Placebos can bring relief—even if you know they're drug-free.

[Celebration]

http://www.psychologytoday.com/collections/201201/the-placebo-effect/wising-dummy-pills

When 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 deception—the 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, but—this is key—they 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."

[CanSocDem]

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]

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. 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]

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]

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.

[HuckleB]

9. +1

[CanSocDem]

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]

12. Thanks for your usual reply.

And for the example of the mechanical arm, which is possible completely by SCIENCE alone. Yeah science!

[Celebration]

13. I love science

Including proving the power of the mind over the health of the body.

[trotsky]

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.

[CanSocDem]

15. 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]

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]

7. Filed under you can fool SOME of the people all of the time. n/t

[Celebration]

8. except these people weren't fooled......................n/t