Magnets have also been claimed to increase circulation. This claim is false. If it were true, placing a magnet on the skin would make the area under the magnet become red, which it does not. Moreover, a well-designed study that actually measured blood flow has found no increase. The study involved 12 healthy volunteers who were exposed to either a 1000-gauss magnetic disk or an identically appearing disk that was not magnetic. No change in the amount or speed of blood flow was observed when either disk was applied to their arm. Magnetherapy, Inc, of Riviera Beach, Florida Beach, a company that has been subjected to two regulatory actions, manufactured the magnets.

Conclusion

The facts are there is no scientific basis to conclude that small, static magnets can relieve pain or influence the course of any disease. In fact, many of today's products produce no significant magnetic field at or beneath the skin's surface.

References:
Mayrovitz HN and others. Assessment of the short-term effects of a permanent magnet on normal skin blood circulation via laser-Doppler flowmetry. Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine 6(1):9-12, 2002. Morales halts unproven claims for magnet therapy. News release, April 9, 1998.
Vallbona C, Hazelwood CF, Jurida G. Archives of Physical and Rehabilitative Medicine 78:1200-1203, 1997.

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