Placebo Effect: Why quack treatment is working and what is dangerous
Educational Program Health / / December 19, 2019
People's trust in medicineHEALTH AND TRUST 52% of the Russians. In the United States used alternative therapiesThe Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States 38% of the population in EuropeUse of complementary and alternative medicine in Europe: Health-related and sociodemographic determinants — 25,9%.
The effectiveness of many techniques, such as acupunctureAcupuncture: In Depth, Ayurvedic medicineAyurvedic Medicine: In DeptharomatherapyAromatherapy May Make Good Scents, But Does It Work?Not scientifically proven, and some kind of homeopathyMemorandum number 2. RAN Commission to Combat Pseudoscience and Falsification of Scientific Research openly recognized as dangerous.
But people still continue to spend money on questionable practices. And most interestingly, it helps! However, the effect is small, but it is enough to reinforce the belief in the efficacy medicine or therapy. A fault in the entire placebo effect.
What is the placebo effect
Placebo (lat. "I like") - an inactive substance that is being touted as a medicine man. This can be
Use of Placebos in Pain Management tablet sugar, saline injection, distilled water.The placebo effect - when a person is getting better by the very fact that it somewhat treatAnd the belief that the therapy will help. Create the impression can not only pills or injections, but in general any intervention - from talking with your doctor before reading spells.
90% success rateA history of the placebo all alternative medicine is due to the placebo effect.
Since this effect can greatly affect the outcome of the treatment, it is used in the research of new drugs and therapies. Placebo controlMethodology of clinical trial planning It helps to find out what caused the improvement - the active ingredient or the patient's belief that the pill can help.
Of course, no placebo control in alternative medicine there. But there are effective ways of advertising: the emphasis on the naturalness and the elimination of the causes of the disease rather than the symptoms. And it works, because the placebo effect depends on the credibility of the treatment, and then every detail is important.
From which the power of the placebo effect depends
It is proved that a large placebo pills workA history of the placebo little better and more efficient injection relieve pain. Pills warm colors work betterEffect of colour of drugs: systematic review of perceived effect of drugs and of their effectiveness as stimulants, and cool colors - such as tranquilizers.
Brand placebo overAnalgesic effects of branding in treatment of headaches efficacious than generic drugs and expensive drugs to help you betterCommercial features of placebo and therapeutic efficacy cheap. The latter is particularly beneficial for manufacturers additives with high price and unproven efficacy.
No less important are the doctor's words. If the doctor is sureCultural Variations in the Placebo Effect: Ulcers, Anxiety and Blood Pressure in the diagnosis and promises recovery, the patient will feel better are more likely. Needless to say that traditional healers never in doubt. In contrast to these doctors, they always know exactly what is the cause of the disease and how to treat it.
From what helps placebo
placebo easesPlacebo analgesia: Psychological and neurobiological mechanisms pain and helpsPlacebos without Deception: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Irritable Bowel Syndrome with irritable bowel syndrome, restoresThe management of erectile dysfunction with placebo only: does it work? erection and handlesThe powerful placebo in cough studies? with a cough. Tablets dummy reducePlacebo response in Parkinson's disease: comparisons among 11 trials covering medical and surgical interventions Symptoms of Parkinson's disease, may reduce by halfIdentifying baseline characteristics of placebo responders versus nonresponders in randomized double-blind trials of refractory partial-onset seizures the frequency of seizures in epilepsy.
Also, use of placeboPlacebo interventions for all clinical conditions insomnia, anxiety, fatigue, hypertensiondepressionThe persistence of the placebo response in antidepressant clinical trials, Obesity, smoking, asthma, dementia and sometimes prescribedThe use of placebo interventions in medical practice - a national questionnaire survey of Danish clinicians, Questionnaire survey on use of placebo patients who really want to be treated, but have no evidence for this.
If you are used to combat diseases listed methods of alternative medicine, it is worth considering about their effectiveness.
Why placebo generally works
Clearly, this is due to a man of faith in the efficacy of the treatment. But occur some changes at the physiological level.
Activity of brain structures
MRI scans showedChanges in Brain Function of Depressed Subjects During Treatment With Placebo, Placebo analgesia: Psychological and neurobiological mechanismsThat taking placebo alter activity in structures of the brainAssociated with the processing of pain.
In one experiment,The neural correlates of placebo effects: a disruption account We tracked via imaging of the brain response to placebo in patients with chronic abdominal pain. When a person takes pills, increased activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), responsible for thoughts, plans and activities, and decreased in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the amygdala - the structures associated with the feeling pain. Scientists have suggested that activation of PFC partially blocked reaction tonsils and AUC, so people feel less pain.
production of neurotransmitters
After receiving the placebo produces more endorphins, painkillers of the body, and dopamine - the hormone responsible for fun while waiting for something good. Furthermore, increased activity of their receptors, are therefore more substances on the body.
Just explain the release of dopamineExpectation and dopamine release: mechanism of the placebo effect in Parkinson's disease placebo effect in Parkinson's disease. This neurotransmitter improves motor skills.
increased immunity
Optimism and belief in a positive outcome of the disease increasesOptimism and immunity: Do positive thoughts always lead to positive effects?, THE ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING IN BOOSTING IMMUNE RESPONSE: AN OPTIMAL EFFORT FOR TACKLING INFECTIONimmunity and helps the body fight disease.
Is there a difference, than to be treated if still helps
May give the impression that a placebo - a sort of magic bullet and that it is enough to believe, to be healed of any disease. This is not true. according to the analysisPlacebo interventions for all clinical conditions, Dummy pill are not serious clinical effects. Best of all placebo effect on pain and nausea. But it is so subjective that it is impossible to measure the real power.
Therefore, a placebo is used only in the event that the absence of these drugs will not hurt. researchMethodology of clinical trial planning It is also a concern. For example, when testing for cancer drugs or AIDS You can not stop this treatment, so that a comparison using other means, and just do not say which of them is new.
The placebo effect does not protect against serious diseases.
This is especially dangerous when the time is very important. For example, if we refuse to treat cancer by traditional methods in favor of traditional medicine, the chances of survival decrease dramatically.
How to understand the placebo effect or actually helped
Nothing. Therefore, before resorting to the methods of non-standard medicine, find out what it thinks the doctor.
If an alternative treatment is safe, but you do not need the traditional - surrender to the power of the placebo effect and enjoy health. When you need real therapy and the doctor does not mind that you will be taking more and these capsules with ginger, which helped a neighbor - and why not.
If you doctor prescribes something of himself alternative medicineAsk whether the drug's effectiveness is proved. Change the specialist if he does not be able to answer you.
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