![Can Phiten necklaces make you win a baseball game? Is voodoo real? <br>[Credit Alan Sung]](http://scienceline.org/_s/files/2008/10/1192130226_ff0fa9ce4f_b.jpg)
[Credit Alan Sung]
ask scienceline | health | technology
Do those Phiten titanium necklaces actually enhance athletic ability and promote healing?
Asks Alex from NYC
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With baseball heading toward the World Series and the NFL just getting started, not a day goes by without a televised sporting event. And people watching those games may notice an odd fashion accessory: the Phiten titanium necklace. The necklaces are sported most prominently by Matt Hasselbeck of the Seattle Seahawks, Joba Chamberlain of the New York Yankees and Josh Beckett of the Boston Red Sox, who believe that they enhance their physical and mental abilities. And they probably do, but more for psychological than physiological reasons.
In 1982 Yoshihiro Hirata, an alternative medicine practitioner, founded Phiten, the company that sells his titanium-infused products. The necklaces first gained prominence in Japan, where they are still popular with athletes. According to the company, the necklaces and bracelets work by stabilizing the electric flow that nerves use to communicate actions to the body. “All of the messages in your body travel through electricity, so if you’re tired or just pitched nine innings, the electricity isn’t flowing as smoothly as it can,” said Joe Furuhata, a Phiten spokesman. “Our products smooth out those signals.”
While many sports stars believe the necklaces give them luck, not everyone is convinced. Many doctors and scientists say there is no scientific evidence supporting Phiten’s theory. “There’s no science and physiology,” said Dr. Orrin Sherman, chief of sports medicine at the New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases. “There’s just no way the chemical structure of the body can be influenced by magnets that small. It’s all superstitions with no scientific basis.”
Sherman noted that when people interact with magnets far more powerful than the Phiten necklaces, like the magnets in a CT (computerized tomography) scan machine, for instance, they do not report any of the effects pitchers and quarterbacks say they receive from the necklace.But while the physiology behind the necklaces doesn’t hold up to scientific scrutiny, that doesn’t mean they do not help. Athletes are a superstitious lot. From Craig Biggio, who did not wash his batting helmet for an entire season, to Wade Boggs, who would only eat chicken before games, athletes love all manners of hokum and voodoo. If the players think they are getting an advantage from the necklace and that gives them increased confidence, then they do in fact get a positive boost from the product. “You’ve gotta believe in placebo effect,” said Sherman.
So maybe science shouldn’t stop Hideki Okajima of the Boston Red Sox from wearing three necklaces whenever he takes the mound. Sure, the necklaces don’t actually alter the electric flow in the body, but as any player who has stopped shaving during the playoffs can attest, when you’re winning, you don’t want to change a thing.
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October 19th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Phiten products do actually have scientific evidence to support the claims. The product does not use magnets, instead it ises an ionized titanium product that emits low level ionized radiation.
Studies have shown that the Phiten technology actually reduces the firing potential of pain neurons in the brain.
Studies have been done on animals and plants that have shown real results beyond a placebo effect. I would add that animals can not feel a pyscological effect of wearing a product. Before writing something off on a science blog I would do a little research on the actual product rather than citing false information.
October 20th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Austin,
Ridiculous ‘healing’ products are launched every day and some gain traction with the less intelligent end of the population. Please do us all the great favor of citing (that means listing the source of) the scientific evidence that you claim exists.
If scientific evidence that proved even the most minute (that means small) benefit for the Phiten Necklace, then the marketing gurus for Phiten would be advertising it everywhere to appeal to the intelligent folks in the world. This would dramatically increase their sales.
By the way, if there is evidence that plants benefit from being around titanium, how is that relevant? Plants also thrive in a carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere that causes brain damage in humans…perhaps you were sitting next to one of these plants during the carbon dioxide experiment??
October 20th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
can u (austin) or anyone tell post up the link containing the scientific evidence if possible?
thanks
October 22nd, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Casey and lola,
I don’t intend to put down your intelligence in anyway and I don’t know your educational background, but even if Austin did post the scientific evidence behind Phiten’s technology, I doubt you would really understand it. Lab tests and results normally aren’t meant for the general public to comprehend.
As an average sports fan, when I see professional players endorse/wear products like Phiten, I give it a try with an objective view. Let’s not knock Phiten even before you step on the field with one on.
November 4th, 2008 at 10:55 am
I was skeptical of these necklaces at first and regardless if its a placebo effect or not, millions on people are wearing Phiten necklaces which has to say something. Http://www.GoPhiten.com has cheap phiten.
November 4th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Hey Lola, I found some info that you asked for above go to http://www.easybackpainrelief.com/evidence.cfm
for evidence on Phiten. It shows thermal body scans etc. Hope this helps. Buy from http://www.GoPhiten.com
November 10th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Oh, please. The healing power of necklaces? My son’s baseball team recently became obsessed with these, and a rep from a Phiten store came to a practice to hawk them. To “prove” they work, she had folks place palms together and then stretch one palm backwards, so we would feel how tight our lower inner arm felt. Then she applied a round patch about the size of a nickel “right where it hurt the most.” We then repeated the stretch test. Whaddayaknow! Not as much pain! A quick two stretches to the other lower arm showed (sans patch) showed the other arm also felt better on the second stretch. That’s what stretching does!Yes, scientific tests are full of mumbo-jumbo that we mere mortals can’t understand, but real ones start out with an abstract, sort of a synopsis, that we CAN understand. I’d love to see an abstract to a genuine study of the Power Of Necklaces.
January 8th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
I agree with the sentiment of this article but I take issue with a person who posts on a science blog but talks about the large magnets that people are exposed to in CT. CT uses radiation to produce images not magnets. I believe you would want to talk about the large magnetic fields that people are exposed to in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to attempt to prove your point.
January 10th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
yea i was skeptical at first when i heard about phiten… but when they came out with Phiten MLB i had to get one. My wife also has bought a tornado necklace and hasn’t had a sore neck since. If your thinking about getting one these guys are pretty reasonable Phiten. As far as a review of the necklaces, your either a believer or you are not. Look at the rediculous ammounts of money that people drop on expensive titanium jewelry
February 15th, 2009 at 9:26 am
“Studies have shown that the Phiten technology actually reduces the firing potential of pain neurons in the brain.”
First of all Austin, there is no such thing as a pain neuron… there are only 1. sensory neurons 2. motor neurons 3. interneurons
Pain is caused by the rapid firing off of these neurons…
February 26th, 2009 at 5:58 am
I do not sell, endorse or I do not want to convince anyone to get one… I am talking from my own personal experience… On my left shoulder and when I make a certain movement, I had a sharp pain, I had it for months, and I could not exercise (Gym) with that arm. While travelling overseas, I went to a mall, and entered a store that was selling this necklace; the sales rep told me to give it a try, in less than a week’s time the pain has faded and I feel better overall… I do not know if it is/was a coincidence or not, but I still wear it and believe in it. I do not care what Casey, Charlie or the author of this article say… It works for me and that is what matters…
March 6th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
My 10 yr old son recently asked for a phiton necklace, mostly for the cool factor because he is a baseball player and a huge fan. For the past 4 years he has suffered from severe migraine headaches ranging from 2 to 4 per month. When he gets the headaches he takes immitrex nasal spray and that usually stops it. We purchased a phiton necklace about 2 months ago and he wears it everyday and since then he has not had one headache.. I am a skeptic but in this case at least for now I believe. I would love to see Phiton do a study with people that have routine migraine headaches and see if there is any truth or real healing power to them.. All I know is my 10 yr old son is thankful. I will keep u posted..
March 30th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Im 15 years old and i play high school baseball, and i am very much into lifting weights. I have recently been wearing a copper braclet to relieve some of the aches and pains from lifting. The phiten necklaces are becoming more and more popular among my baseball team and lifting buddies so i borrowed one from them and my elbows and knees increasingly quit aching. I was sold so i ordered a yankees one.
April 5th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
I am commenting to inform you that I am a robot capable of doing math. Congratulations on your failed spam protection.
April 17th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
To George and Austin:
I’m not a member of the general public; I’m a scientist with a graduate degree. If you have studies, put your money where your mouth is and post them. Until then, I remain skeptical of anecdotal evidence and pseudo-science, so I doubt the necklaces will work for me.
April 23rd, 2009 at 9:31 am
w/ my experince of phitens they work really well i do agree that it is all mental but it still akes me perfomr better when i first got the bracelet i went 9 for 9 all day while scoring 9 for 9 times out of 2 games
i think people should stop dissing them cause they do work as long as u believe in them
May 3rd, 2009 at 9:43 am
“Studies have shown that the Phiten technology actually reduces the firing potential of pain neurons in the brain.”
should actually have read …
“Studies have shown that the Phiten technology actually reduces the firing potential of any neurons in the brain.
May 5th, 2009 at 10:33 am
I’ve had this piercing pain on my left shoulder for years already (at least 5 years). I would get a massage once a week, shiatsu or thai massage to relieve the pain. They cost a fortune! I was introduced to Phiten by my cousin who sold me a bracelet a couple of months ago. I immediately felt some relief. However, two days after, my left shoulder started to ache again. I went to a Phiten shop and bought a necklace. The pain was gone in an hour. I’m still wearing the necklace, and still no pains, so far. It’s been 3 months, and I haven’t gone for a massage again! Phiten has saved me a lot of money! I’ve also been sleeping so well since I got the Phiten products!
May 7th, 2009 at 3:23 am
Lola dont be a prick by publicly or in other terms, cyber bully Austin. He was only stating what he believed. No need to make fun by acting like he is two years old with your little parentheses jokes
May 31st, 2009 at 5:58 pm
I’ve never heard of these titanium bracelets but I do recall a man named Edgar Cayce who lived in the first half of the twentieth century who mentioned something about keeping a small piece of carbon based Iron in your pocket or somewhere near your body to stay healthy.It had something to do with the fact that we are carbon based lifeforms.It also has something to do with the frequency vibrations of carbon based Iron’s magnetic properties.
May 31st, 2009 at 6:57 pm
SOME MUSHROOMS CAN CONVERT TOXINS INTO NON TOXIC MATERIAL
http://www.google.com/search?h.....=&aqi=
June 7th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
well i just went to a mall today with my father and step mother, and i was positive the whole thing was a hoax they did the tests and i almost laughed at them but then when they put the patches on my back where one of my vertebrea is slightly out of place ( serious pain most of the day) in about 10 min i already felt more relaxed, im still not positive that this thing works and it may just be a placebo effect but if i can go this whole next week without much back pain like i usually do then this really does work, i also got the necklace and i felt my shoulders and neck relax too, i usually am stiff there because im a breakdancer and i do a lot of headspins and i usually dont warm up well but yeah…we will see what happens this week after i dance and see if any of this really works, so far so good on the back and neck…i also have a bracelet, i dont usually believe in any of these things, but if its makin my back feel relaxed when its usually in spazam then….well thats amazing! ill repost next week with updates !
June 9th, 2009 at 4:18 am
Here’s my testimony, for anyone who cares to read it :) I’ve not heard or read anything about this product before when I stood outside the shop. I was having this recurring back ache and a headache.They did the usual demo and sale pitch,frankly I was skeptical.How could a piece of string cure my headache? However I was curious as I played softball in college,and seeing those endorsements from the MLB player, I decide to try one.Put it on immediately and my headache was gone by the time I stepped out. Now I’m thinking it could be due to retail therapy :)
June 12th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
These things are a joke. They don’t work. There is no proof of any enhanced abilities. I seen all of the Korean team members during the WBC wearing these. I laughed.
June 16th, 2009 at 8:09 am
For those who shares their experiences just to somehow give a little proof of this “wonder” necklace, you all are such great persons. Why? Because you give comments based on your personal experiences.
Not so sure for those who keep on commenting without even trying it at least.
I’m not a scientist nor a genius guy but somehow, i know when to react with basis.
Right now, I’m just about to try this product… I’ll share to you next time my own “experiences”.
June 19th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
I bought an 18″ Phiten Titanium necklace one week ago to date. I have had nerve associated pain in my left shoulder for years. The product did not curb any of the pain, did not give me energy, did not make me happier, did not help a stiff neck, did not make me cycle faster, did not make me tired less quickly and did not give me an extra mental edge. I wish it had have worked but I’ll be returning it for a refund. I still think there could be something out there that could help in any one of these areas. If a necklace of radioactive material can kill you, there should be the opposite of that somewhere. Hopefully someone will find it. As far as Phiten necklaces are concerned, it’s just a necklace. The wraps could do something but I have never tried them. In their case I would give them a try as well. It’s a different principle, but silver in a wrap inhibits bacterial growth. So who knows that Phiten’s wraps could do for you, you’d have to try them.
June 29th, 2009 at 8:47 am
Lola could hardly bully Austin when they don’t know how to use capitals or puncuation. A ? after a request and not a question, plus the u instead of you.
Nice post Austin, Lola, your an idiot, this is a discussion for people to share their “experiences” with this product. If you are looking for factual scientific data in this environment you have shown what an idiot you are.
I have used a phiten necklace since a major shoulder seperation and rotator cuff repair.
I am well ahead of my Dr.’s prediciotn for recovery and he is researching the necklace based on my recovery.
No scientific data, just my experience shared with others to take for what it’s worth.