Post by theshee on Apr 17, 2010 9:23:11 GMT 10
Ive just read an article that I found interesting -
A recent study published in the British medical journal, Lancet, has found that placebo, or fake, medical treatments exhibit a noticeable biological effect on patients. A panel of international researchers pored through a series of studies they believe illustrate concrete evidence that physical changes in patients occur in response to placebos.
One of the studies included in the research involved Parkinson's disease patients whose brains released dopamine in response to placebo treatment. The dopamine release triggered a series of other changes throughout the brain, resulting in improved health for these patients.
"When you think you're going to get a drug that helps, your brain reacts as if it's getting relief," explained Walter Brown, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Brown and Tufts University, in an interview. Brown believes that people with mild depression or anxiety are perfect candidates for placebo treatments because such patients benefit just as well from fake treatments as they do from drug treatments.
Others were quick to note their belief that the inert substances in placebos do not actually cause a change, but rather the belief that they are causing a change is what is helping. These same experts admit that they do not fully understand how the process works to actually trigger an effect in the brain, but that somehow it does.
As placebos gain popularity, many in the medical profession are trying to figure out how to effectively use them. Part of the theory behind how a placebo works is that the patient does not know he is receiving a placebo. If doctors were to administer placebos instead of drugs, would it be unethical not to disclose this fact? These are some of the questions experts are trying to answer.
According to Brown, disclosing to patients that they are receiving a placebo, but also telling them that it could be very effective, could be a viable method of prescribing the treatment without being deceptive.
www.naturalnews.com/028575_placebo_effect_medicine.html
so then surely there has to be a better way of telling the brain that its getting relief or the disease is getting better?!! Sort of 'think' yourself well.
A recent study published in the British medical journal, Lancet, has found that placebo, or fake, medical treatments exhibit a noticeable biological effect on patients. A panel of international researchers pored through a series of studies they believe illustrate concrete evidence that physical changes in patients occur in response to placebos.
One of the studies included in the research involved Parkinson's disease patients whose brains released dopamine in response to placebo treatment. The dopamine release triggered a series of other changes throughout the brain, resulting in improved health for these patients.
"When you think you're going to get a drug that helps, your brain reacts as if it's getting relief," explained Walter Brown, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Brown and Tufts University, in an interview. Brown believes that people with mild depression or anxiety are perfect candidates for placebo treatments because such patients benefit just as well from fake treatments as they do from drug treatments.
Others were quick to note their belief that the inert substances in placebos do not actually cause a change, but rather the belief that they are causing a change is what is helping. These same experts admit that they do not fully understand how the process works to actually trigger an effect in the brain, but that somehow it does.
As placebos gain popularity, many in the medical profession are trying to figure out how to effectively use them. Part of the theory behind how a placebo works is that the patient does not know he is receiving a placebo. If doctors were to administer placebos instead of drugs, would it be unethical not to disclose this fact? These are some of the questions experts are trying to answer.
According to Brown, disclosing to patients that they are receiving a placebo, but also telling them that it could be very effective, could be a viable method of prescribing the treatment without being deceptive.
www.naturalnews.com/028575_placebo_effect_medicine.html
"When you think you're going to get a drug that helps, your brain reacts as if it's getting relief,"