Tucson Social Security Disability Blog

Where Pseudoscience Meets The Placebo Effect

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From the realm of “no kidding” comes a study from Australia regarding homeopathy.  The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia studied the effectiveness of homeopathy and came to a simple, direct, and concrete conclusion: It does not help any condition. In case you don’t know, homeopathy is the absurd notion that ever-smaller amounts of toxins can treat the illnesses said toxins cause. The catchphrase is “like treats like.”   The recent antipodean study follows on one done in England which reached the same conclusion in 2010. There really is no dispute left that homeopathy is simple nonsense. But more and more research shows the power of the placebo effect.  Some studies have shown the placebo effect works even if those administering the phony treatment tell the patients its phony.  So what to do? The lesson seems to be that if you think taking some highly-diluted tincture of toxin will cure your back pain, go to it.  But don’t skip more traditional medical treatments while you do so.  It’s one thing to indulge in scientific fantasy, but another to risk your health while doing so. 

For more, see Understanding the Placebo Effect.

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About The Author

Since 1992, I have been helping the people of Southern Arizona get the benefits they are due. Before devoting all my efforts to assisting people with Social Security disability claims, I also handled such complex lawsuits as medical malpractice and products liability. I brought to my Social Security cases all the skills and attention to detail that I developed in the courtroom. I approach each Social Security disability case as if it were a million-dollar lawsuit. For the people trying to get Social Security benefits, their claim is every bit as important. Because I have personally handled so many Social Security cases, I have refined the skills I need to win your case for you. I have helped people win cases for every kind of ailment from arthritis to valley fever. At present, I am focused on helping those persons with neurological and orthopedic disorders. Because claims for people over age fifty bring additional complications, I particularly seek out those cases to work on. I regularly write about back and spine conditions on my blog. I actively seek out the latest information about orthopedic and neurological disorders to ensure I can represent my clients as effectively as possible. Because of my current focus, I regret that I am not able to take any cases for mental disorders. If you are over age fifty and suffer from any orthopedic or neurological disorder, please contact me at once.