How does the placebo effect the patient, believing it is necessary for their healing? The placebo could just be aspirin, but the patient believes it is what they need to get well. This action happened in the Korean war with a Mash unit. high strung
Placebo effect: Also called the placebo response. A remarkable phenomenon in which a placebo -- a fake treatment, an inactive substance like sugar, distilled water, or saline solution -- can sometimes improve a patient's condition simply because the person has the expectation that it will be helpful. Expectation to plays a potent role in the placebo effect. The more a person believes they are going to benefit from a treatment, the more likely it is that they will experience a benefit.
To separate out this power of positive thinking and some other variables from a drug's true medical benefits, companies seeking governmental approval of a new treatment often use placebo-controlled drug studies. If patients on the new drug fare significantly better than those taking placebo, the study helps support the conclusion that the medicine is effective.
The power of positive thinking is not a new subject. The Talmud, the ancient compendium of rabbinical thought, states that: "Where there is hope, there is life." And hope is positive expectation, by another name. The scientific study of the placebo effect is usually dated to the pioneering paper published in 1955 on "The Powerful Placebo" by the anesthesiologist Henry K. Beecher (1904-1976). Beecher concluded that, across the 26 studies he analyzed, an average of 32% of patients responded to placebo.
It has been shown that placebos have measurable physiological effects. They tend to speed up pulse rate, increase blood pressure, and improve reaction speeds, for example, when participants are told they have taken a stimulant. Placebos have the opposite physiological effects when participants are told they have taken a sleep-producing drug.
The placebo effect is part of the human potential to react positively to a healer. A patient's distress may be relieved by something for which there is no medical basis. A familiar example is Band-Aid put on a child. It can make the child feel better by its soothing effect, though there is no medical reason it should make the child feel better.
People who receive a placebo may also experience negative effects. They are like side effects with a medication and may include, for example, nausea, diarrhea and constipation. A negative placebo effect has been called the nocebo effect.
I believe in the power of positive thinking and that it helps people in any treatments.
When scientists do research involving placebo, they
must account for those people, who improve or deteriorate without receiving actual treatment or placebo. A lot of conditions improve or likely deteriorate due to the time variable, or due to other interventions the subject was receiving at the same time. Therefore, the design and quality of a study are the main determinants when using placebo.
I once convinced myself that eating a certain type of candy instantly quelled my anxiety,and it actually did,so I carried it with me at all times,ate it before I went somewhere or did something I knew would be anxiety provoking.
But then one day I realized I had gained 10 lbs from eating candy all the time and then it no longer worked.But,it only worked in the first place because I wanted to believe it did.
I understand, but if a human being can believe his or her medical condition to heal themselves why do we need doctors? It is by belief and faith these placebos work? Then the medical profession should teach everyone how to heal themselves. I wonder if ones mind can create some sickness in the mind and body as well? I believe it can by the persons mental attitude alone. If we can heal by our mind then we can create sickness as well. Paul/high strung
It would be nice if one could just believe they can be healed by their belief and faith. But I read a story, one about a doctor who told a young patient to fight their disease cancer in there mind thinking about using the good cells to kill the old cancers cells that produced the cancer, it worked. Just a thought. Paul
Miracles, if they truly can occur, are so rare, that if I had a medical condition, I would not bet on a miracle curing me. Life's too short for those odds.
Replying is not possible. This forum is only available as an archive.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
