One theory is that magnets stimulate or interact with the body's electrical system and they increase blood and lymph circulation, reducing inflammation and easing pain. The experts are polarized over magnet therapy. Some research has shown magnetic fields can affect our cells, and there are physicians at reputable universities who say they have seen or personally experienced magnet healing. Magnets, much less specific magnet products, haven't yet been subjected to vigorous study in the United States. They aren't approved or regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Nobody knows if they have unwanted side effects.
A small Baylor College of Medicine study released this winter is the only independent and scientifically accepted trial suggesting that magnets may ease pain. Published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the study showed that magnets reduced muscular and osteoarthritis pain in a small group of postpolio patients. The other 21 patients had fake magnets that looked exactly the same placed on painful areas. The results surprised many physicians, including Carlos Vallbona, MD, the polio expert who conducted the trial. We need to do more studies.