So here’s a weird thing about the placebo effect. If you know something’s a placebo, does it stop having that effect? Like if you were to say ‘I know acupuncture is BS, but it has a placebo effect so I’ll try it since nothing else is working’ – no dice?
In that case the only legitimate medicinal value of quack medicine would absolutely depend on its practitioners lying about it! :)
Acupuncture isn’t bs.
I’m not a scientist and barely a functioning human, but my understanding is that the placebo effect persists in some cases where the subject knows that what they are receiving is a placebo, as long as they continue to understand that it might help.
Ok, then substitute jade eggs or whatever.
I’d say the placebo effect is sort of a mix of conscious and subconscious. So, at the conscious level you might say “this doesn’t do anything” but do you really believe that at a subconscious level?even then, I think the physical act of something like taking a pill has an effect. I’ve certainly noted times when I took a legit medication, like an antacid or a pain reliever, and it started working long before that is medically possible.
So now we are trying to shove jade eggs through our skin, not just in our vaginas!
When will the madness end?!
Great question! What you are describing is known as “open-label placebo”. Amazingly, it still has an effect.
It’s the healing powers of sugar that doctors don’t want you to know about.
Sugar is the cause of, and solution to, all medical problems.
This actually does not surprise me. The mind is incredibly powerful, and has an effect on our immune system, etc.
I think that we have internalizes that certain rituals help us. I could easily see the act of taking medicine having an unconscious effect, even when we consciously know it is just silver.
So it’s gerbils or nothing.
I think it’s important to note that placebo effects are well supported only for subjective measures, like pain relief, fatigue, depression or measures strongly correlated to subjective states, like heart rate.
There is little if any evidence that a placebo can change blood chemistry, fight infection, shrink a tumor, etc.
Tell that to the jade Buddha curing ovarian cancer as we speak.
More than one gerbil at a time? woah. You crazy, man!
Acupuncture is quackery.
And where does everyone stand with chiropractors?
As far away as possible.
Edit: I would go for acupuncture before I’d go to a chiropractor. Less chance of damage.
Quackery.
I mean, I’d love for it not to be, but gimme that peer-reviewed medical evidence, y’know?
Almost complete bullshit. The parts that aren’t are usually massage/physical therapy.
I believe that there is scientific evidence suggesting that the placebo effect actually works even if you know it is a placebo. Later on I’ll see if I can find the studies.