Hooked on a Feeling

This is your brain on a placebo.

By Sharon Begley | NEWSWEEK
Published May 21, 2009
From the magazine issue dated Jun 1, 2009

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  • Posted By: mcbridekevin @ 06/07/2009 3:11:42 AM

    Sharon I think you misinterpreted this accupuncture study. Also if you actually looked at the study it says there was no symptomatic difference between the two groups a year out. Furthermore the authors state in the study "It remains unclear whether acupuncture or our simulated method of acupuncture provide physiologically important stimulation or represent placebo or nonspecific effects."

    See even the authors do not conclude the effect is definitively a placebo effect. You should be more careful about interpreting others scientific results. Did you discuss this with the authors?

  • Posted By: choltrn @ 05/22/2009 9:39:14 AM

    Oh, and its the intention that causes the effect, not the brain, body chemistry, etc.

  • Posted By: choltrn @ 05/22/2009 9:38:11 AM

    This will never surface to mainstream medicine until the entire system collapses. Truth is not something they want to hear unless it makes them billions.

  • Posted By: JoelP @ 05/22/2009 6:29:43 AM

    Sharon, the toothpicks "work" because they were "inserted" at actual acupuncture points. When real needles were used randomly, the effect was diminished. Also, to support your "placebo" theory, you need to account for the fact that the expectation of relief was better/higher for acupuncture than for anti-inflammatory drugs.

  • Posted By: Alchemist65535 @ 05/21/2009 10:35:07 PM

    The problem is that placebos don't have legs. After several doses of placebo the effect reverts to that of a sugar pill. They don't work for months. My daughter knew immediately when somebody stole her opioid pain meds and substituted visually identical Tylenol. I have been a pain patient for decades. I have tried dozens of medications through the years. Some work better or worse than others. The most expensive pain meds I tried didn't work anywhere near as well as the cheapest which I have used for years now, a generic of another substance and I had no reason to expect this. This whole placebo business needs to be taken with a large grain of salt.

  • Posted By: Observerguy @ 05/21/2009 6:32:40 PM

    With medicine's genius, in a century or two we will probalby find that sugar pills are a cure for most illnesses -- not, of course, until a pharmaceutical manufactuer can patent it.

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