Comments on: The placebo effect affects pain signalling in the spine http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/10/15/the-placebo-effect-affects-pain-signalling-in-the-spine/ Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:00:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Andrew http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/10/15/the-placebo-effect-affects-pain-signalling-in-the-spine/#comment-5027 Andrew Sun, 26 Dec 2010 12:39:17 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/10/15/the-placebo-effect-affects-pain-signalling-in-the-spine/#comment-5027 Eric, The point is not whether rubbing the skin alone, or rubbing the skin with inactive cream provides an improvement in pain perception or dorsal horn activity (which it surely would due to the gateway mechanism of controlling pain), it is whether there is a difference between the control and the placebo group who are performing two physically identical activities (rubbing the skin with cream). This study reports a greater decrease in pain in the group who are told they are using anaesthetic, than in the group who are told they are using an inert cream. Without seeing the raw data it is impossible to say for certain, but there could have been improvements in pain levels in both groups, and just a GREATER improvement in the placebo group. Eric,

The point is not whether rubbing the skin alone, or rubbing the skin with inactive cream provides an improvement in pain perception or dorsal horn activity (which it surely would due to the gateway mechanism of controlling pain), it is whether there is a difference between the control and the placebo group who are performing two physically identical activities (rubbing the skin with cream).

This study reports a greater decrease in pain in the group who are told they are using anaesthetic, than in the group who are told they are using an inert cream. Without seeing the raw data it is impossible to say for certain, but there could have been improvements in pain levels in both groups, and just a GREATER improvement in the placebo group.

]]> By: Eric http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/10/15/the-placebo-effect-affects-pain-signalling-in-the-spine/#comment-5026 Eric Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:57:25 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/10/15/the-placebo-effect-affects-pain-signalling-in-the-spine/#comment-5026 Even if it's not medically active... I could still see how a cream might have an effect on certain pain receptors in the skin. Putting Vaseline on a burn surely makes it feel better. What I really wonder is if this can be replicated with pill placebos. Even if it’s not medically active… I could still see how a cream might have an effect on certain pain receptors in the skin. Putting Vaseline on a burn surely makes it feel better.
What I really wonder is if this can be replicated with pill placebos.

]]> By: Margaret Collins http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/10/15/the-placebo-effect-affects-pain-signalling-in-the-spine/#comment-5025 Margaret Collins Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:14:04 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/10/15/the-placebo-effect-affects-pain-signalling-in-the-spine/#comment-5025 even if "medicinal" cream is a placebo, the little massage the body gets helps! even if “medicinal” cream is a placebo, the little massage the body gets helps!

]]> By: Ed Yong http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/10/15/the-placebo-effect-affects-pain-signalling-in-the-spine/#comment-5024 Ed Yong Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:46:14 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/10/15/the-placebo-effect-affects-pain-signalling-in-the-spine/#comment-5024 Surely the entire homeopathic industry is built around marshalling the placebo effect for money? ;-) Surely the entire homeopathic industry is built around marshalling the placebo effect for money? ;-)

]]> By: Lilian Nattel http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/10/15/the-placebo-effect-affects-pain-signalling-in-the-spine/#comment-5023 Lilian Nattel Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:51:07 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/10/15/the-placebo-effect-affects-pain-signalling-in-the-spine/#comment-5023 It's too bad there isn't money in marshaling the placebo effect. So much might be one for people in chronic pain if there was more research in that direction. It’s too bad there isn’t money in marshaling the placebo effect. So much might be one for people in chronic pain if there was more research in that direction.

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