A new randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study has found that wearing copper bracelets and magnetic wrist strips failed to alleviate pain from rheumatoid arthritis.
The patients wore one of four wrist bands which included a powerful magnetic wrist strap, a weak magnetic strap, a non-magnetic strap and a copper bracelet. British researchers who led the study reported that there were no statistically significant differences, regardless of which band patients were wearing.
“People swear by these things. Is it ethically correct to allow patients to live in blissful ignorance? Or is it better to provide them with the facts? We can’t deceive patients. We have to be honest with them”, said Stewart J. Richmond, a researcher at the University of York who led the study. He acknowledged that the devices may have some benefits as a placebo…….. nytimes.com 9/19/13