Magnetic Therapy shows value for pain relief and healing

Chinese doctors believed in the therapeutic value of magnets at least 2,000 years ago. In the United States properly designed clinical trials of magnets suggested that magnetic therapy may indeed offer therapeutic benefits. These findings have escalated research interest in magnetic therapy.

Magnetic Therapy has become a widely used complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of vascular as well as other musculoskeletal pathologies including soft tissue injuries.

We refer to magnetic therapy to the use of magnets placed directly on, over or under regions of pain. Magnets are usually encased in specially designed products such as belts, car seat cushions, wraps, mattress pads and magnetic pillows. Magnets come in various strengths measured by gauss. A refrigerator magnet is around 200 gauss and therapy magnets usually measure in the range of 400 to 800 gauss, although some employ significantly higher gauss. More complex magnetic therapy devices have also been studied for use in doctor' offices and hospitals.

While more studies need to be done, there is some mounting evidence that magnetic therapy can provide pain relief and assist in healing. Whether direct or indirect, this evidence warrants some attention and consideration.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: A study in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2001;82:1453–1460 showed after 1 week of magnetis therapy, 68% of the participants reported relief, compared to 27% in the control group. This difference was statistically significant. Two out of four other subjective measurements of disease severity also showed statistically significant improvements. This study suggests that magnetic therapy may reduce the pain of rheumatoid arthritis without altering actual inflammation.

Post Polio Syndrome: In Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 1997;78:1200–1203, a study found evidence that magnets are effective for relieving pain. The magnetic therapy was placed on trigger points which are sore areas within muscle that cause referred pain in other areas. In the magnetic therapy group, 76% reported improvement, compared to 19% in the control group.

Fibromyalgia: Another study in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2001;82:1453–1460, people with fibromyalgia were treated with magnetic therapy mattress pads. On average, participants in all groups showed improvement over the 6 months of the study. Participants in the treatment groups showed a trend toward greater improvement suggesting that magnetic therapy mattress pads might be helpful for fibromyalgia.

Another study in the Journal of Back Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation 1999;13:19–31 of women with fibromyalgia found significant improvement with magnetic therapy. Women slept on magnetic therapy mattress pads every night for 4 months. Participants sleeping on the magnetic therapy mattress pads experienced significant pain relief and reduced along with significant improvement in sleep and physical functioning.

Peripheral Neuropathy: In the American Journal of Pain Management 1999;9:8–17 A study of people with peripheral neuropathy found a significant reduction in symptoms. Reduction in the symptoms of burning, numbness, and tingling were especially marked in those cases of neuropathy associated with diabetes. The same researchers did a study pulishes in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2003;84:736-746, indicated that magnetic therapy reduced such symptoms as burning pain, numbness, tingling, and exercise induced pain.

In the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 1999;104:2261–2266, a study looked at the effect of magnetic therapy on healing after plastic surgery. The treatment group experienced statistically significant pain relief, reduction of swelling and discoloration on postoperative days 1 through 4.

Low Back Pain and Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A study in Environmental Medecine 1991;8:24–30 of people with knee or back pain showed that use of magnetic therapy was associated with improvements. Benefits were also seen in a trial published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 2002;8:50–55, where people with chronic knee pain who used magnetic therapy.

Osteoarthritis: A study in British Medical Journal 2004;329:1450-4 found that use of magnetic therapy reduced osteoarthritis pain in the hip and knee.

Pelvic Pain: A study in Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2002;187:1581 1587 found some evidence of benefit after 4 weeks of treatment and a study in Journal of Athletic Training 2006;33:150-155, found possible evidence of benefit form magnetic therapy in menstrual pain relief.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A study in Journal of Family Practice 2002;51:38–40, found that a single treatment with magnetic therapy produced dramatic and long lasting benefits.

Recently, a study in the Journal of Applied Physiology 2007;0:01133.2006v1, indicated exposure to magnetic therapy can alter microvascular remodeling response to mechanical injury, supporting further study of long term application of magnetic therapy for the therapeutic treatment of vascular pathologies. In Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine 2007;26(1):1-23, "There is increasing interest in using permanent magnets for therapeutic purposes encouraged by basic science publications and clinical reports. Magnetotherapy provides a non invasive, safe, and easy method to directly treat the site of injury, the source of pain and inflammation, and other types of disease".

Safety Issues: In general magnetic therapy is safe. MRI machines expose the body to huge magnetic field and investigation has found no evidence of harm. One study in the Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation 1999;13:19–31, participants slept on a magnetic therapy mattress pad every night for 4 months with no side effects. Additionally, a safety study in the Journal of Biological Psychiatry 2001;49:615–623, found no evidence of harm. One study in Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology 2000;23:723, found that with the exception of magnetic therapy mattresses and mattress pads, most magnets sold for therapeutic purposes do not interfere with the magnetically activated switches present in most pacemakers. Magnetic therapy mattress pads can deactivate and alter the function of pacemakers, but other therapeutic magnets are safe if kept 6 inches or further from these devices. There are theoretical concerns that magnets might be risky for people with epilepsy. Similarly, until the physiological effects of magnet treatments are better understood, pregnant women should avoid them.