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RA patients failed to experience therapeutic response to magnetic, copper bracelets
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Patients with rheumatoid arthritis had no statistically significant therapeutic response to wearing magnetic wrist straps or copper bracelets, according to recent study results.
In a double blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial, researchers recruited 70 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA; mean age, 62 years; 74% women) from July 2007 to March 2009 from primary care practices in Yorkshire, United Kingdom. In random order, the patients were selected to wear a standard (1502 to 2365 gauss) bipolar magnetic wrist strap and three control devices: a demagnetized (<20 gauss) wrist strap, an attenuated (250 to 350 gauss) magnetic wrist strap and a copper bracelet. Patients wore each device for 5 weeks, with treatment phases separated by 1-week periods.
A 100 mm visual analog scale was used to assess pain as the primary outcome. The McGill Pain Questionnaire and tender joint count were secondary outcomes. Inflammation was measured by plasma viscosity and C-reactive protein blood tests and swollen joint count. The Health Assessment Questionnaire (Disability Index) determined physical function.
Sixty-five patients self-reported full outcome data for all devices; four supplied partial data. Patients said they had worn each device an average of 565 hours, or 16 hours daily. There were no statistically significant differences (P>.05) between devices and their effects on pain, inflammation, physical function, disease activity or medication use, based on treatment analysis.
One patient died during the study, with mortality attributed to infection of a previously amputated limb with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Although patients with known copper allergies were restricted from the study, seven reported skin irritations from the copper bracelet.
“Wearing a magnetic wrist strap or copper bracelet did not appear to have any meaningful therapeutic effect, beyond that of placebo, for alleviating symptoms and combating disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis,” the researchers concluded.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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