| ■ No Evidence That Magnets Ease Pain | 2007.10.01 |
| There is no definitive scientific evidence that magnets help relieve chronic pain, say U.K. researchers who reviewed nine previous studies that compared products with magnets to those with no magnets or very weak ones, CBC News reported. "There is no definite grounds of being absolutely sure that a magnet works or not," said lead author Dr. Max Pittler, a complementary medicine specialist. "The evidence does not support the use of static magnets for pain relief, and therefore magnets cannot be recommended as an effective treatment." The review was published Tuesday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Proponents of magnet therapy -- a huge, lucrative market -- say that a magnetic field increases blood flow, which leads to increased delivery of oxygen, nutrients, hormones and painkilling endorphins to tissues in the affected area, CBC News reported. But Pittler said it would be better for people with pain to use an over-the-counter painkiller such as acetaminophen or ASA or to try a complementary medicine therapy such as acupuncture. |