229: The Placebo Effect: How Suggestible Are You?

Have you heard of sham surgeries? In 2002, 180 people with osteoarthritis of the knee joined a double-blind study. Some patients underwent real arthroscopic surgery and a placebo group simply had a skin incision and then were stitched back up. Here is where it gets weird. The placebo group self-reported identical results to those who had undergone actual surgery. This is just one example of thousands of documented instances of "mind over body" in healing modalities ranging from allopathic medicine and crystal therapy to group prayer and homeopathy. How can this be? On this week's Yoga Talk Show, we'll try to get to the bottom of this very real phenomenon. ------------ What You´ll Learn: Why the scientific method has always been hindered by the placebo effect as it taints nearly every data set—it's omnipresent How crystals, prayer healing, Reiki, and fridge modalities can sometimes deliver amazing results Why certain conditions that respond better to placebos (ex: pain, skin conditions, Parkinson's, depression, anxiety) How shame surgeries can be just as effective as real surgeries Why hypnosis and placebo are not necessarily connected Links & Resources: Suggestible You Erik Vance's Site Sham Surgery References Sham Knee Surgery Trial  ABOUT OUR GUEST Erik Vance is a native Bay Area writer living in Mexico. In his earlier life, he was a biologist, a rock climbing guide, an environmental consultant, and an environmental educator. His work focuses on the human element of science – the people who do it, those who benefit from it, and those who do not. He has written for The New York Times, Nature, Scientific American, Harper's, National Geographic, and a number of other local and national outlets. His first book, Suggestible You, about how the mind and body continually twist and shape our realities was inspired by his feature in Discover and is on Amazon. You can learn more about his work at www.ErikVance.com  Nutritional Tip: Cooking with Olive Oil Got Questions? Send me a voicemail here: http://www.YogaBody.com/AskLucas   Or write to us: [email protected]   Like the Show? Leave us a Review on iTunes: http://www.yogabody.com/reviews   Thanks to Our Sponsor: Essential Mister Let me guess… you love essential oils but are sick and tired of diffusers that look like lava lamps from the 1960's? If so, you need YOGABODY Essential Mister with a real-wood exterior. The simple, elegant design is a lovely addition to any room in the house, and it's simple, foolproof functioning allows you to set it and forget it for hours and hours of continuous use. Originally designed for our commercial yoga studios, The Essential Mister allows you to bring the power of Aromatherapy to your home or office. USA-plug, but with a simple adapter can be used in any country. 1-year warranty, 100% satisfaction guaranteed. Learn More

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