article archive
April 2006
Intent, healing and the bodymind ‑‑ beyond
the placebo
by Dr. Christopher Kent
Ask a person to define placebo, and
most will say "a
dummy or sugar pill." Placebos are often used in research
studies to compare results with a "real" drug.
Yet research has shown that there is far more to the placebo
than a tool to "fool" patients into believing they
are receiving an effective treatment. An understanding of
the placebo effect goes to the very heart of understanding
our self‑healing capabilities.
The American Heritage Dictionary
of the English Language [1] defines the placebo effect as "The
beneficial effect in a patient following a particular treatment
that arises from the patient's expectations concerning the
treatment rather than from the treatment itself."
Authors
at the Mayo Clinic [2] have described some important aspects
of the placebo effect, suggesting that it is a means of harnessing
your mind's power to heal:
*** A person with positive expectations
may experience the placebo effect more than someone with lower
expectations.
*** A person whose doctor is supportive and positive
may experience more benefit from a placebo than someone who
doesn't have that relationship.
Other researchers [3] have noted
that "The study of
the placebo effect, at its core, is the study of how the
context of beliefs and values shape brain processes related
to perception and emotion and, ultimately, mental and physical
health." The placebo effect is not "imagined" or "phony." It
has been shown that placebos actually affect the function
of the brain in ways very similar to "active" treatments.
[4]
Some studies that demonstrate the power of the placebo effect
have shown:
*** Approximately 80% of the response to antidepressant
medication was duplicated in placebo control groups. [5]
***
Patients with mild to moderate elevated blood pressure had
a placebo response rate similar to that achieved with medication.
[6,7]
*** Significant placebo effects have been observed in
the fields of pain and analgesia, immune system function, and
motor disorders. [3]
Science has learned that, "Expectation releases substances,
molecules, in your brain, that ultimately change your experience...The
mind, it seems, may play a critical role in treating diseases.
And its services come free of charge, with no co‑payment
or deductible. Getting a person to boost their own machinery
to improve health ‑‑ that's something that medicine
needs to know." [4]
Doctors and other practitioners who
express empathy, connect with the emotional needs of their
patients, and communicate positive intent on a conscious and
subconscious level are master healers. They understand that
the real healer is the bodymind itself, and have developed
the ability to release that potential in their patients.
References
1. "The American Heritage Dictionary of the English
Language," Fourth Edition , (2004). Published by Houghton
Mifflin Company.
2. Placebo effect: harnessing your mind's power
to heal. Science Daily. 12/31/03.
3. Benedetti F, Mayberg HS,
Wager TD, et al: "Neurobiological
mechanisms of the placebo effect." The Journal of Neuroscience
2005;25(45):10390.
4. Guterman L: "Duping the brain into healing the body." The
Chronicle of Higher Education. December 3, 2003.
5. Kirsch I,
Moore TJ, Scoboria A, Nkicholls SS: "The
emperors new drugs: an analysis of antidepressant medication
data submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration." Prevention & Treatment
2002;5(1)23 [Article A].
6. Preston RA, Materson BJ, Reda DJ,
Williams DW: "Placebo‑associated
blood pressure response and adverse effects in the treatment
of hypertension: observations from a Department of Veterans
Affairs Cooperative Study." Archives of Internal Medicine
2000;160(10):1449.
7. http://www.mercola.com/2000/jun/10/placebo_bp.htm
(Dr. Christopher
Kent, president of the Council on Chiropractic Practice, is
a 1973 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic. The WCA's "Chiropractic Researcher of the Year" in
1994, and recipient of that honor from the ICA in 1991, he
was also named ICA "Chiropractor of the Year" in
1998. He is director of research and a co‑founder of
Chiropractic Leadership Alliance. An attorney as well as
a chiropractor, Dr. Kent is a member of the California bar.
With Dr. Patrick Gentempo, Jr., Dr. Kent produces a monthly
audio series, "On Purpose," covering current events
in science, politics and philosophy of vital interest to
the practicing chiropractor. For subscription information
call 800‑892‑6463.)