The efficacy of magnetic necklaces (maximum static magnetic field 0.13 T) in controlling chronic neck and shoulder pain was studied. A double-blind experiment was performed on four groups of human adults (Total N = 101). The experimental design involved 52 subjects with chronic pain (35 women, 17 men) and 49 without symptoms of pain (20 women, 29 men). They were assigned in near-equal numbers into subgroups in which magnetic or nonmagnetic necklaces were worn 24 hr. a day for 4 wk. Subjective reports and psychological testing indicated that there were no statistically significant differences among treatment subgroups before treatment. Subjects in the pain group reported a statistically significant reduction in frequency and severity of pain immediately after treatment. However, treatment condition (magnetic vs nonmagnetic) did not significantly affect subjective reports, indicating that the reported improvement is attributable to the placebo effect.
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