Do you feel drawn to Magnet Therapy?

Has anyone sworn to you that a magnet in their shoe cured their plantar fasciitis? Has anyone claimed it cured his problem and then tried to sell you one? Magnet enthusiasts, complete with their sales pitch, are popping up all over the place, and if you're a runner, chances are you've met them and heard the claims. Proponents pitch everything from a better night's sleep to faster repair of broken bones to a cure for osteoporosis, heart disease, and cancer. Is there any truth to those claims?

Magnet therapy has been around for centuries in China, India, Egypt, and Greece. In more recent years it has spread west to some European countries, but in North America it is still regarded as alternative medicine (and is one of the therapies being studied by the National Institutes of Health). There is extensive foreign literature on magnet therapy for pain relief and while the quality of the research varies widely, some studies look good.

There have been only a few published studies in the United States. One from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston showed that magnets were more than twice as effective as placebos in treating post-polio, muscular, and arthritic-like pain. Another study from New York Medical College showed good results using magnetic shoe inserts to treat diabetic neuropathy (foot pain some diabetics suffer). Although some US, doctors believe there may be something valid in the use of magnets, many remain legitimately skeptical. American physicians generally want a good, solid base of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center trials clearly demonstrating effectiveness and safety before recommending a therapy to their patients. Even if risks are not a concern (which seems to be true for magnets) the expense can be significant, and even more important, proven treatments may be passed over for an ungrounded hope.

There are many traditional medical therapies that are well accepted by the American medical establishment and yet are not fully understood. Still, it is always nice to have a hunch how a therapy works. Theories abound for magnet therapy, but so far any possible mechanism remains to be proved. There is no shortage of anecdotal claims of success. Anecdotal claims do not constitute conclusive scientific proof, but the absence of side effects or prohibitive cost, lead many people with chronic pain to give it a try.

The good news for anyone who feels drawn to magnets for their own aches and pains--there is very little chance that any unwanted side effects will occur. The down side is that magnets could turn out to be a waste of money, little better than a good luck charm, and some magnetized products can be very expensive. (One catalog listed a magnetic mattress pad for half of a queen-sized bed at $499.00!)

Despite the skeptics, there are many physicians who are beginning to recommend magnet therapy to treat chronic pain and believe there is real potential in doing so, including Ron Lawrence, M.D., Ph.D., a neurologist and Running & FitNews Editorial Board Member. Dr. Lawrence is the President of the North American Academy of Magnetic Therapy and co-author of Magnet Therapy, The Pain Cure Alternative (1998, Prima Publishing, Rocklin, CA, $15.00, 241 pp available from AR&FA at a 20% discount to members). So, if the pull of evidence for magnetic therapy is drawing you in, shop for the best price, but you can certainly give it a try without worrying too much about safety.

(Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 1997, Vol. 78, No. 11, pp. 1200-1203) Trevor Smith, Assistant Editor of the American Medical Athletic Association AMAA Quarterly and former Editor of "Running & FitNews, "contributed to this article.