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originally posted by: onequestion
a reply to: Eunuchorn
If it works is it really a placebo or is it a methodology?
originally posted by: GetHyped
Placebo works on animals too.
Fully discussing placebo effects is a topic for another blog (or several other blogs). Regardless, whether or not placebo effects exist in human medicine, there is little evidence that they exist in animals. (1) In general, for a placebo response to occur, it would seen require that the patient being treated recognize that there is an intentional effort to treat. Animals would appear to lack the ability to comprehend such intentions (other than they may not like a particular intervention). As such, animals would not be able to participate in placebo-generating experiences. So, for example, one couldn’t rationally suggest to a dog that a particular therapy might help it get better, or that it was beneficial because it was “natural;” one presumably wouldn’t wax eloquent to a horse that a particular therapy might give it a window of hope for recovery. They just wouldn’t understand.
Still, there are many explanations for how a placebo-like effect might be explained in animals. Take conditioning. Conditioning theory proposes that bodily changes result following exposure to a stimulus that previously produced that change. This is perhaps the most intuitively acceptable explanation for any placebo effects in animals.
...
However, there’s no evidence whatsoever that animals can benefit from, or even experience, placebo effects.
To take an “alternative” example, it has been shown that a single acupuncture treatment is as effective as petting a horse, when it comes to relief of signs of chronic airway disease; that is, there’s no demonstrable effect of acupuncture beyond simple handling.
originally posted by: Eunuchorn
a reply to: GetHyped
I think a lot of people who spent years studying the nervous system & getting licenses & degrees might disagree with you.
originally posted by: GetHyped
I don't believe acupuncture works in humans, let alone animals.