Commentary: MLB strikes out with new Phiten trend

Daily Record (Rochester, NY), Oct 21, 2008 by David J Kozlowski

Watch any baseball game and you'll see a variety of superstition in action. Outfielders hop over the foul line when jogging to the dugout. Batters tap their helmets, adjust their gloves, and wave the bat a certain amount of times in a certain order. Nobody talks to pitchers in the middle of a no-hitter.

And it starts well in advance of that. Wade Boggs, a long-time Boston Red Sox third baseman who later played for the New York Yankees, used to habitually eat chicken before games. Jason Giambi, also of the Yankees, grew a beard to break out of a slump, then shaved it to break out of another one (he also famously, and disturbingly, wore or carried thong underwear as a slump-buster). Many players favor lucky bats or gloves over newer models.

It is not surprising then that it is in Major League Baseball where we find the trend of players wearing Phiten necklaces. Chris Chase of the Yahoo Sports Blog recently wrote about several players wearing the nylon-coated titanium necklaces, which are alleged to improve circulation, reduce stress, and relieve pain.

It may be surprising that the Phiten necklace actually has no physical affect whatsoever. The Japanese company's U.S. Web site, www.phitenusa.com, doesn't even claim an actual effect. Instead, the site contains testimonials, and asserts that "Phiten's exclusive processes amplify the energy management system increasing the efficiency of each and every single cell." It further notes that "potential results" are that the product "may help" alleviate discomfort, enhance circulation, promote relaxation, stabilize energy flow, reduce stress, and soothe tension.

These statements include a lot of tip-offs that the product does nothing. First there's the conditional language ("potential" results," "may" help, etc.) which is used to avoid making any direct claims while giving the appearance of making claims.

Next are the subjective symptoms that it may improve: discomfort, relaxation, stress, and tension. These are all symptoms for which there is no reliable objective way to measure, and therefore no way to track and attribute actual improvement from a Phiten necklace. Also, these are symptoms which are known to be affected psychosomatically. For example, believing that something will help you relax often helps you believe you are relaxed (a sort of placebo effect).

Third, there is the focus on testimonials rather than double- blind, scientific studies. Absent from the website are links to studies of the efficacy of Phiten necklaces. The site has no links, quotes, or citations to peer-reviewed journal articles about Phiten necklaces. Instead, it contains numerous testimonials from people claiming that wearing the jewelry helped them feel better. This is always a red flag indicating possible quackery.

Fourth, there is the common pseudo-scientific claims involving "energy flow." The phrase "stabilize energy flow" has no medical meaning. There is no such thing as an energy flow in your body, much less any need for some energy flow to be stabilized. This is pure magical thinking. Likewise, the phrase "increasing the energy management system" is meaningless.

Finally, there is the "increased circulation" claim. Dr. Steven Barrett, Chairman of Quackwatch, Inc. (www.quackwatch.com) comments: "Increased circulation refers to increased blood flow, which would not be influenced by an outside force such as [a Phiten necklace]."

Factor-in that there are outright false claims on the Web site, such as how the company has created a water-soluble form of titanium (completely false -- titanium, a basic element, is a hard metal which is completely insoluble in water). Also consider that the company's stated philosophy is "[w]e will never offer an item that might have an ill effect on your health, no matter how convenient and useful it might be," which is far from claiming to provide beneficial products.

In sum, it appears Phiten necklaces (and the associated products, like tape and rubs) do nothing physically beneficial for you body. But at $38 per necklace, they harm your checking account, which is bad enough in this economy.

Why are major leaguers swearing by them? Because baseball players are creatures of habit.

You don't honestly believe that Boggs batted .366 in 1988 because of his pre-game chicken. You shouldn't be quick to accept that the necklace worn by a pitcher helped him win 15 games either.

The author wonders if $38 is cheaper than a team jersey. He can be reached at Dkozlowski@gmail.com. Thanks to Dave Helbig for his editorial assistance.