Live Long and Well with Dr. Bobby

#28: Is it the Remedy, a Placebo, or just Time? And, How Can You Tell the Difference?


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Fascinating interplay between placebos and nocebos: what they are, why they matter, and how they shape your health decisions. Understanding these effects can help you save money, avoid disappointment, and make better-informed choices.

Key Points:

  • Placebos and Nocebos Defined:
    • A placebo is an inert treatment leading to perceived improvement.
    • A nocebo occurs when negative expectations cause symptoms, even without an active trigger.
  • Personal Stories:
    • My N-of-1 trial with creatine showed measurable improvements in muscle mass, confirming results beyond placebo effects.
    • A friend’s experience with plantar fasciitis improvement through chiropractic care raised questions about the placebo effect.
    • Taking a "statin holiday" revealed potential nocebo-related muscle soreness, which I’m further testing.
  • Historical Context:
    • Early mentions of placebos include 16th-century sham exorcisms, where false holy relics exposed imagined reactions​.
    • The first placebo-controlled trial in 1863 tested rheumatism treatments, showing equal results between opium creams and inert plant-based ointments​.
  • Scientific Insights:
    • Pain Relief: A study using laser pain tests demonstrated reduced pain with a placebo cream compared to control groups (study link).
    • Depression: Research on placebo antidepressants revealed that labeled placebos activated opioid receptors in the brain, mimicking real treatments (study link).
    • Sham Surgeries: A study on knee arthroscopy found no difference between real and placebo procedures over two years, reshaping how such surgeries are viewed (study link).
    • Sports Performance: Athletes showed enhanced cycling performance when they believed they received enriched oxygen, demonstrating the power of belief in physical exertion (study link).
  • Everyday Medicine:
    • A UK survey found that 77% of doctors regularly use “impure placebos” such as unnecessary supplements or low-dose prescriptions to reassure patients (study link).

Takeaways:

  1. Question Health Claims: Evaluate whether improvements from treatments or products might stem from placebo effects, not actual efficacy.
  2. Test for Yourself: Apply N-of-1 experiments to discern the true impact of treatments, incorporating blind tests where possible.
  3. Stay Skeptical: Avoid falling for placebo-driven marketing claims and expensive remedies that may lack scientific backing.

Let me know your thoughts or questions by visiting drbobbylivelongandwell.com. Let’s keep exploring how to live long and well!

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Live Long and Well with Dr. BobbyBy Dr. Bobby Dubois

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