnet therapy has a long history, with the ancient Egyptians and Greeks reportedly using them to treat various ailments. The practice fell out of favor for many centuries, but has seen a resurgence in recent years, particularly in the United States and Japan.

Mechanism of action

The exact mechanism by which magnet therapy might work is not known. Proponents suggest that magnets might improve blood flow, increase cellular respiration, or decrease pain. However, these claims are not supported by scientific evidence.

Scientific evaluation

Numerous rigorous studies have been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of magnet therapy for various conditions. The consensus of this research is that magnet therapy has no proven benefits and is considered pseudoscientific. Several studies, including randomized controlled trials, have found no difference in effect between magnets and placebo for relief of pain.

Regulatory issues

In the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not recognize magnet therapy as a legitimate medical treatment. In addition, marketing claims that magnets have health benefits constitute illegal, unproven health claims in the U.S.

See also

• Alternative medicine
• Pseudoscience
• Magnetic field
• Placebo effect