Editing Magnet therapy (section)

== Efficacy ==
Several studies have been conducted in recent years to investigate what role, if any, static magnetic fields may play in health and healing. Unbiased studies of magnetic therapy are problematic, since magnetisation can be easily detected, for instance, by the attraction forces on [[ferrous]] (iron-containing) objects; because of this, effective [[Double blind|blinding]] of studies (where neither patients nor assessors know who is receiving treatment versus [[placebo]]) is difficult.<ref name="Finegold" /> Incomplete or insufficient blinding tends to exaggerate treatment effects, particularly where any such effects are small.<ref name="CONSORT_2001">{{cite journal | title=The revised CONSORT statement for reporting randomized trials: explanation and elaboration | journal=Annals of Internal Medicine | date=2001-04-17 |vauthors=Altman DG, Schulz KF, Moher D, Egger M, Davidoff F, Elbourne D, Gøtzsche PC, Lang T, ((CONSORT GROUP (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials))) |author-link7=PC Gøtzsche | volume=134 | issue=8 |pages=663–694 | pmid=11304107 | doi=10.7326/0003-4819-134-8-200104170-00012| s2cid=12834600 }}</ref> Health claims regarding longevity and cancer treatment are implausible and unsupported by any research.<ref name=FlammCSI2006 /><ref name=BBC2006 /> More mundane health claims, most commonly about [[Anecdotal evidence|anecdotal]] pain relief, also lack any credible proposed mechanism and clinical research is not promising.<ref name=Pittler2008>{{cite journal|title=Static magnets for reducing pain|journal=Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies|date=March 2008|first=Max H.|last=Pittler|volume=13|issue=1|pages=5–6 |doi=10.1211/fact.13.1.0003 }}</ref><ref name=Livingston1998 /><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Arabloo |first1=Jalal |last2=Hamouzadeh |first2=Pejman |last3=Eftekharizadeh |first3=Fereshteh |last4=Mobinizadeh |first4=Mohammadreza |last5=Olyaeemanesh |first5=Alireza |last6=Nejati |first6=Mina |last7=Doaee |first7=Shila |date=2017 |title=Health technology assessment of magnet therapy for relieving pain |journal=Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran |volume=31 |pages=184–188 |doi=10.18869/mjiri.31.31 |issn=1016-1430 |pmc=5804424 |pmid=29445660}}</ref>

The [[American Cancer Society]] states that "available scientific evidence does not support these claims".<ref name=acsMag>{{cite book|editor1-last=Russell|editor1-first=Jill|editor2-last=Rovere|editor2-first=Amy|title=American Cancer Society Complete Guide to Complementary & Alternative Cancer Therapies|date=2009|publisher=American Cancer Society|location=Atlanta, Ga.|isbn=978-0944235713|edition=2nd|chapter=Magnetic therapy|chapter-url-access=registration|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/americancancerso0000unse|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/americancancerso0000unse}} See archived online version {{cite web|url=http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/magnetic-therapy|title=Magnetic Therapy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112145357/http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/magnetic-therapy|archive-date=12 November 2012|date=1 November 2008}}  [[Electromagnetic therapy]] is a related field.  See chapter in ACS book just referenced, and [https://web.archive.org/web/20121210093642/http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/ManualHealingandPhysicalTouch/electromagnetic-therapy archived ACS webpage] on that.</ref> According to the [[National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health]], studies of magnetic jewelry have not shown demonstrable effects on pain, nerve function, cell growth or blood flow.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2010-10-05/energy-enhancing-jewelry-improves-big-league-stars-if-only-in-their-heads |title=Energy Bracelets Turn Athletes to Stars, If Only in Their Heads |last1=Levinson |first1=Mason |last2=Randall |first2=Tom |date=4 October 2010 |newspaper=bloomberg.com |publisher=Bloomberg |access-date=9 September 2015}}</ref>

A 2008 [[systematic review]] of magnet therapy for all indications found insufficient evidence to determine whether magnet therapy is effective for pain relief,<ref name=Pittler2008 /> as did 2012 reviews focused on [[osteoarthritis]] and [[rheumatoid arthritis]].<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = GJ1 | first1 = Macfarlane | display-authors = etal | date = Dec 2012 | title = A systematic review of evidence for the effectiveness of practitioner-based complementary and alternative therapies in the management of rheumatic diseases: osteoarthritis | journal = Rheumatology (Oxford) | volume = 51 | issue = 12| pages = 2224–33 | pmid = 22923762 | doi = 10.1093/rheumatology/kes200 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Macfarlane |first1=Gary J. |last2=Paudyal |first2=Priya |last3=Doherty |first3=Michael |last4=Ernst |first4=Edzard |last5=Lewith |first5=George |last6=MacPherson |first6=Hugh |last7=Sim |first7=Julius |last8=Jones |first8=Gareth T. |last9=on behalf of the Arthritis Research UK Working Group on Complementary and Alternative Therapies for the Management of the Rheumatic Diseases |date=2012-09-01 |title=A systematic review of evidence for the effectiveness of practitioner-based complementary and alternative therapies in the management of rheumatic diseases: rheumatoid arthritis |url=https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/kes133 |journal=Rheumatology |volume=51 |issue=9 |pages=1707–1713 |doi=10.1093/rheumatology/kes133 |pmid=22661556 |issn=1462-0324}}</ref>  These reviews found that the data was either inconclusive or did not support a significant effect of magnet therapy. They also raised concerns about [[allocation concealment]], small sample sizes, inadequate blinding, and heterogeneity of results, some of which may have biased results.