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Date: | Tue, 7 Jan 2014 10:04:07 +0000 |
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Teresa wrote:
>We know that the human mind also influences recovery, so if people
>expect a particular treatment or medication to cure them (perhaps
>because the doctor speaks enthusiastically about the treatment),
>they will do better. And I am quite sure there are other factors
>involved that we don't yet understand.
The power of the placebo effect is well-studied, though not yet fully
understood.
Here's a useful, quick and accessible little video on the placebo
effect: http://www.nhs.uk/video/pages/placeboeffect.aspx
"four dummy sugar pills a day are better than two dummy sugar pills a
day at curing gastric ulcers"
"green sugar pills are sedating...red sugar pills are stimulating"
"a dummy injection is better at relieving pain than a dummy pill"
The ethics of using placebo are also discussed.
>To me, this speaks to the need for more careful research. We can
>devise good trials for these various treatments if we give it some
>thought. While we sometimes assume that alternative treatments are,
>at worst, harmless, that may not be true. They may get in the way of
>the person finding more effecting treatment. And they cost money.
>Medical care is complicated, and current approaches are far from
>perfect. But I do feel strongly that well-planned research is our
>best hope for learning more and being able to provide good care.
I agree. And the idea that we should not worry about not
knowing/knowing how a treatment works, only that it appears to work
(sometimes) when done with (some of) our clients, may be well-meaning
but in the longer term, it is not helpful.
Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc, tutor, UK
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