Does magnetic therapy help back pain and how?

Not proven to help: The magnetic therapy products available to consumers have not been proven to relieve pain. Little magnets are sometimes sewn into elastic back braces. The elastic braces may help support one's back, but the magnets do not provide any additional benefits. However, pain is very subjective, so if a person believes he is doing more to treat his pain by buying magnets, he may truly feel less back pain.

Variable: Magnet therapy has been around for over 100 years and keeps popping up every 25 years or so. I have some patients who get relief of pain from magnets and others who do not. The exact mechanism of magnet therapy is not known. The effectiveness of magnets is sketchy in my opinion.