Last month, CR4 users participated in a lively discussion about the scientific basis (or lack therof) for dowsing. This month, Engineering Snake Oil will look at magnetic and electromagnetic therapy.
Have you ever seen people wearing a metal bracelet like the one shown here? These folks are participating in magnetic therapy, which purports that applying the weak magnetic field generated by a permanent magnet to the body can relieve pain or other ailments. Science has found little basis for its effectiveness, but many swear by magnetic therapy, to the tune of $1 billion in global profits for the industry every year. Some “higher-quality” magnetic bracelets are sold for over $100 each, along with magnetic creams, blankets and inserts for clothing or shoes.
A close cousin of magnetic therapy is electromagnetic therapy (EMT), which uses electromagnetic radiation from a powered device. EMT devices have been around for a little over a century, and have been touted by their inventors as effective treatments for ailments as wide-ranging as cancer, chronic pain, diabetes and dental ailments. Like magnetic therapy, science has found little evidence for EMT’s effectiveness.
Consult Wikipedia’s pages on magnetic therapy and EMT for more detailed info.
So, in your expert engineering opinion: do magnetic therapy and EMT have scientific merit, or are they pure pseudoscientific quackery? Should one work better than they other? Why or why not?
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