Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Ask the Experts: Magnet therapy attracts folks with aching backs

By Times Staff Writer
Published September 27, 2005

Editor's note: Answers to the "Ask the Experts" column are written by a member of the University of South Florida's Collaborative on Aging, a group of faculty from throughout the university involved in research on aging, ranging from basic science to public policy analysis. Collaborative members have extensive experience providing care for older adults and their families or advising policymakers on improvements in care for older adults.

Readers are invited to submit questions to the COA, but the COA cannot make individual responses. To learn more about the Collaborative on Aging, visit http://aging.cas.usf.edu Submit questions to www.floridian.com or mail them to:

Ask the Experts/Seniority

St. Petersburg Times

P.O. Box 1121

St. Petersburg, FL 33731

Do magnetic patches for the back really work for pain management or are they a hoax? If they work, how do they work and are some better than others?

D.W. - St. Petersburg

Magnet therapy has become a popular approach for a variety of painful conditions. Claims of success are based mainly on user testimonials. While testimonials are important, they are not considered strong scientific evidence for effectiveness because some unmeasured factors may have contributed to the perceived benefit. Also, the people who have not experienced any benefits are never represented in these testimonials.

Magnets come in several varieties - unipolar, bipolar, static and electric. They come in various intensity and configuration. The suggested time of exposure is also variable. It is possible that a certain kind of magnet, used for a certain period of time, can benefit a certain kind of back pain, and this experience may explain some of the powerful testimonials. But, to date, there is no precise, scientific way to predict success or the certainty of relief. Furthermore, using magnets could delay the diagnosis of a condition better managed by more established treatments.

Does that mean that magnets do not work?

Not necessarily. But the hard evidence is not there.

Scientific studies aimed at establishing the effectiveness of a medical treatment are called "randomized clinical trials" (RCTs). In such trials, similar patients are randomly assigned to receive or not receive a treatment, while other variables that could affect the outcome are avoided or monitored. The difference in the results experienced by the patients who have received the treatment compared to the ones who have not is measured. The larger the number of individuals who have participated in the study, the stronger the evidence for effectiveness. When the studies are replicated with the same result, the evidence for effectiveness grows even more impressive.

Unfortunately, there have been no RCTs to demonstrate the beneficial effects of magnet therapy for back pain and only small, single institution studies that have suggested its benefit for other conditions.

Science considers magnet therapy a form of complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM. If you use CAM therapy, it is important to tell your doctor about your decision to use it and the reasons you are doing so because interactions between some forms of CAM and medicines can be harmful. It is also important for your doctor to know what problem led you to seek an alternative form of care, especially if the decision came after dissatisfaction with the care provided by a physician.

Though back pain is one of the more common reasons for visits to doctors' offices and for lost work days, it is usually caused by relatively simple muscular or skeletal conditions that improve with time, heat, cold or simple over-the-counter pain medications. Nonetheless, back pain should not be neglected, to prevent deconditioning, depression and more prolonged disability. If pain persists, the possibility of more serious causes, perhaps even malignancies, should be considered. Whether you choose to use magnets or not, if your back pain does not stop within a few weeks you should consult your doctor.

Dr. Claudia Beghe is Chief of the geriatrics section of the James A. Haley VA Medical Center and associate professor of internal medicine at the University of South Florida. Beghe is board certified in internal medicine and geriatrics.

[Last modified September 26, 2005, 20:31:06]