Magnetic insoles for foot pain

admin · Sep 25, 2005

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When will people get it --- they don't work!!!

First there was this study in the Journal of the American Medical Association:

Effect of Magnetic vs Sham-Magnetic Insoles on Plantar Heel Pain. A Randomized Controlled Trial

Mark H. Winemiller, MD; Robert G. Billow, DO; Edward R. Laskowski, MD; W. Scott Harmsen, MS

JAMA. 2003;290:1474-1478.

Context Despite anecdotal reports, rigorous scientific evidence of the effectiveness of magnetic insoles for the pain of plantar fasciitis is lacking.

Objective To determine whether magnetic insoles provide greater subjective improvement for treatment of plantar heel pain compared with identical nonmagnetized insoles.

Design, Setting, and Participants Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted from February 12, 2001, to November 9, 2001, of a volunteer sample of 101 adults with diagnoses of plantar heel pain for at least 30 days from a multispecialty group practice clinic in Rochester, Minn. Daily pain diaries were kept for 8 weeks.

Interventions Cushioned insoles, with either active bipolar magnets or sham magnets, which were worn daily by the participants for 8 weeks.

Main Outcome Measures Reported average daily foot pain (by metered visual analog scale [VAS] and by categorical response of change from baseline) at 4 and 8 weeks, and impact of insoles on employment performance and enjoyment.

Results No significant between-group differences were found on any outcome variables studied when comparing active vs sham magnets. Both the nonmagnetic and magnetic groups reported significant improvements in morning foot pain intensity, with mean (SD) VAS scores improving from 6.9 (2.3) and 6.7 (2.0), respectively, at baseline to 3.9 (2.6) for each group at 8 weeks (P = .94). At 8 weeks, 33% of the nonmagnetic group and 35% of the magnetic group reported being all or mostly better (P = .78). At baseline, foot pain interfered moderately with participants' employment enjoyment (mean VAS, 4.2) and improved in both groups by 8 weeks (1.3 and 1.5, respectively; P = .68).

Conclusion Static bipolar magnets embedded in cushioned shoe insoles do not provide additional benefit for subjective plantar heel pain reduction when compared with nonmagnetic insoles.
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and now we have this new one from the Mayo Clinic Proceedings:

Mayo Clin Proc. 2005 Sep;80(9):1138-45.

Effect of magnetic vs sham-magnetic insoles on nonspecific foot pain in the workplace: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Winemiller MH, Billow RG, Laskowski ER, Harmsen WS.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether magnetic insoles are effective for relieving nonspecific subjective foot pain in the workplace, resulting in improved job satisfaction.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of health care employees who experienced nonspecific foot pain for at least 30 days, which occurred more days than not, was conducted between February 2001 and January 2002 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Participants were asked to wear either magnetic or sham-magnetic cushioned insoles for at least 4 hours daily, 4 days per week for 8 weeks. The primary outcome variable was reported foot pain (by categorical response of change from baseline and by visual analog scale) at 4 and 8 weeks. Secondary outcome variables included graded intensity of pain experienced during various daily activities and the effect of insoles on job performance and enjoyment.

RESULTS: Among 89 enrolled participants, 6 either withdrew before wearing insoles or were noncompliant with follow-up questionnaires; 83 participants remained for full statistical analysis. Participants in both treatment groups reported improvements in foot pain during the study period. No significant differences in categorical response to pain or pain intensity were seen with use of magnetic vs sham-magnetic insoles.

CONCLUSIONS: The magnetic insoles used in this study by a heterogeneous population with chronic nonspecific foot pain were not clinically effective. Findings confirmed that nonspecific foot pain significantly interferes with some employees' ability to enjoy their jobs and that treatment of that pain improves job satisfaction.
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but there may be some limted benefit for in painful diabetic neuropathy:

Static magnetic field therapy for symptomatic diabetic neuropathy: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2003 May;84(5):736-46.

Weintraub MI, Wolfe GI, Barohn RA, Cole SP, Parry GJ, Hayat G, Cohen JA, Page JC, Bromberg MB, Schwartz SL; Magnetic Research Group.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if constant wearing of multipolar, static magnetic (450G) shoe insoles can reduce neuropathic pain and quality of life (QOL) scores in symptomatic diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN).

DESIGN: Randomized, placebo-control, parallel study.

SETTING: Forty-eight centers in 27 states.

PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred seventy-five subjects with DPN stage II or III were randomly assigned to wear constantly magnetized insoles for 4 months; the placebo group wore similar, unmagnetized device.

INTERVENTION: Nerve conduction and/or quantified sensory testing were performed serially.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Daily visual analog scale scores for numbness or tingling and burning and QOL issues were tabulated over 4 months. Secondary measures included nerve conduction changes, role of placebo, and safety issues. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and chi-square analysis were performed.

RESULTS: There were statistically significant reductions during the third and fourth months in burning (mean change for magnet treatment, -12%; for sham, -3%; P<.05, ANCOVA), numbness and tingling (magnet, -10%; sham, +1%; P<.05, ANCOVA), and exercise-induced foot pain (magnet, -12%; sham, -4%; P<.05, ANCOVA). For a subset of patients with baseline severe pain, statistically significant reductions occurred from baseline through the fourth month in numbness and tingling (magnet, -32%; sham, -14%; P<.01, ANOVA) and foot pain (magnet, -41%; sham, -21%; P<.01, ANOVA).

CONCLUSIONS: Static magnetic fields can penetrate up to 20mm and appear to target the ectopic firing nociceptors in the epidermis and dermis. Analgesic benefits were achieved over time.
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Stanley · Oct 2, 2005

Magnetic Insoles

For what is worth, I have seen magnetic insoles work once. I had a patient that had a history of breast cancer, and she said it was worse laying down. She told me that the insoles helped her, while my orthotics didn't. :confused:
I remembered thatworse laying down is a sign of lymphatic dysfunction in applied kinesiology, so I muscle tested laying down and all the muscles failed. This is the test for lymphatic dysfunction. When I lightly taped the magnetic insoles to the bottom of the feet the muscles did not fail.
So in this one instance the magnetic insoles helped and there appeared a reason for it to help.

John Spina · Jan 28, 2006

Magnetic insoles probably do not help,however do not discount a possible placebo effect that they can have.These are thought to work according to the principles similiar to accupuncture....however,accupuncture actually does work.

NewsBot · Jan 15, 2008

This patent has just been granted:
Hygienical shoes with mobile magnet piece

A kind of hygienical shoes with mobile magnet piece, which can produce the static and dynamic magnet field for the sole of foot of human body, especially it can carry out the magnetotherapy for the sole of foot with take advantage of the static and dynamic magnet field generated respectively at sole when human body stops and walks. Wherein the shoe sole includes a lower sole and a insole covering on the upper surface of the lower sole; the grooves is set on the upper surface of insole, and the mobile magnet pieces is provided on the bottom of groove. When the shoes according to the present invention are wore on foot for walking, as the foot lift up and fall down, the front and back portions of grooves will change their relative position repeatedly, and the magnet pieces in the grooves will move fore-and-aft depending on the obliquity of the bottom of groove under the effect of gravity, which result in the movement of magnet field, i.e. the dynamic magnet field. In resting state, the magnet pieces generate the static magnet field. When human body stops and walks, the shoes according to the present invention perform the magnetotherapy for the sole of foot with two forms of magnetic field thereby improving the effect of magnetotherapy in the sole of foot.
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Link to patent

Crystal tips · Jan 15, 2008

Heard about these magnets recently, for treating ulcers, apparently the NHS are using them;

http://www.magno-pulse.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=42

Has anyone tried them?

DaVinci · Jan 15, 2008

Someone in the NHS needs to be shot for using that product.

Hoppo · Jun 17, 2009

Re: Magnetic Insoles

Stanley said: ↑

For what is worth, I have seen magnetic insoles work once. I had a patient that had a history of breast cancer, and she said it was worse laying down. She told me that the insoles helped her, while my orthotics didn't. :confused:
I remembered thatworse laying down is a sign of lymphatic dysfunction in applied kinesiology, so I muscle tested laying down and all the muscles failed. This is the test for lymphatic dysfunction. When I lightly taped the magnetic insoles to the bottom of the feet the muscles did not fail.
So in this one instance the magnetic insoles helped and there appeared a reason for it to help.
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I have used them on a very elderly patient with chronic ulceration, on his left hallux. he had this ulcer on and off for over 2 years and when i was nagged long enough i placed them in his slippers which he wore all the time. he felt so good with his insoles he wore them to bed on cold nights? to my surprise the ulcer went and did not return. So they must of dragged enough circluation down to allow healing or something? so as a last resort i keep them as a last resort tx option - for PVD patients only?

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