Wearing a copper bracelet has been touted as an effective alternative treatment for arthritis pain, but there’s no evidence it works. Learn what does.

Although the researchers found that copper bracelets and magnetic wrist strips had no meaningful effect on joint pain, swelling or the progression of arthritis, the devices are inexpensive and have no major side effects.

There is no strong evidence that copper bracelets help with arthritis. One of the most thorough studies to test them took place in 2013 during a randomized, double-blind clinical...

Copper bracelets and magnetic wrist straps for rheumatoid arthritis—analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects: A randomized double-blind placebo controlled crossover trial.

According to studies published over the years, magnetic wrist straps and copper bracelets don’t work on arthritis pain or stiffness. Placebo-controlled trials have been done in both osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).