Magnets Don’t Fight Pain, Study Shows

Magnets don't fight the pain of arthritis or fibromyalgia, according to a new review of research.

Researchers say magnets for pain are a multibillion dollar industry and have been incorporated into arm and leg wraps, mattress pads, necklaces, shoe inserts, and bracelets. They are marketed for reducing pain from a variety of causes, and one survey showed up to 28% of people with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, or fibromyalgia use magnets or wear copper bracelets.

But the research has yet to back up the hype behind the use of magnets for pain.

Magnets No Good for Pain Relief
Researchers analyzed nine previous studies on magnets for pain in which the participants were randomly assigned to receive magnet or a dummy device for pain. Each of the studies rated the effects on pain reduction on standard scale.

The results, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, showed no significant difference in pain reduction between the groups treated with magnets or the placebo.

Therefore, researcher Max H. Pittler, MD, PhD, of the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, England, and colleagues say magnets cannot be recommended as an effective treatment for pain.

The only condition for which the evidence did not rule out any hope of a potential effect of magnets on pain was osteoarthritis. Researchers say more research is needed in this area.

Arthritis Hinders Work for Many

The CDC reports that roughly a quarter to a half of U.S. adults of working age with arthritis say their arthritis affects their work.

For the first time, the CDC has state-by-state statistics on the percentage of adults of working age (18-64) with arthritis-related work limitations.

Data came from a 2003 CDC survey of about 350,000 U.S. adults.

Among all adults of working age, the prevalence of those reporting arthritis-related work limitations ranged from 3.4% in Hawaii to 15% in Kentucky.

Participants were asked if they had ever been diagnosed by a doctor or other health professional with some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia.

Among those who answered yes to that question, the prevalence of those reporting arthritis-related work limitations ranged from 25.1% in Nevada to 51.3% in Kentucky.

Nearly 46 million U.S. adults have arthritis, according to background information from the CDC.

Here's how the states, territories, and Washington, D.C., ranked in the prevalence of adults of working age with self-reported arthritis and arthritis-attributable work limitations. Those with the same percentages are listed together.

State Rankings


Kentucky: 51.3%
Mississippi: 44.7%
Oklahoma: 41.9%
Missouri: 41.8%
West Virginia: 41.7%
Tennessee: 40.5%
Guam: 40.2%
Arkansas: 40%
North Carolina: 39.1%
Georgia: 39%
Louisiana: 38.8%
Alabama: 38.1%
South Carolina: 37.2%
Florida: 36.3%
Idaho: 35.8%
California: 35.7%
New York: 35.5%
South Dakota: 35%
Arizona and Texas: 34.8%
Indiana: 34.7%
Minnesota: 34.6%
U.S. Virgin Islands: 34.2%
Virginia: 33.7%
Washington: 33.2%
Maine: 33.1%
New Mexico: 33%
Vermont: 32.6%
Utah: 32.4%
Oregon: 32.3%
Montana: 31.9%
Massachusetts: 31.8%
Ohio: 31.7%
Nebraska and North Dakota: 30.8%
Alaska: 30.7%
Rhode Island: 30.2%
Maryland: 29.6%
Delaware and Wyoming: 29.1%
Wisconsin: 28.7%
Pennsylvania: 28.6%
Iowa: 28.2%
Colorado: 28%
Illinois: 27.9%
New Hampshire: 27.7%
Kansas: 27.5%
New Jersey: 26.9%
Hawaii: 26.5%
Connecticut: 25.7%
Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico: 25.5%
Nevada: 25.1%