Do Magnets Work? - Magnetic Knee Braces

There are many companies that offer a magnetic knee brace. Some companies call them magnetic knee wraps or magnet knee supports instead. They all refer to the same type of product and have the same intended purpose.

As with any knee wrap, one purpose of a magnetic knee support is to provide compression support to the knee, which is done by the structure of the knee brace and is not an effect of the magnets. The magnets are claimed to:

• Relieve pain
• Reduce swelling and inflammation
• Speed recovery from sports injuries
• Provide relief from arthritis symptoms

The real question is, do they?

Everyone will agree that magnets are natural and non-invasive. We have played with magnets since we were kids. It turns out that magnets have been used for centuries for their healing benefits and scientific research is finally starting to prove them.

The difference to look for between difference manufacturers is the number of magnets and their strength. Unfortunely, reported magnetic strength isn't something that you can always trust in the product literature. They will usually report Gauss strengths in the thousands by adding the strengths of the individual magnets. That doesn't usually indicate how much magnetic field strength your knee will actually experience. For example, Brand A may have 30 magnets at 120 Gauss and report 3600 Gauss while Brand B has 40 magnets at 80 Gauss and report 3200 Gauss. While Brand A looks better because of the higher Gauss rating, Brand B may be the better choice because of the more uniform magnetic field provided by the higher number of magnets.

One nice thing about using magnetic knee wraps and other magnetic wraps is that they don't do any harm. The worst thing that can happen is nothing. With that said, it is strongly advised that pregnant women and anyone with an implanted battery-operated device, like a pacemaker, ask their doctor before using magnets.

If you would like a recommendation, check out these magnetic wraps.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor and I do not prescribe magnets or any other device or therapy for any particular condition. You should always consult your doctor before starting any new course of therapy.