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I want to redefine PLACEBO.
“Placebo” is considered a dirty word, a trick, a word reserved to describe saline injections and sugar pills. Somehow, ‘placebo’ has become synonymous with quack doctors and fakery.
“Placebo” is considered a dirty word, a trick, a word reserved to describe saline injections and sugar pills. Somehow, ‘placebo’ has become synonymous with quack doctors and fakery.
Far too often we are led to believe that a tissue specific intervention is solely responsible for a positive increase in our treatment outcome.
But in the bottle of milk, the contextual, psychosocial factors far outweigh the milky mass of a ‘specific’ tissue intervention.
But in the bottle of milk, the contextual, psychosocial factors far outweigh the milky mass of a ‘specific’ tissue intervention.
@waltfritz says on the subject of anatomy:
“Sure, anatomy is important, but which anatomy?”
... and it raises a large philosophical dilemma for the continuing education student.
“Sure, anatomy is important, but which anatomy?”
... and it raises a large philosophical dilemma for the continuing education student.
Almost all continuing (and some initial) manual therapy Education is centred around treating muscles. Something which when you think about it is weird because we can’t actually touch them, only skin. Yes we can indirectly affect them, but we are still having to navigate a complex
richly innervated dermal sheath before getting to the muscles.
We are in a chasm in which the student learns how to ‘activate’ or ‘trigger point’ or ‘myofascially release’ or ‘insert brand of manual intervention here’ muscle X or Y... yet our truth is, we are touching the skin
We are in a chasm in which the student learns how to ‘activate’ or ‘trigger point’ or ‘myofascially release’ or ‘insert brand of manual intervention here’ muscle X or Y... yet our truth is, we are touching the skin
Where is the education to increase the positive interaction of communication?
Now we could say that arguably the most important part of the ritual of manual therapy treatment is TOUCH, so it is important that we actually know,
Now we could say that arguably the most important part of the ritual of manual therapy treatment is TOUCH, so it is important that we actually know,
to the highest degree of certainty what it is we’re supposed to be doing, and how best to go about doing it based on the presentation.
Yet everything else leading up to that touch will inform the effectiveness of that tissue specific interaction. Some of those might be:
Yet everything else leading up to that touch will inform the effectiveness of that tissue specific interaction. Some of those might be:
- the pre therapy interaction
- the way you book the treatment
- the cost of the booking
- the online reviews
- the social media follower count
- the length of treatment
- the size of the room
- the ambience of the room
- the room decor (medical vs artistic)
- the way you book the treatment
- the cost of the booking
- the online reviews
- the social media follower count
- the length of treatment
- the size of the room
- the ambience of the room
- the room decor (medical vs artistic)
- the recommendation to the therapist
- the commendations of the therapist
- the education of the therapist
- the outfit of the therapist
- the cleanliness of the room and therapist
- the language of the therapist
- the novelty of any treatment
- the commendations of the therapist
- the education of the therapist
- the outfit of the therapist
- the cleanliness of the room and therapist
- the language of the therapist
- the novelty of any treatment
- the frequency of a ‘rare’ treatment given
- the agreement of your conditions
- the worldview of the patient and therapist
Those are just SOME of the contextual factors that may influence how successful the treatment is,
- the agreement of your conditions
- the worldview of the patient and therapist
Those are just SOME of the contextual factors that may influence how successful the treatment is,
and they are not fake, they are very real, and very important to the client healing.
I want to redefine PLACEBO as a complex contextual interaction which empowers the patient, not a useless sugar pill.
EDIT: Rey Allen pointed out that the correct terminology is PLACEBO EFFECTS
I want to redefine PLACEBO as a complex contextual interaction which empowers the patient, not a useless sugar pill.
EDIT: Rey Allen pointed out that the correct terminology is PLACEBO EFFECTS
Credit by @skingvocal, Founder of the Voice Care Centre.
