I was honoured that Dr. Bill Sands took the time to state his opinion on the placebo effect. That was in the comments on this post — Doc Ali on mental toughness
Bill Sands:
There is some argument as to whether or not placebo effects are real. …
… I do not think there is a placebo effect. Period. None. Zip. Zero. Nada. Zilch. …
… Which makes sense to my reductionist materialistic way of thinking: why would actively doing nothing have any measurable physiologic effect? It shouldn’t and it doesn’t. Mind over matter? Bah, humbug. …
Bill is no beat-around-the-busher.
If interested, or if you want to respond, read Dr. Sand’s entire long comment including references here. It’s not easy to argue with Bill, be warned.
Bill does concede that placebos sometimes seem to work, especially when data is subjective and when pain is rated. So don’t completely rule out placebo as a modality, but don’t claim sugar pills cure AIDS, either.
Dr Sands takes on a new position at the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) in Colorado Springs starting 15 December 2011. Congratulations.
6 comments ↓
I’ll really hit a nerve with this one…so, if you need to pull it please feel free, Rick.
Placebo Effect…
Religion? Find God and suddenly live is wonderful and full of miracles!!
So, yeah, I think it could exist.
yawn…college atheists. Too clever by half. If someone has something to believe in, why s#!t on it?
It seems to me that Dr. Sands, who makes many good points (and yes, I did read the whole thing), has more of a problem with the semantics of defining the placebo effect, rather than the effect itself. A change in perception, as he says is usually the case, IS a physical change (or will become one), as anyone who has done any work on neuroplasticity can attest.
I was actually quite surprised by recieving such a long, detailed response from Dr Sands. Quite unexpected. the post must have taken him at least an hour.
I don’t think there really is a debate whether or not the placebo effect exists. The data shows not only it existence but very specific details of it’s effects. For instance they’ve shown that capsules have a greater effect than solid pills, and injections have an even higher effect than capsules. It is no coincidence that they use placebo’s in studies while testing the effects of medications with actual biochemical effects. If there was no placebo effect they would not see statistically relevant differences between medicated, placebo and non-treatment control groups.
” If there was no placebo effect they would not see statistically relevant differences between medicated, placebo and non-treatment control groups.”
Drug trials do not have three arms…there is just treatment arm and placebo arm, and that’s it.
There would be no point, because the point is to see whether the intervention being studied is better than nothing.
Placebo = nothing.
The Placebo effect is real, but it’s size depends on the disease state in question. For analgesia and depression, it can be significant.
For cancer on the other hand, I would say it’s zero.
Many oncology drug trials don’t even have a placebo arm. They compare the standard intervention to the one under study.
Placebos do something, but it’s usually nothing worth paying for. Clinical trials of topical Minoxidil for baldness actually showed hair growth in the placebo group, but most people are actually able to convince themselves they have “more” hair for without shelling out money for drugs. My husband does it all the time…
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