The placebo, the simple sugar pill, is proving to validate the healing power, not of pharmaceutical drugs, but the healing power of the human mind. The placebo may not add to the coffers of the drug companies, but it can certainly profit individuals in their intention to heal themselves.
The new technology of brain imaging is showing that the changes produced by placebos aren’t just psychological, they’re actually producing measurable changes in the brain.
The most commonly understood form of placebo is in the treatment of pain, where placebos are known to trigger the production of endogenous opiates, the body’s own version morphine. What’s being learned is that the brain can be triggered by placebos to make a broad array of healing chemicals, such as the production of more dopamine, in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
An interesting study was conducted at Baylor University’s medical school, that was focused on orthopedic surgery for arthritic knees. One group of subjects received the actual surgery. Another group received only an incision on their knee, but believed they had received the expected surgery. Recovery between the two groups was virtually identical, in terms of improvements in range of motion, and decreases in pain.
While the placebo is known to trigger healing, the nocebo is known to trigger symptoms of illness. A study published in 1969 in Psychosomatic Medicine demonstrated that the same inert substance could act both as a placebo, and as a nocebo. An inhaler containing only water was given to asthmatics explaining that it contained allergens and could cause symptoms of an asthma attack. Forty-eight percent of the group experienced significant constriction of their airways. The subjects were subsequently offered another inhaler (containing water) and were told that this would end their attack, which it did.
This research suggests that doctors need to reconsider the power of their communication with patients. Their warmth, confidence. and optimism translates into positive biology. On the other hand, their negative prognoses and lack of empathy dampens an individuals ability to heal.
The most important message here may be that we need to re-assess what we personally believe about our own potential for healing, and to speak to ourselves in a way that’s congruent with that belief.
Dr. Templin offers online courses and consultations, and sees patients personally in his office in Lakeland, Florida. You can learn more about his course Bio-Energetic Focusing: A Revolutionary Medical Model for Self-Healing! here.
Steven Templin, D.O.M., Dipl. Ac., is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, specializing in MindBody Medicine. He is a certified META-Medicine Health Coach and nationally certified acupuncturist. He shares the underlying science and more importantly, the practical tools for resolving the unconscious energetic and emotional roots of illness. In his online course Bio-Energetic Focusing: A Revolutionary Medical Model for Self-Healing! he provides training in Self-Regulation skills, that include Bio-Energetic Focusing, HeartMath and Energy Psychology techniques, Energy Medicine modalities, and Gastrointestinal repair for enhanced immunity, mood, and mental clarity. Dr. Templin is in private practice in Lakeland, Florida, at the Natural Medicine Center of Lakeland.
Steve is a retired Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture Physician, and HeartMath Trauma-Sensitive Certified Practitioner with over 35 years of clinical experience in Energy Medicine, Energy Psychology, and Biofeedback.