Magnetic (or Magnet) Therapy can be considered as one of the many practices to fall under the category of alternative medicine. What does this mean? Well, that just depends on who you ask. Alternative medicine as a term itself refers to a wide range of treatments and therapies excluded from the well-known practices of Western medicine. The term alone encompasses almost 200 forms of therapy all rooted from different philosophies and ideals based all around the world. In recent years, alternative medicine has certainly picked up in popularity as seen in the 1992 establishment of an Office of Alternative Medicine by the National Institutes of Health.
The beginnings of Magnet Therapy can date back as early as the ancient Egyptian times. It was said to have first been used as far back as 200 B.C. by Chinese healers. They believed that unhealthy balances in the flow of one’s qi (pronounced ‘Chi’) or energy, could be corrected through the use of magnetic ‘lodestones’ on the patient’s body. A myriad of other ancient cultures acknowledged a similar ideal when discovering these lodestones—or magnetic rocks. Given the knowledge (or lack thereof) back then, cultures such as the Greeks, Chinese, and Egyptians all formed some sort of whimsical justification for the stones giving them some variation of superpowers or magical ability. Despite the seemingly bogus beginnings, modern day Western interest was eventually seen in Americans closer to the 1990s, when professional athletes provided testimonies that the therapeutic concept assisted in the recovery of certain practice-related aches and pains.
Simply put, the claim on this specific kind of therapy states that magnetic fields hold the ability to heal in some way, shape, or form. Most commonly associated with the healing of muscle aches, pain, and rigidity, Magnet Therapy is typically described by two theories. The first theory explains nerves in certain painful parts of the body can be stimulated through the use of the slight electric current produced by the magnet. This nervous stimulation then provides a release of our body’s natural painkillers. The second theory covers the idea that magnetic fields both attract and repel the particles in our bloodstream eventually producing heat—with that, our body responds to the increase in circulation and oxygen flow, allowing a sizeable increase in the speed of recovery. This concept has lured in millions of (potentially gullible) individuals from all over the world.
In the scientific and research-based community, Magnetic Therapy is earning a greater sense of acceptance and respect as a potential alternative to Western medicinal pain relief. In 1997, the Baylor College of Medicine held a study observing the use of the alternative therapy on early onset Polio patients. Due to their disease, the patients experienced severe muscle pains that surpassed all ability of standard medical practices. Results of this study included 29 magnetically banded patients and 21 controlled (non-magnetic bands) with 75% of the magnetically banded study pool reporting a significant decrease in pain and discomfort. Since then, more Magnet Therapy studies have taken place testing on patients with a variety of disorders and medical problems such as diabetes, alcoholism, fibromyalgia, and even bipolar disorder.
Several other perspectives have been exercised when reviewing this phenomenon such as that of the well-known Registered Nurse. In the evidence-based article ‘Magnet Therapy: What’s the Attraction?’ a team of RNs worked together to provide a thorough explanation of Magnet Therapy and its involvement in evidence-based studies that could potentially encourage any growth in the topic’s credibility and legitimacy. Viewing this through the RN model delivered a hypothetical understanding of the phenomenon and offered somewhat of a foundation for potential research in the future. Nevertheless, the concept is still very far from being anything even partially regarded as “scientifically supported.” However, there are still several (and pretty undeniable) findings in past studies that should continue to be considered as building blocks to the legitimacy of Magnet Therapy. Despite the ‘proof’ of MT effectiveness with certain conditions, there is still a tremendous need for more scientifically sound experiments, because at the end of the day—despite its global popularity, the practice is still missing a significant amount of supportive and legitimately credible evidence.
The concept of Magnetic Therapy has manifested its way far past the form of an amateur practice and into developed and considerably high-end devices and technology as well. These technologies can be seen in products like neck braces, knee bands, bracelets, and even pillows and mattresses. In the United States alone, the magnetic device industry is worth over $300 million dollars, with over a billion dollars when referring to the global industry. To put internet popularity into perspective, a simple search engine question with the words ‘magnetic’ and ‘healing’ produce over 20,000 results.
Although Magnetic Therapy is mostly associated as an alternative treatment for pain relief, there are other believed uses for the therapeutic process such as depression, anxiety, and cancer. This wide treatment pool has allowed the concept of Magnetic Therapy to evolve tremendously, manifesting itself into a variety of forms such as that of magnet-based drug targeting. The infamously known chemotherapy has been used for hundreds of years to treat vicious cancers and infections in one’s body. In 1996, physicians introduced the concept of magnetic drug targeting in a study to test its ability to reduce the spread of toxic chemicals in the chemotherapy. Results showed that the MTD method allowed for complete remission while under reduced doses.
Now we’ve heard the theories and testimonials, but is there any actual science behind Magnetic Therapy? Well let’s take it back to the most scientific basics of the concept and see if even those maintain some kind of integrity. Do magnets even hold a power to heal at all? Drum roll please…nope! The mechanical makeup behind these Magnetic Therapy devices consists of the basic magnet technology that we are all familiar with (i.e. refrigerator magnets, bumper sticker magnets, etc.) When one refers to the static magnetic force, they’re basically adding fluffy words to help with the overall image of their product and concept. The term ‘static’ in regards to this practice has absolutely no relationship with the idea of static electricity, but rather just the state of being nonmoving. Theoretically speaking, the movement of these magnets could build up electromagnetic fields and radiation and potentially yield some sort of effect on human tissue. However, back to the basics again: a static magnet can only yield a magnetic field which still has no supporting evidence on its ability to significantly affect human tissue in any form.
If there isn’t that much hard evidence, why do we still believe it? The fact of the matter is, we aren’t digging deep and looking harder into these oh-so proving “studies.” On top of that the studies that have been done are only a handful’s worth! The majority of studies done on Magnetic Therapy have involved relatively small participant pools, poor experimenter effects, and practically immeasurable variables. The previously mentioned study by the Baylor College of Medicine is a prime example of these issues. Let’s first look at the sample size: 50 polio patients with no replication done afterwards. Maybe if this was considered an arbitrary study, those numbers would be acceptable, however the Baylor Polio study is one of the most well-know and well-publicized studies done on the topic of Magnetic Therapy.
On the opposing end, there is a much larger and stronger amount of evidence proving the lack of effect in magnetic treatments. The NYU College of Medicine hosted a study over a 4-week period testing the effects of magnetic insoles on the curing of heel pain. 19 patients wore shoes with a magnetic insole and 15 wore shoes with the same insole minus the presence of the magnetic chip. In both test groups, there was a 60% report of improvement in pain; discounting the potential abilities of the magnetic device.
Another study implemented the use of Magnetic Therapy on patients with wrist pain due to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Of the 30 patients studied, 15 were given a magnetic device and 15 were given a placebo. The study concluded that there was no effective ability in treating the pain but suggested to further research still be performed. Needless to say, more studies need to be performed and repeated in order for us to truly understand the potential healing or beneficial effects that Magnetic Therapy can have on our body.