The field of these magnets would hardly reach through the skin, much less into muscles and joints. Indeed, there was essentially no field extending through the velvet bands. Not only do these magnets have no power to heal, their fields don t even reach the injury. So much for the Baylor study which used commercial alternating-pole magnets. As medical scams go, magnet therapy may not seem like a big deal.
Magnets generally cost less than a visit to the doctor and they certainly do no harm.
But magnet therapy can be dangerous if it leads people to forego needed medical treatment. Worse, it tends to reinforce a sort of upside-down view of how the world works, leaving people vulnerable to predatory quacks if they become seriously ill. It s like trying to find your way around San Francisco with a map of New York. That could be dangerous for someone who is really sick - or really lost. Click here to send us your comments about this Cover Story.