David Celiberti, PhD, BCBA-D and Sunita Chhatwani, MSc, MEd
Association for Science in Autism Treatment

Description:

Autism Treatments SummaryMagnet therapy, magnetic field therapy, or magnetotherapy is a procedure that involves the application of magnets to target overall health as well as an array of pain conditions arising from arthritis, insomnia, headache, neuropathy, tensions, sciatica, fibromyalgia, pelvic pain, plantar heel-pain, neck and shoulder pain, forearm or wrist pain, as well as traumatic injuries (Anderson & Caro-Scarpitto, 2008). Magnet therapy has been utilized to target some autism-related symptoms such as aggressive behavior (e.g., Connect My Brian, 2010).

The use of static magnets for health and healing has been classified as a complementary approach of energy medicine by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) (Magnets for Pain: What You Need to Know, n.d.). Magnetic therapy involves the application of static magnets of varying sizes, strengths, and polarity (north and south) to the human body. The magnets are placed on specific points of the body, usually over nerves, joints, or areas of injury or discomfort (please note that this intervention is different from repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation). The magnets are often incorporated into items that are worn on the body such as bracelets, jewelry, wrist bands, belts, shoe insoles, and straps for knees, waist, ankles, and back. Magnets may also be embedded in mattresses and blankets. It is touted that application of these magnets on the body produces an artificial magnetic field which interacts with the body and earth’s natural electromagnetic fields to alter a person’s bioenergetic fields (also referred to as biofields or energy fields), which surround and penetrate the human body reaching its every cell (see Pawluk, 2020). It is further hypothesized that this alteration increases cell permeability and improves oxygen delivery to cells, which stimulates tissue regeneration. The thought behind this therapy comes from “biomagnetism,” which is the study of the effects of earth’s magnetic field, and artificial magnetic fields of similar intensity, on living organisms (see Connect My Brian, 2010). Proponents further propose that certain problems happen because the magnetic fields in the human body are out of balance due to injury, trauma, or sickness (Ellis, 2017). These proponents assert that to maintain good health, the body’s magnetic fields must be in balance (Ellis, 2017). Though the history of magnets as a “treatment” dates back hundreds of years, the sale of magnet products for therapeutic purposes has become a million-dollar industry worldwide (e.g., Finegold & Flamm, 2006).

Research Summary:

There have been no scientific studies on the use of magnets for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In fact, even the existing literature on the use of magnets to address pain is characterized as weak and methodologically poor (e.g., Colbert et al., 2008; Colbert et al., 2009). It is important to note that two recent task reports specific to ASD make no mention of magnet therapy. The National Standards Project: Phase 2 (2015) did not highlight any research studies that employed the use of magnets in the treatment of autism. Furthermore, in a review by Hume et al. (2021), no information about magnet therapy was included.

Recommendations:

Due to a lack of published scientific evidence, magnets are not recommended as a treatment for individuals with ASD. Since magnet use for autism is not researched, there are no official statements from reputable medical organizations regarding safety or efficacy, which further reinforces our recommendation that magnet therapy should not be used. We do not dispute the possibility that some individuals may enjoy interacting with magnets; however, this should be considered a hobby or interest as opposed to a form of therapy.

Researchers may wish to consider the methodological limitations associated with studies using magnets for other pain conditions, and conduct studies with strong scientific designs that stand up to peer review, to evaluate the effectiveness of magnets for individuals with ASD. Furthermore, researchers should also demonstrate reliably that individuals with ASD in general, or particular individuals with certain profiles, have an imbalance in their magnetic fields and are therefore suitable candidates for magnet therapy.

Providers are urged to review their discipline’s ethical guidelines about offering and/or recommending interventions that lack evidence, as there are likely strong prohibitions against these types of recommendations. Additionally, providers should present magnets as untested as a treatment for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and should encourage families who are considering this intervention to prioritize treatments that already have scientific support. If magnets are still used, families are encouraged to work with providers to define targets, implement magnet therapy carefully, and collect objective data to measure benefits. Consumers should proceed with great caution when using any intervention that lacks scientific support.

Selected References

Systematic Reviews and Task Forces

No reference to the therapeutic use of magnets is found below:

Hume, K., Steinbrenner, J. R., Odom, S. L., Morin, K. L., Nowell, S. W., Tomaszewski, B., Szendrey, S., McIntyre, N. S., Yücesoy-Özkan, S., & Savage, M. N. (2021). Evidence-based practices for children, youth, and young adults with autism: Third generation review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 51, 4013-4031. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04844-2

National Autism Center. (2015). Findings and conclusions: National Standards Project, Phase 2. Author.

Selected Scientific Studies

None available

Other Works Cited Above:

Anderson, E. Z., & Caro-Scarpitto, C. (2008). Magnets. In Complementary Therapies for Physical Therapy (pp. 227–238). Elsevier.

Colbert, A. P., Markov, M. S., & Souder, J. S. (2008). Static magnetic field therapy: Dosimetry considerations. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 14(5), 577–582. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2007.0827

Colbert, A. P., Wahbeh, H., Harling, N., Connelly, E., Schiffke, H. C., Forsten, C., Gregory, W. L., Markov, M. S., Souder, J. J., Elmer, P., & King, V. (2009). Static magnetic field therapy: A critical review of treatment parameters. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine: ECAM, 6(2), 133-139.

Connect My Brian. (2010, July 14). Autism and magnetic therapy. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOdbBRh2w3w

Finegold, L., & Flamm, B. L. (2006). Magnet therapy. British Medical Journal, 332(7532), 4. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.332.7532.4

Hinman, M. R. (2013). The therapeutic use of magnets: A review of recent research. Physical Therapy Reviews: PTR, 7(1), 33–43. https://doi.org/10.1179/108331902125001761

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (2023). Magnets for pain: What you need to know. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/magnets-for-pain-what-you-need-to-know

Pawluk., W. (2020, September 24). Biomagnetic fields and the human body DrPawluk.com.https://www.drpawluk.com/education/magnetic-science/biomagnetic-fields/

Reiff-Ellis, R. (2017, May 31). What Is magnetic field therapy? WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/magnetic-field-therapy-overview

Citation for this article:

Celiberti, D., & Chhatwani, S. (2023). A treatment summary of magnet therapy. Science in Autism Treatment, 20(7).

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