Placebo

I almost missed this totally interesting documentary because Cogeco describes it's programs incorrectly more times than is acceptable.  Anyway, I did see most of the hour long program on the use of placebos for patients and was absolutely amazed at what I learned.

I watched as orthopedic surgeons did knee replacement surgery...some did the full surgery, some only scoped (scraped), but some only made a small incision and did no repair at all.  What is amazing is that all of the patients experienced full and successful recovery...even the ones who had nothing done.  The placebo effect is well known because our minds are amazing things that I truly believe could heal every ailment if we allowed ourselves to believe it can.  

I easily accept that patients receiving a placebo instead of a drug for depression would have excellent results but people who need knee replacement surgery have an actual physical disability so that's harder to understand.  I know people who are in need of such surgery and they are in real pain from inflammation.  How can a placebo treatment solve that problem?  I believe the patient self heals.

When I hear the expression "faith healing", this is what I think happens.  The person believes they're healed so therefore they trigger their brain to create what is needed in the body to accomplish the healing.

Even doctors believe we can heal ourselves.  When someone has cancer, they are often advised to picture their immune system attacking the cancer cells and destroying them.  I've never seen any research done on the success rate but I bet the true believers do well.

In any case, I wish we had more interesting programs on T.V. like this one instead of the massive pile of crap they usually televise.