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The benefits of placebo effect
The benefits of placebo effect
The benefits of placebo effect
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Buddha once said, “The mind is everything. What you think, you become.” The human brain possesses abilities and powers far beyond what one could ever imagine. Throughout the years, various studies have proven the brain’s capability to heal the body in a phenomenon known as the placebo effect. In short, this effect occurs when a doctor prescribes faux pills or gives fake operations to his patient, and the patient still recovers because of the immense power of the mind. Though employing the placebo effect means a doctor deceives his patient, this practice encounters much success; therefore, it should be allowed.
In the medical world, a stark difference between placebos and the term “placebo effect” exists. Substances, like sugar pills or fake injections, which have no medicinal effect, bear the name “pure placebos” (Saljoughian). “Impure placebos,” on the other hand, do elicit an effect for some illnesses, but not necessarily the illness for which the doctors prescribe them, for example: vitamins and antibiotics, which have a medicinal purpose (De Craen). When doctors use the terminology the placebo effect, they refer to “patient’s response to a treatment that is attributable to some reason other than the treatment’s pharmacologic effect,” (Niemi). In order to provoke the placebo effect, a doctor prescribes either a pure or impure placebo, without telling the patient. These different definitions hold significance because of the diversity of their meanings.
Widely used throughout history, placebos date as far back as Greek and Roman physicians (Saljoughian). The well-known Greek doctor Hippocrates stated that “many patients… have taken a turn for the worse…by the declaration… of what is present,” thus implying that placebos are accep...
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The case of Marguerite M presents an ethical dilemma. Medical ethics play a special role in medicine and is directly concerned with its practice. Its role has continued to evolve as changes develop in
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To help humanity better its health and to better understand the placebo effect. If over the counter medicine performs better than the placebo, then it won’t be allowed to enter the market. Scientist should follow the key points to achieve a positive effect of the placebo effect. There are many limits to the placebo effect but to better humanity’s understanding on the placebo effect there should be more research and studies on the placebo effect in accordance to modern medicine, it will be every beneficial for society in the long
Freudenrich, C. (2007, November 9). How Pain Works. HowStuffWorks. Retrieved November 13, 2013, from http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/pain.htm
Alternative medicines have constructed many theories to determine the impact of vitalism on the body. A few of the best-known theories are bioenergetic fields and the subsets of this category. This means that humans are surrounded by a field of energy, as proposed by Mesmer in his theories. These are called the human “aura” (Patterson,1998). Each organ in the body has an electromagnetic frequency, a factor used by alternative healers to direct their specific treatment modality. When illness occurs, it is because of a struggle between positive and negative electromagnetic waves inside the body (Stenger, 1999). Alternative practitioners claim “that they can affect cures for many ills by ‘manipulating’ this field, thereby bringing the body’s ‘live energies’ into balance” (Stenger, 1999).
Though the research seems pretty sound in the ethical department, one could say that placebo controlled studies could be unethical in themselves. Accepting someone into a clinical trial gives him or her hope of improvement, but they may not ever get that chance. If they were placed in the control group, they would only receive a sugar pill that would have no health implications. Though part of many successful and effective experiments, it could be raised as an ethical issue.
My conclusion based on current evidence is that these treatments have the potential to help people in pain but also had a huge liability in the form of potential misuse. I look forward to the continued use of neuroscience in pursuit of ways to help humans in ethical ways and also hope that these methods won’t remove a part that I consider to be intrinsic to what makes us human and defines both our moral character and ethical standing within the world.
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...e gap in attitudes between pre-medicalized and modern time periods. The trends of technological advancement and human understanding project a completely medicalized future in which medical authorities cement their place above an intently obedient society.
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... placebo” . In response to this claim by Egger, Rutten claims that no one knows what the exact mechanism is for homeopathy and that many studies have shown homeopathy to be effective to treat upper- respiratory issues (Rutten). This argument exemplifies issues that are caused by alternative medicines that compete with conventional medicines.