Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Health
Related: About this forumPlacebos can bring relief—even if you know they're drug-free.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/collections/201201/the-placebo-effect/wising-dummy-pillsWhen patients complain of certain difficult-to-confirm pains and problems, physicians face a paradox: They know that placebos can help, but passing off dummy drugs as medication is unethical, a breach of the patient's trust. A sugar pill's magic lies in deceptionthe patient must believe she's getting the real thing. Right?
Wrong, according to a groundbreaking study published in PLoS One. Researchers asked patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (a common, hard-to-treat disorder with mostly subjective symptoms) to take placebo pills twice a day. They told participants that the pills had no active ingredients, butthis is keythey also explained that placebos can improve IBS symptoms "through mind-body self-healing processes."
By the end of the three-week trial, 59 percent of pill takers (vs. 35 percent of controls) reported adequate relief. The placebo also doubled the degree of symptom reduction and improvement in quality of life.
............................
The next steps involve replicating the findings in larger populations and seeing whether the effect holds up for other medical conditions. "Our experiment is just a first step toward a whole new strategy," Kaptchuk says. "People need to understand they have this huge capacity for self-healing."
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
15 replies, 2230 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (1)
ReplyReply to this post
15 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Placebos can bring relief—even if you know they're drug-free. (Original Post)
Celebration
Jul 2012
OP
CanSocDem
(3,286 posts)1. The big secret...
...at the heart of Modern Day Living.
"...knowing you're not getting any real medication won't automatically neutralize the benefits."
In other words:
IT ALL WORKS!!!
.
tridim
(45,358 posts)2. I wish the placebo effect worked on dogs..
It would save me hundreds of dollars.
Me, I only average one advil per month. That's it. I like my liver.
CanSocDem
(3,286 posts)3. Funny you should mention that.
My experience with my cat suggests that it does.
She developed a 'rash' on her forehead and because it looked serious, I re-considered my aversion to all of the local health practioners including the veternarian and gave him a call for some over-the-phone advice and the name of a effective treatment.
As with all for profit MedicineMen, We (cat and I), had to go to him. The vet prescribed a $70.00 bottle of pills and showed me how easy it was to force a cats mouth open and insert a pill into their throat....
"Do it twice a day." he said.
That night, in the midst of our first at home 'pill taking', I distinctly heard her say, as she coughed the pill across the room, "Don't subject ME to your insecurities...."
I had to agree that my position was untenable. I put the pills away.
The next morning her rash was gone.
Just sayin'....
.
tridim
(45,358 posts)5. My dog is so used to her seizure meds that she'll eat them straight up.
I don't have to do anything but hand them to her just like any other treat.
trotsky
(49,533 posts)4. Funny how this power of the mind only ever works on pain or "subjective symptoms."
Get back to me when placebo pills cure a bacterial infection or regrow a limb.
CanSocDem
(3,286 posts)11. It's a good start.
Unless you're a big-time medical "profiteer" who would prefer The Mass Audience, what else is there other than "subjective symptoms"!?!
What possible reason other than economics, is there for a mass cure? Why is there such disdain for 'personal choices' and the testaments of success that sometimes result.
As for 're-growing a limb'... that recent exhibition of a woman manipulating a 'robotic device' with her mind is a huge step in exactly that direction.
My task is much simpler. I only have to manipulate my own body with my mind.
.
trotsky
(49,533 posts)12. Thanks for your usual reply.
And for the example of the mechanical arm, which is possible completely by SCIENCE alone. Yeah science!
Celebration
(15,812 posts)13. I love science
Including proving the power of the mind over the health of the body.
trotsky
(49,533 posts)14. So far there has been none to prove that.
Reducing the perception of pain, and the "alleviation" of symptoms that come and go regularly anyway, yes.
I suppose we're both becoming too predictable in the discussion of this issue. But, like the science itself, it doesn't get enough discussion.
"...is possible completely by SCIENCE alone. Yeah science!"
You make it sound as though we were on opposing teams. And you make it sound like I'm dismissive of scientific technology which I am not.
My argument is with the corporate/industrial control of science. Good science often makes it to the public and good economics sustains its existence. Having a predictable explanation for Why Things Happen... is really only good for one thing and that is to sell you something.
And if you know anything about the effects of advertising in a last gasp free market, they are good at what they do. Trouble is, the only industries still with their heads above water are medicine and religion.
.
mopinko
(70,135 posts)6. 3 weeks without ibs symptoms is not unusual.
i love how they always test this on symptoms that come and go on their own all the time.
and 3 weeks?
kickysnana
(3,908 posts)7. Filed under you can fool SOME of the people all of the time. n/t
Celebration
(15,812 posts)8. except these people weren't fooled......................n/t
Response to Celebration (Reply #8)
kickysnana This message was self-deleted by its author.