This document addresses the use of static magnetic fields as a medical treatment, consisting of placing a magnet on or near the skin, using a variety of devices including, but not limited to: bracelets, necklaces, insoles, sleeves, head bands, or mattress pads. This treatment methodology may be referred to as biomagnetic therapy, magnetic therapy, magnetherapy, magnotherapy, static magnetic field therapy, or therapeutic magnets.

Note: For further information regarding the use of other types of magnetic fields (including pulsed magnetic fields [PEMF]) please see:

• BEH.00002 Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Depression and Other Neuropsychiatric Disorders
• SURG.00010 Treatments for Urinary Incontinence and Urinary Retention
• MED.00046 Electrical Stimulation and Electromagnetic Therapy for Wound Healing

Investigational and Not Medically Necessary: 

The application of biomagnetic therapy in any capacity is considered investigational and not medically necessary.

Randomized studies have shown no significant beneficial effects from magnetic therapy for a variety of conditions. In one such study, Cepeda and colleagues (2007) evaluated the use of magnetic therapy on postoperative pain in a randomized, double blind, controlled trial. A total of 165 subjects were randomized to either sham therapy or magnetic therapy upon reporting moderate to severe pain in a post anesthesia unit. Sham or commercially available magnets were placed over the surgical incision site for two hours. Study subjects rated their pain on a scale of 0-10. Pain was rated similarly in both groups, but the active magnet group required more morphine than the sham magnet group. The authors concluded that magnetic therapy lacks efficacy and should not be recommended for acute pain relief.

More recently, Colbert and colleagues (2010) collected data on the effectiveness of magnetic therapy for carpal tunnel syndrome in a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled feasibility study. Participants (N=60) were recruited from the general population and nightly wore either a magnetic or a nonmagnetic disc. Primary outcome measures included a Symptom Severity Scale, a Function Severity Scale of the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire, and four median nerve parameters. Study results indicated that participants in the active magnet group and the control group experienced some improvement after six weeks of treatment, but no significant between-group differences in outcome measures were demonstrated. The authors concluded that based on the results of this study they were "still unable to inform patients that static magnetic fields are either effective or ineffective for treating carpal tunnel syndrome."

A Cochrane review (Kroeling, 2009) evaluated the effectiveness of therapies, one of which was permanent magnets (necklaces), as a treatment for neck pain. The authors noted the quality of evidence found was low and further study appeared to be needed. Conclusions included that for individuals with chronic neck pain, magnetic necklaces were no more effective in providing relief than a placebo.

In summary, there is no scientific basis to conclude that biomagnetic therapy can relieve pain or influence the course of any disease or condition. The published literature does not validate the clinical role of this treatment methodology.

Biomagnetic therapy is a proposed approach to analgesia that utilizes the non-invasive application of static magnets to create an electromagnetic field (EMF) to areas of musculoskeletal damage or perceived discomfort. The use of magnets as therapeutic agents has existed since antiquity and remains a medical fixture in many cultures.

Clinically, biomagnetic therapy is reported to lessen the discomfort arising from a variety of degenerative joint conditions, such as osteoarthritis, and aid in the recovery of joint or tendon injury. However, these claims are not paired with in situ or laboratory examinations of the affected anatomy following therapy. Though the precise physiological mechanism remains elusive, proponents of biomagnetic therapy attribute its recuperative effects to an unspecified up-regulation of cellular functions. Further ambiguity stems from the fact that the reported efficacy of this treatment is based largely on the subjective experiences of subjects participating in clinical trials that admittedly display a significant placebo effect and investigator bias.

The effectiveness of biomagnetic therapy for relieving pain is still in question. The treatment is generally considered harmless, unless it causes an individual to forego other needed medical treatments.

Analgesia: Absence of normal sense of pain.

Biomagnetic Therapy(may also be known as magnetic therapy, magnetherapy, magnotherapy, static magnetic field therapy, or therapeutic magnets): The application of magnets for the treatment of a health condition.

Magnet: A device that attracts iron and produces a magnetic field.

The following codes for treatments and procedures applicable to this document are included below for informational purposes.  Inclusion or exclusion of a procedure, diagnosis or device code(s) does not constitute or imply member coverage or provider reimbursement policy.  Please refer to the member's contract benefits in effect at the time of service to determine coverage or non-coverage of these services as it applies to an individual member. 

When services are Investigational and Not Medically Necessary:
When the code describes a procedure indicated in the Position Statement section as investigational and not medically necessary.

Peer Reviewed Publications: 

1. Carpenter JS, Wells N, Lambert B, et al. A pilot study of magnet therapy for hot flashes after breast cancer. Cancer Nursing. 2002; 25(2):104-109.
2. Cepeda MS, Carr DB, Sarquis T, et al. Static magnetic therapy does not decrease pain or opioid requirements: a randomized double-blind trial. Anesth Analg. 2007; 104(2):290-294.
3. Colbert AP, Markov MS, Carlson N, et al. Static magnetic field therapy for carpal tunnel syndrome: a feasibility study. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2010; 91(7):1098-1104.
4. Collacott EA, Zimmerman JT, White DW, et al. Bipolar permanent magnets for the treatment of chronic low back pain: a pilot study. JAMA. 2000; 283(10):1322-1325.
5. Weintraub M. Magnetic bio-stimulation in painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy: a novel intervention - a randomized, double-placebo crossover study. Am J Pain Management. 1999; 9:8-17.
6. Winemiller MH, Billow RG, Laskowski ER, et al. Effect of magnetic vs. sham-magnetic insoles on plantar heel pain. JAMA. 2003; 290(11):1474-1478.
7. Wolsko PM, Eisenberg DM, Simon LS, et al. Double-blind placebo-controlled trial of static magnets for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: results of a pilot study. Alternative Therapies. 2004; 10(2):36-43.

Government Agency, Medical Society, and Other Authoritative Publications:

1. Crawford F, Thomson C. Interventions for treating plantar heel pain. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2003, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD000416.
2. Kroeling P, Gross A, Goldsmith CH, et al. Electrotherapy for neck pain. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD004251.
3. Stones W, Cheong YC, Howard FM. Interventions for treating chronic pelvic pain in women. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD000387.

Biomagnetic Therapy
EMF
Magnetic Therapy
Magnetherapy
Magnotherapy
Static Magnetic Field Therapy
Therapeutic Magnets