Osteoarthritis? Forget the Copper & Magnets

Copper or magnetic bracelets are sold in many stores, including drug stores, with claims that they will relieve arthritic and other chronic musculoskeletal types of pain. While some people may experience relief, up to now, no controlled studies have been done to see if they really do help relieve pain. Researchers from the University of York published their study findings in the most recent issue of Complementary Therapies in Medicine.

The study was a small one, only 45 subjects, so more trials will need to be done, larger ones, to see if the same findings come up, but this study is a good start into examining the effect of copper bracelets or magnets as pain treatment.

According to a press release from the University of York,

The trial involved 45 people aged 50 or over, who were all diagnosed as suffering from osteoarthritis. Each participant wore four devices in a random order over a 16-week period – two wrist straps with differing levels of magnetism, a demagnetised wrist strap and a copper bracelet.

The study revealed no meaningful difference between the devices in terms of their effects on pain, stiffness and physical function.

The authors wrote that any effect that came from the bracelets were likely a placebo effect. Of course, if someone gets relief from such a thing, then this isn’t always a bad thing. The worry is though, that unscrupulous sellers may pressure someone to buy an expensive product, especially if they are desperate to ease the pain.

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