Magnetic Therapy

Magnetic therapy - magnetic bracelets, insoles, mattress pads - is widely sold for pain and stiffness, and it has a long history in traditional practice across several cultures.

What the evidence actually shows

We will be straight with you, because you deserve better than a sales page. Controlled trials of static magnets for pain have consistently failed to show an effect beyond placebo. The reviews are reasonably clear on this, and they have been for years.

That does not mean people are lying when they say a magnetic bracelet helped. Placebo effects on pain are real, measurable, and not imaginary - pain is processed in the brain and expectation genuinely changes it. But the effect comes from the belief and the ritual, not from the magnet, and it is not a substitute for treating what is actually wrong.

We would rather lose a sale than tell you a magnet will fix your knee.

What does help joint pain

Movement, weight management, physiotherapy, heat, and where appropriate the medication a doctor prescribes. These are less interesting and considerably more effective.

Note that strong magnets should be kept away from pacemakers and implanted devices. If you have one, this is not a neutral choice.