Placebos appear to work even if you know it’s fake
In 2008 a study was released that revealed approximately 50 percent of U.S. doctors regularly prescribed placebos without their patients’ knowledge. When they did so, the physicians usually described the medication as “a potentially beneficial medicine or treatment not typically used for their condition.” Upon the release of the study’s details, many medical ethicists labeled the practice as ethically questionable and expressed concern over the revelation.
However, a new finding rattles the assumption that a patient has to believe they taking a real drug while they are taking a placebo. Researchers at Harvard Medical School’s Osher Research Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have found that placebos work even when administered without the seemingly requisite deception.
For three weeks a group of 80 patients were treated for irritable bowel syndrome with a sugar pill. “Not only did we make it absolutely clear that these pills had no active ingredient and were made from inert substances, but we actually had ‘placebo’ printed on the bottle,” says Ted Kaptchuk, HMS associate professor of medicine. “We told the patients that they didn’t have to even believe in the placebo effect. Just take the pills.”
By the end of the three weeks up to 59 percent of the placebo group reported adequate symptom relief. The authors of the study cautioned that this is just one small study and more research needs to be conducted to develop a more adequate picture of the true power of the placebo.
“Nevertheless,” says Kaptchuk, “these findings suggest that rather than mere positive thinking, there may be significant benefit to the very performance of medical ritual. I’m excited about studying this further. Placebo may work even if patients know it is a placebo.”
Study upholds assumption acupuncture can help relieve pain
A new study using functional magnetic resonance imaging suggests the effectiveness of acupuncture. Images of the brain were captured during a pain stimulus applied first with acupuncture and then without.
“Until now, the role of acupuncture in the perception and processing of pain has been controversial,” said lead researcher Nina Theysohn, M.D., from the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology at University Hospital in Essen, Germany. “Functional MRI gives us the opportunity to directly observe areas of the brain that are activated during pain perception and see the variances that occur with acupuncture.”
While the participant underwent acupuncture, activity in areas of the brain that are involved in pain perception was significantly reduced.
According to Dr. Theysohn, in addition to the assumed specific effects on the pain signal, acupuncture also affected brain activation in areas governing the patients’ expectations of pain, similar to a placebo analgesic response.
fMRI measures the tiny metabolic changes that take place in an active part of the brain, while a patient performs a task or is exposed to a specific external stimulus.
In the study, conducted in close collabo
ration with the Department of Complementary and Integrative Medicine at University of Duisburg-Essen, 18 healthy volunteers underwent fMRI while an electrical pain stimulus was attached to the left ankle. Acupuncture needles were then placed at three places on the right side, including between the toes, below the knee, and near the thumb. With the needles in place, fMRI was repeated while electrical currents were again directed at the left ankle. The researchers then compared the images and data obtained from the fMRI sessions with no acupuncture to those of the fMRI sessions with acupuncture.
“Activation of brain areas involved in pain perception was significantly reduced or modulated under acupuncture,” Dr. Theysohn said, adding that their findings further support the assumption that acupuncture can help relieve pain.
Chinese herbs can complement proven allergy treatments
Herbal formula shows promise against food allergies
American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: Complementary and alternative medicine may give allergy and asthma sufferers new options for treating symptoms, according to allergists at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Phoenix, Nov. 11-16. Allergists discussed how herbal treatments may be integrated into conventional allergy treatments, including a novel Chinese herbal formula for treating all types of food allergies.
“Integrative therapies blend the art and science of medicine,” said allergist William Silvers, MD, of the ACAAI Integrative Medicine Committee. “This exciting area of medicine offers a variety of complementary approachments, so each patient receives truly individualized care.”
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Why yoga has positive effects on mood and anxiety
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News: Yoga has a greater positive effect on a person’s mood and anxiety level than walking and other forms of exercise, which may be due to higher levels of the brain chemical GABA according to an article in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
Yoga has been shown to increase the level of gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA, a chemical in the brain that helps to regulate nerve activity. GABA activity is reduced in people with mood and anxiety disorders, and drugs that increase GABA activity are commonly prescribed to improve mood and decrease anxiety.
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Study: Tai Chi relieves arthritis pain, improves reach, balance, well-being
University of North Carolina School of Medicine: In the largest study to date of the Arthritis Foundation’s Tai Chi program, participants showed improvement in pain, fatigue, stiffness and sense of well-being.
Their ability to reach while maintaining balance also improved, said Leigh Callahan, PhD, the study’s lead author, associate professor in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and a member of UNC’s Thurston Arthritis Research Center.
“Our study shows that there are significant benefits of the Tai Chi course for individuals with all types of arthritis, including fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis,” Callahan said. “We found this in both rural and urban settings across a southeastern state and a northeastern state.”
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Study shows quality differences in complementary vs. conventional medicine
BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine: As part of a nationwide evaluation of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Swiss primary care, researchers compared patient-physician relationships and the respective patient-reported relief of symptoms between CAM and conventional primary care (COM).
The results showed CAM physicians treated significantly more patients with chronic conditions than COM physicians.
CAM Patients had significant higher healing expectations than COM patients. General patient satisfaction was significantly higher in CAM patients, although patient-reported symptom relief was significantly poorer.
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The spice of life: Curry’s main ingredient has more to offer than good flavor
PhysOrg.com: Along with giving curries and other spicy Asian dishes a bright golden color and peppery flavor, turmeric has been used for centuries as an herbal medicine to treat a host of ailments, like upset stomach, arthritic pain, cuts and bruises.
Mahtab Jafari, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences at UC Irvine, has discovered that the main active ingredient in turmeric may have even greater health benefits. In a study published in Rejuvenation Research, she and Korean researcher Kyung-Jin Min found that curcumin extended the lifespan of fruit flies by up to 20 percent, while improving locomotion and having tumor-prevention properties.
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