Chiropractic and Placebos

Placebos harness the power of the mind.

Some dismiss the results our patients receive as merely the placebo effect. These cynics virtually ignore the mind/body connection that most forward-thinking health care experts are finally recognizing.

A placebo (from the Latin ‘I will please’) is often a sugar pill or some type of sham treatment that invokes the beliefs of the patient, and in the case of double blind studies, the beliefs of the doctor. Some studies show that placebos can be 30% to 40% effective.

Should the consistent results that today's chiropractic patient enjoys be simply chalked up to the placebo effect and a caring personality?

Hardly. While it’s always helpful if the patient believes the care they’re receiving will help them, chiropractic care regularly helps newborns, infants and even horses and house pets for which the power of the believing mind is clearly not a factor.

 

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Dr. Brian Asks some important questions of interest to Stockton residents - Chiropractor Stockton Dr. Brian Asks...

What's the difference between a "good" drug and a "bad" drug?
As a chiropractor, I see the use of many drugs (legal or illegal) as merely symptom treating. Worse, virtually every drug produces unwanted effects. The effects of chiropractic are largely positive effects. If you're a Stockton parent, consider carefully before giving your child a cough medication, cold remedy or pain reliever so this sort of question doesn't arise in the first place.
How does headache medication find the headache?
It can't! Chiropractors know that when you ingest a drug and it enters your bloodstream it numbs or deadens your entire body. Chiropractic adjustments, on the other hand, are specific, targeted and delivered with precision.