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bananas

(27,509 posts)
17. That's not correct.
Wed Dec 9, 2015, 10:32 AM
Dec 2015

First, not all placebos are inert - for example, "active placebos" contain substances which cause side effects. In some drug trials, active placebos are chosen intentionally for their effects, because drug effects can unblind the test. Active placebos tend to be more effective than inert placebos.

Second, placebos work even if the patient is told it's just a placebo - the placebo effect occurs even if the patient knows "nothing is being done".

The placebo effect is NOT "the subject believing something is being done."

The term "placebo" is from Latin, it means "to please", and the "placebo effect" was given that name because the patient seems to be unconsciously responding to the doctors expectations "to please" the doctor.

This works both ways - if the patient is given negative expectations, the patients condition may worsen in response - this is sometimes called the nocebo effect, although it is still a placebo effect.

It's a real effect, and even affects people who don't believe it such as yourself.

I can't get to the article at the link, but I'd be curious to know enough Nov 2015 #1
It's a very mainstream journal greymattermom Nov 2015 #2
As I said in my question, I was asking a serious question, not doubting the science or the Journal enough Nov 2015 #7
That would be my immediate question, too. longship Nov 2015 #3
Mindfulness training is used by major corporations such as Google and Apple Ichingcarpenter Nov 2015 #4
I do not assume that it is woo. That is why I'm wondering about the question of enough Nov 2015 #8
Of course Myrth Nov 2015 #5
C.G. Jung Ichingcarpenter Nov 2015 #6
Excellent quotes. Duppers Nov 2015 #9
Even 'the placebo effect' is a form of mindfulness in a way Ichingcarpenter Nov 2015 #10
So the conclusion is that Mindfulness Meditation works better for pain than doing nothing? Thor_MN Dec 2015 #11
no it works better than the placebo effect Ichingcarpenter Dec 2015 #12
The placebo IS doing nothing. The placebo effect is based on faith that something is being done. Thor_MN Dec 2015 #13
The placebo is NOT "doing nothing" bananas Dec 2015 #14
The placebo is inert, therefore doing nothing. Thor_MN Dec 2015 #15
That's not correct. bananas Dec 2015 #17
You are comingling the term "Placebo" with the term "Placebo Effect". Thor_MN Dec 2015 #18
You're comingling "no treatment" with "placebo". bananas Dec 2015 #19
The active placebo that you seem to not understand does nothing for the condition being studied. Thor_MN Dec 2015 #20
The reason pain control techniques were developed by the meditative traditions bananas Dec 2015 #16
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