Ionized bracelet

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Ionized bracelets, or ionic bracelets, are a type of metal jewelry purported to affect the chi of its wearer. The Q-Ray and Bio-Ray bracelets are the most well known brands of ionized bracelets, and while they are similar to magnetic or copper bracelets, they are considered separate products.

In October 1973 the chiropractor Pedro Miguel Marqués investigated the effects of different metals on humans, concluding that some metals appeared to offer a benefit when worn. This lead directly to his creation of the Bio-Ray, the first ionized bracelet.^{[citation needed]}

The effect noticed by Marqués could very well have been the placebo effect. It is known, at least, that ionized bracelets have no significant effect on muscle pain relative to the placebo effect,^[1] despite claims to the contrary by the Q-Ray manufacturer, QT Inc. This claim was the topic of a 2003 injunction by the Federal Trade Commission^[2] and later a high-profile court ruling in 2006.^[3] As part of this ruling, QT Inc. has been permanently barred from making any claims related to pain relief. The Canadian government has taken a much broader stance and disallows any specific claims within Q-Ray television commercials, reducing them to a montage of testimonials and vague suggestions.

In other countries, many benefits besides pain relief have been touted by marketers. Usually this is explained as functioning similar to acupuncture therapy and its abstract manipulation of a body's chi.^[4]