BMJ  2006;332 (18 February), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7538.0-a

Sham devices may have a greater placebo effect than inert pills

In patients with persistent arm pain, a sham acupuncture needle may enhance the placebo effect in comparison with an inert pill. In a randomised controlled trial of 270 adults, Kaptchuk and colleagues (p 391) compared the two placebo treatments and found that a 10 point arm pain scale showed greater downward slopes in the sham device group than in the placebo pill group (-0.33 v -0.15; P = 0.0001). They found no differences for arm function and grip strength.


Figure 1
 Credit: MAURO FERMARIELLO/SPL

 


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Relevant Article

Sham device v inert pill: randomised controlled trial of two placebo treatments
Ted J Kaptchuk, William B Stason, Roger B Davis, Anna R T Legedza, Rosa N Schnyer, Catherine E Kerr, David A Stone, Bong Hyun Nam, Irving Kirsch, and Rose H Goldman
BMJ 2006 332: 391-397. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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