Magnets No Treat for Aching Feet

They're no better at easing pain than regular inserts

TUESDAY, Sept. 16, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- Shoe inserts containing magnets don't provide more relief for people with heel pain than regular inserts.

That's the conclusion of a study in the Sept. 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association that was funded by an unrestricted grant from Spenco Medical Corp., which makes insoles and other orthotic devices.

Although magnets are considered safe when applied to the skin, there's very little scientific evidence to support their use to relieve pain. Despite this, more and more people are turning to magnets, with U.S. sales estimated at $500 million annually and worldwide sales near $5 billion.

Plantar heel pain, or plantar fasciitis, is a common foot problem that often manifests as knife-like pain in the heel area. It usually results from abnormalities in the way some people walk, placing too much stress on the heel bone and its surrounding tissues. The condition is often associated with an inflammation of the connective tissue along the bottom of the foot.

"Heel pain and plantar fasciitis are due to the excessive rolling in of the foot which puts a strain on the plantar fascii, which is the band of connective tissue on the bottom of the foot," says Glenn Gastwirth, executive director of the American Podiatric Medical Association. The condition can last months to years, and can also be aggravated by injury, being overweight or poorly constructed footwear.

The study was led by researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. They randomly assigned 101 adults with plantar heel pain to wear shoe insoles with an active magnet or insoles with a sham magnet for at least four hours a day, four days a week for eight weeks. The participants kept diaries in which they rated their pain on a scale of "one" to "10," with 10 being the most severe pain. The strength of the magnets was comparable to magnets available to the public.

While both groups reported improvements in symptoms, there were no significant differences between the groups at the end of eight weeks. Average pain scores decreased from 6.9 for the nonmagnetic insole group and 6.7 for the magnetic group to 3.9 for each group. By the end of the study, 33 percent of the nonmagnetic group and 35 percent of the magnetic group reported being all or mostly better.

Although the study authors claim insoles have been found to be effective in relieving the pain of plantar fasciitis, other disagree.

"Flat insoles with or without magnets are going to be of little value," Gastwirth says. "Generally [heel pain and plantar fasciitis] are treated more effectively not by insoles but by orthotic devices that control the mechanics of the foot."

Ideally, that orthotic device would be custom-made for your foot after a podiatrist has conducted a gait analysis, but nonprescription devices are a good start, Gastwirth says.

Sometimes a person will also need anti-inflammatories or other medication. "By far the most effective way to treat the condition is through the proper support and control of the foot by orthotic devices," Gastwirth says.

As for the value of magnets, some experts feel the jury is still out.

"It wasn't helpful in this study, but is it helpful for other things?" says Todd Schlifstein, clinical assistant professor of rehabilitation medicine at New York University School of Medicine in New York City. "This is what we call musculoskeletal pain. Maybe it would be better for neuropathic pain."

More information

The American Podiatric Medical Association has information on heel pain and on the top 10 foot problems.

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