Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Chiropractic and Placebos
Some dismiss the results our patients receive as merely the placebo effect. These cynics virtually ignore the mind/body connection that most forward-thinking health care experts are finally recognizing.
A placebo (from the Latin ‘I will please’) is often a sugar pill or some type of sham treatment that invokes the beliefs of the patient, and in the case of double blind studies, the beliefs of the doctor. Some studies show that placebos can be 30% to 40% effective.
Should the consistent results that today's chiropractic patient enjoys be simply chalked up to the placebo effect and a caring personality?
Hardly. While it’s always helpful if the patient believes the care they’re receiving will help them, chiropractic care regularly helps newborns, infants and even horses and house pets for which the power of the believing mind is clearly not a factor.
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