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 such as bracelets, insoles, sleeves, head bands, etc. This treatment methodology may go by the names biomagnetic therapy, magnetic therapy, magnetherapy, magnotherapy or therapeutic magnet.

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 as a Treatment of Depression and Other Neuropsychiatric Disorders
• SURG.00010 Treatment of Urinary Incontinence, Urinary Retention and Sacral Nerve Stimulation
• 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.

There is no scientific basis to conclude that biomagnetic therapy can relieve pain or influence the course of any disease. Randomized studies have shown no significant beneficial effects from magnetic therapy.

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 patients participating in clinical trials that admittedly display a significant placebo effect and investigator bias.

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

Analgesia: absence of normal sense of pain

Biomagnetic Therapy: (also known as magnetic therapy, magnetherapy, magnotherapy and 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. 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.
4. Macklis RM. Magnetic healing, quackery, and the debate about the health effects of electromagnetic fields. An Int Med. 1993; 118:376-383.
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. 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
Magnotherapy
Therapeutic Magnets