The Power of the mind : Mind Body Link

So how exactly does it work? Never underestimate the Power of the Mind and the whole Placebo Effect...

A television documentary on the BBC recently showed a lady undergoing major dental procedures where no anaesthetic was used, just hypnotherapy; she was awake for the whole procedure, and amazingly reported that it was totally pain free!

Medical libraries are full of clinically documented trials investigating the power of the human mind and the part that the placebo plays; the scientific interest in the Mind Body Link is now stronger than at any time in history.

In a clinical trial undertaken in the USA, a group of patients were taken to the operating theatre, expecting an operation to improve their arthritic knees: they were given a general anaesthetic, following which they underwent the normal surgical procedure performed by their surgeon. Others were taken to theatre, also expecting the operation, but instead of undergoing the actual surgical procedure, after being given a general anaesthetic they simply had incisions made in their skin in the appropriate position. The result? Both groups showed similar levels of improvement in walking and general mobility and reduction in pain, regardless of whether they had undergone the operation or not.

A recently well-documented trial which involved 39 independent studies into antidepressent drugs and their effectiveness, concluded that 50% of all therapeutic benefits came from the placebo effect, rather than the medication, with a poor 27% being attributed to drug intervention (Fluoxetine, Sertraline and Paroxetine). Patients were simply told "You will feel much better in a couple of days of taking these drugs" (sugar pills), and of course they did, exactly as instructed.

NEXT >