Trial reportPloS one2013
Copper bracelets and magnetic wrist straps for rheumatoid arthritis--analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects: a randomised double-blind placebo controlled crossover trial.
Trial report in PloS one, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 28 citations in OpenAlex.
- [Influence of smoking, nutrition and other modifiable environmental factors on rheumatoid arthritis].Zeitschrift fur Rheumatologie · 2024Review
- The Use of Magnets, Magnetic Fields, and Copper Devices in a Veteran Population.Federal practitioner : for the health care professionals of the VA, DoD, and PHS · 2023Article
- Lifestyle Factors and Their Influence on Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Narrative Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2022Review
- Copper regulation of immune response and potential implications for treating orthopedic disorders.Frontiers in molecular biosciences · 2022Review
- Relationship of serum copper and HLADR4 tissue typing to disease activity and severity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A cross sectional study.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2022Article
- [Primary development of visual uroflow scale].Beijing da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Peking University. Health sciences · 2020Article
- Greater Postural Sway and Tremor during Balance Tasks in Patients with Plantar Fasciitis Compared to Age-Matched Controls.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2020Article
- Innate Immune Regulation Under Magnetic Fields With Possible Mechanisms and Therapeutic Applications.Frontiers in immunology · 2020Review
- Work-related outcomes in randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trials in osteoarthritis - are they adequately reported in journal publications? A systematic review.Journal of occupational medicine and toxicology (London, England) · 2018Article
- Editorial: Getting Evidence Into Practice--or Not: The Case of Viscosupplementation.Clinical orthopaedics and related research · 2016Article
- Is the pain visual analogue scale linear and responsive to change? An exploration using Rasch analysis.PloS one · 2014Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundFolklore remedies for pain and inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis include the application of magnets and copper to the skin. Despite the popular use of devices containing magnets or copper for this purpose, little research has been conducted to evaluate the efficacy of such treatments.
objectiveTo investigate whether the practice of wearing magnetic wrists straps, or copper bracelets, offers any specific therapeutic benefit for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
designRandomised double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial.
methods70 patients, aged 33 to 79 years and predominantly female (n = 52), with painful rheumatoid arthritis were recruited from general practices within Yorkshire. Participants were randomly allocated to wear four devices in a different order. Devices tested were: a standard (1502 to 2365 gauss) magnetic wrist strap, a demagnetised (<20 gauss) wrist strap, an attenuated (250 to 350 gauss) magnetic wrist strap, and a copper bracelet. Devices were each worn for five weeks, with treatment phases being separated by one week wash-out periods. The primary outcome measured was pain using a 100 mm visual analogue scale. Secondary pain measures were the McGill Pain Questionnaire and tender joint count. Inflammation was assessed using C-reactive protein and plasma viscosity blood tests and by swollen joint count. Physical function was assessed using the Health Assessment Questionnaire (Disability Index). Disease activity and medication use was also measured.
results65 participants provided complete self-report outcome data for all devices, four participants provided partial data. Analysis of treatment outcomes did not reveal any statistically significant differences (P>0.05) between the four devices in terms of their effects on pain, inflammation, physical function, disease activity, or medication use.
conclusionsWearing a magnetic wrist strap or a copper bracelet did not appear to have any meaningful therapeutic effect, beyond that of a placebo, for alleviating symptoms and combating disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis.
trial registrationControlled-Trials.com ISRCTN51459023 ISRCTN51459023.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.