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Touch for therapeutic communication
The benefits of placebos
Therapeutic touch in clinical psychology
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Recommended: Touch for therapeutic communication
Video “Stossel Testing Therapeutic touch” (7/17/16). Some things never change like the idea of the placebo effect that is relevant today. A fourth grader conducted a study which proved therapeutic touch was ineffective, yet therapeutic touch is still in used. Scientists say it is still use because if someone believes something like therapeutic touch will work then it may. This is known as a placebo effect. Placebos are extremely relevant today, so much so that they are used in experiments for products to gain the approval of the FDA. FDA approval contains placebos to insure a product actually does what it claims it does, and it is not just working because a group of people believe in the product. In these experiments the placebo group
Ernst, E., & Resch, K. L. (1995). Concept of true and perceived placebo effects. British Medical
Penfield’s recherce and brain stimulation he was able to map the brain and its functional organization in living people. During his experiments he found that sending a shock to certain parts of the brain would have different reactions. By using this method Penfield was able to find the cause of epilepsy seizers and destroy it. In one case the patient would smell burnt toast right before a seizer, he used this knowledge to probe the limbic system to recreate the smell. None of this would have been possible without the map he created, the map was so influential that it is still used today. However, we no longer need to cut open the skull to see what inside, thanks to modern medicine MRIs are used to see what’s going on in our
The placebo effect has been one of the most interesting but irritating topics within biomedical science for over the past 60 years. Through this speech I wish to inform and educate while I discuss the placebo effect and cover what it is, how it works and why that is.
Furthermore, she recommends that scientists explore other alternatives, such as, computer simulations and tests on tissue and cells. Although Goodall sheds light on great alternatives and uses great statistics, Goodall’s essay comes off as too preachy and fails to realize that if it were as simple as to use a computer simulation to cure a drug, of course there would be no need for animals such as primates to be tested on. Although it may sound unsympathetic, in order to find cures and medical discoveries there needs to be trial and error and, unfortunately, in this instance we have to use primates and other animals for research. Goodall believes that animals are used for no reason, however, animals are not necessarily used for no reason because scientists are trying rigorously to find solutions through each trial in order to treat conditions such as cancer and
Touch is as essential to a healthy and happy life as eating right, getting proper sleep, and exercising. With the world growing more technological, the need for healthy human contact is more important than ever. Massage and body therapies are an age old healing refuge for us in this fast-paced, stressed-out world. The practice of massage therapy is rapidly growing in the United States. It has so much to offer and is becoming more widely accepted by doctors and the general public. Massage is touching another person by such movements as rubbing, kneading, pressing, rolling, slapping, and tapping. This type of therapy provides circulation of the blood and lymph, relaxation of muscles, relief from pain, restoration of metabolic balance, and many other benefits both physical and mental. There is much historical evidence to indicate that massage is one of the earliest remedies for pain relief and for the restoration of a healthy body. It is said to be the most natural and instinctive means of relieving pain and discomfort. Massage has proven to be an effective method for treating many conditions for thousands of years and it will continue to be used for thousands of years to come. Massage therapy is a great treatment for the body and soul.
Derived from several ancient healing practices, therapeutic touch is based on the theory of human energy fields - every person has an energy field that surrounds the entire body. During therapeutic touch treatment, practitioners use their hands, without actually touching the person, to re-establish a healthy energy flow. Therapeutic touch seeks to restore balance within the body while also stimulating the patient's own healing response. The practice of therapeutic touch is used worldwide in thousands of hospitals, clinics, and private practices. It is an easily learned, successful complement to other healing programs.
The placebo effect has been observed in numerous studies spanning a wide spectrum of symptoms and maladies – everything from cancer to baldness and depression to sexual arousal. An early and famous story about the placebo effect is that of Mr. Wright. In Long Beach, California, in 1957, he was diagnosed with cancer and given only days to live. While in the hospital, he heard about a miracle cure called Kerbiozen, which supposedly had been effective in fighting cancer in certain cases. Wright begged to be treated with Kerbiozen in a last ditch attempt to save his own life. His doctor, Dr. Philip West, granted his request and administered an injection of this drug to Wright. Within a few days, Dr. West was amazed to find that Wright up and about, and even joking with his nurses. The tumors had spontaneously melted away. Then, a number of months later Wright read a medical report that claimed that this drug was actually a "quack remedy" with no real medical value. He immediately relapsed. Dr. West reassured him that the medicine was in fact very useful in fighting cancer and administered what he told Wright was a new, super strength dosage of the drug. Again the tumors disappeared, even though Wright had only re...
Further research also needs to understand the empirical difference between physical touch and therapeutic touch.
Throughout the article the author criticizes the methods used by advertisers to make consumers purchase their products. The author writes about over exaggerated claims about the product, such as its ability to “properly align the biomagnetic field around your feet” and to “heal your entire body as you walk”. These claims make the product seem like it’s the greatest product ever made. The author uses this strategy of fake science to mock the hyperbolized claims companies will make about their “amazing” product. To make these outrageous claims seem more believable, they have “professionals” comment on their
Their first criterion deals with the testability of the therapy or treatment. Valid scientific treatments have the ability to be thoroughly examined. If a therapy or treatment cannot be tested, it is not credible. Many pseudoscience therapies claim to have proven and verifiable results. However, the claims are not founded on experiment based evidence (Fin, Bothe and Bramlett, 2005, p. 173). In their second claim, Fin, Bothe and Bramlett (2005) address the adaptability of a treatment method when conflicting evidence is presented (p. 173) . This claim, much like the first claim, deals with the evaluation of the therapy. In true scientific treatment, the goal is to provide valid therapies. Thus, any scientific evidence that differs from the original research is thoughtfully analyzed and, changes or corrections are made when necessary (Fin, Bothe and Bramlett, 2005, p. 173). The third criterion deals with verifiable evidence. It is important for treatments to be assessed in a way that allows for the possibility of failure and, when contradictory evidence is discovered, it cannot be ignored. Pseudoscientific treatments often ignore contradictory evidence and base their claims solely on confirming evidence. (Fin, Bothe and Bramlett, 2005, p. 173). Criterion four offers insight on narrative based evidence. The positive claims associated with pseudoscience are...
This may be true but research has shown that using these new ways of testing is just as effective as using tests on animals like stated in the previous sentences. In conclusion, alternative methods are new and better than testing on animals and by doing these other tests people can save animals from pain and save animals lives.
In today’s scientific world, experiments aren’t done with little precaution. A lot of research and thinking has to be done before anything is tested. Move back to about 1816, when science and medicine were constantly changing, with new treatments and discoveries constantly appearing (Cultural). There were many different types of professions performing science and medical experiments during this time, the same way that Victor Frankenstein was only a college student studying natural philosophy when he performed a very important science in exper...
The objective of a placebo is to compare and assure that a new drug or operational procedure is effective. In experiments, the placebo is an inactive substance or procedure used as a control in an experiment (1). The placebo looks, tastes or feels just like the actual treatment (2). A false procedure for example, may consist of advising a person that he/she will be operated on and then making an incision into a person without operating. Subjects are advised of their probability of receiving actual treatment in order to maintain the expectation level of the participants. The efficacy of making an incision maintains the expectation level of the subject because the presence of a scar raises their belief that they were placed in the actual treatment group. Whether the placebo is a 'sugar pill' or an...
Whenever there is a new product or theory that someone comes up with, it is most likely going to be tested on an animal. Harry Harlow’s is a prime example as he tested out a theory on monkeys do to their biological compatibility with humans. His experiments were undoubtedly unethical and show that animals can be grossly mistreated during testing periods. Harlow’s research was conducted in order to see if love comes from touch or if it comes from nutritional value.
Magnets have a long history in medical applications. In 18th century Europe, the use of magnets was just another type of what we now call “faith healing.” To this day, people continue to experiment with magnetic therapy. The magnetic devices that are claimed to be therapeutic include: magnetic bracelets, insoles, knee and wrist bands, back and neck braces, and even pillows and mattresses. Magnetic therapy has become so common that a Google search for “magnets and pain relief” returns over 700,000 results. Some advocates of magnetic therapy claim magnets to be a strong alternative to conventional pain medication. But are magnets a legitimate form of medicine? Besides the use of magnets in everyday life—in televisions, refrigerators and computers—magnets have acquired a medical reputation for relieving pain. Magnets are said to increase circulation to problem areas, reduce swelling and aid in recovery. As of 2007, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCAM) had performed a number of preliminary scientific studies with no clear results on the efficacy of the healing powers of magnetic devices. Just as important, NCAM, continues to pronounce magnet therapy as a mystical form of relief that is very real but cannot yet be explained. Still, magnet merchants dominate internet searches. As explained by Cepeda, Carr and Sarquis, “…it is crystal clear that billions of dollars [$300 million in the U.S. alone] have already been spent on magnet therapy, or perhaps, wasted on magnet therapy. To be blunt, there is no proven benefit to magnet therapy.” This paper will examine the legitimacy of magnet therapy, the pseudoscience that acts as evidence to its supporters and the science that challenges its fac...