Category Archives: placebo

Confusing the benefits of salty and non-salty baths

I’m on holiday for a couple weeks at the moment, so updates will be slow for a couple weeks. But of course I never truly stop working entirely … A recent email exchange with a reader inspired this small piece, which is really more about critical thinking and cognitive distortion than Epsom salts. In this case, [...]
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And again! More muscle knot squishing science, different experiment, same results

Odd! Just a couple days after posting about a not-yet-published study of trigger point squishing — quite a rare subject for research — I came across (via @massagetherapy) an almost identical study that is published. They also reported news that makes massage therapists smile: …using ischemic compression on shoulder trigger points may reduce the symptoms of [...]
Also posted in evidence-based medicine, massage, massage therapy, massage tools, research, science, self-massage, self-treatment, therapy, treatment, trigger points | Leave a comment

What is the difference between the “confidence cure” and a mere placebo?

The most familiar example of a confidence cure is when you go to your doctor frightened by a strange and unpleasant symptom, and your doctor compassionately chuckles and authoritatively explains that you have nothing to worry about: the condition is common and easily treatable. You have no doubt that he knows what he’s talking about. [...]
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