The Nature of Things – Brain Magic: The Power of Placebos

I was watching “The Nature of Things - Brain Magic: The Power of Placebos” the other day. They were stating that the placebo effect can help with of asthma, parkinson's and pain. They performed placebo knee surgery, where they actually cut people open and did nothing, and these people became pain free. Interestingly enough in some of the studies they told people it was a placebo pill they were taking and it didn’t seem to matter if the patient knew or not, as long as they were taking the pills regularly they felt better.

I found this quote regarding the show: “New research is proving that everything from sugar pills, to saline injections, to sham surgery, can have real healing power.” In some ways I think this is amazing, as the person with parkinson's on the show had reduced symptoms, yet on the other hand I think the scientists are a little slow in their assumption that sugar pills, etc., are necessary to feel better when this step could be skipped altogether by using self healing, TMS knowledge and psychological release (and maybe a few other new-age techniques).

To watch this episode of “The Nature of Things” go to:
http://www.cbc.ca/player/Shows/Shows/The+Nature+of+Things/ID/2414212635/

I think the show is worth watching as you don’t hear people rejecting drugs for placebo pills every day.

 

It is amazing and shows that really - we make ourselves ill - and we are the ones that can heal ourselves!!

 

Simple encouragement can be the best placebo.
A doctor telling us we're not sick and don't have anything going on inside our body or mind to harm us
can make us feel great. If we tell ourselves that, it works just as well.