ABSTRACT
Interest in therapeutic magnets and other complementary and alternative modalities is high in the United States currently. While advances in science and technology, e.g., the evolution of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are a stimulus to investigation of potential therapeutic uses of magnetic fields, other factors should be considered. Important among these is the public desire for empowerment in matters of health care. The American public spends billions on complementary health modalities to fill gaps they perceive in health care provided by conventional medicine (Eisenberg et al., 1998). By one estimate, 40% of patients with peripheral neuropathy used complementary and alternative approaches and 30% used magnets (Brunelli & Gorson, 2004). Permanent magnetic devices have become commonplace for self-treatment of ordinary aches and pains, and they are sold in stores widely without approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for specific claims. So far, because of the lack of apparent significant health risk, marketing of the devices has been allowed as long as no specific claims are made. In this chapter, we review the scientific and clinical rationale upon which expectations of therapeutic benefit are founded. The discussion includes some of the methodological problems and implications for future studies.
