Well d'uh!

[bellinghman]

'Bracelets' useless in arthritis.

Someone's finally gone and done the studies to see if what we all knew - that copper and/or magnetic bracelets have no actual effect on arthritis - is actually true, or if there might have been something in the woo.

Nope, they're pure placebo.

I do wonder where the whole myth came from in the first place. Not why it persists, because there is an entrenched industry very interested in maintaining sales. But who first persuaded someone that it worked?

Comments

[vatine]

There were certainly "magnetic acupressure sandals" on the Swedish market in the mid-late 80s. I think I saw the first magnetic bracelets for sale from dubious post order firm in the late 80s.

I suppose the step from "magnetic stimulation of acupressure points" to "magnets are good" (but, apparently, electromagnetic is bad, cf "electricity allergy").

[irishkate.livejournal.com]

hope author doesn't get sued like simon singh!

Humans!

[lewis-p-bear.livejournal.com]

The Bear has never been able to understand why Humans, one of which he is defiantly not, like to believe almost anything daft but run a mile from facts.

Stand up creationists, conspirator theorists and ruddy UFO maniacs

[jon-a-five.livejournal.com]

I wish I could get up the motivation to come up with my own 'Screw the idiot' quack scheme. It looks like it's easy!

[oldbloke.livejournal.com]

Ads recently started appearing in Autosport for hi-tech magnetic bracelets.

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

Oh my.

Presumably, they won't be appearing in high-end audio magazines, which have their own idiocies. Such as directional digital cables and the like. But which would get all upset by the horrible nasty magnetic fields.

[vatine]

Not to mention digital cables that affect high and low frequencies in the audio data differently.

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

Oh my, yes.

(Audiophiles and digital is a whole world of fail.)