Placebo effect...really?

[ning]

I injured my left shoulder maybe 40 years ago, and for the last couple of months it has been so sore that I cannot sleep, or even lay on my left side for any length of time

I have no idea what I did to my shoulder (other than probably tear something 20 years ago, I remember a pop while benching way too much for my frame) but a couple years ago I suddenly started getting intense pain in the middle of the night, like wake up almost crying paralyzed in pain, and I was unable to reach overhead to grab my power cord, etc. It didn't hurt all of the time, just when I was in certain positions, so like an idiot occasionally I'd do something stupid like find a lawnmower-blade-killing rock in the yard, pick it up and throw it... and have my shoulder explode in pain.

Eventually I complained to a doctor, who said "impingement syndrome"; basically a substantially irritated tendon. I've basically learned not to sleep on that side any more, and my shoulder is almost normal about a year after I started making a point not to sleep on it. Another thing that helps a ton - topical ibuprofen gel. Nice thing about it is that it absorbs and helps the area it's on as opposed to affecting your whole body; you can use 10mg of ibuprofen equivalent and get relief where 400mg systemically did very little.
It's not sold in USA, but you can buy it and get it shipped eg from UK (I think the last time I shopped it was vivomed.com).

 

[CADplans]

The wife and I have always wanted to loose some weight, and ran across the KETO diet last year,,
as we started to show interest in KETO, we watched a BUNCH of YouTube videos,,

Several videos stated the pain relief effect that occurred when carbs are reduced (or eliminated)
Heck, there was such a fuss about carbs and pain,, there was a BIG lawsuit about it,,,

I will not go into our results, but, if you have enough pain,, you can completely cut carbs from your diet because of the pain relief,,
Since Thanksgiving,, I have had one donut (tax celebration) , three slices of bread, three pieces of birthday cake that were less than 2 inches by 2 inches square,,
That is it,,,
The only sugar that has been used in our house in 2019 was used to make hummingbird feeder solution,,, :laughing: :thumbsup:

Oh, yea,, EACH time I had one of the high carb foods listed above,, the next day, I suffered with returned pain,,, :confused2: :thumbdown:

 

[Locoweed]

I can understand how the mind would want to end pain. I have a hard time understanding the nocebo effect where people get side effects instead relief.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Similar to you, I have a couple B.S. degrees in science.
I have no idea if Bio-Ray bracelets work, don't work, work sometimes, etc... but I'm fascinated by stuff like this. The stuff science hasn't proven or explained, yet the anecdotal evidence (might) be there. This would include things like water witching, maybe even ghosts, Bigfoot, etc...

I think the scientific method (in establishing what "facts" and "reality" is ) has its faults and limitations.

This may be a simplification, but it only accepts "facts" and says "this is how reality works" when things are repeatable and thus predictable. I believe there's still a lot of natural phenomena that is so rare, or we don't understand ALL the conditions that create it (and thus can't repeat it in a scientific study) that a lot of phenomena gets dismissed.

Perhaps I am suggestible after all; what with the bracelet and water witching, another phenomenon comes to mind. I have made several posts over the last few months re: treating wasp stings with onion juice. It kills the pain, almost immediately, at least for me. I was told it was anecdotal, and not scientific, and essentially told it was all in my head. Who knows; it beats dancing around the campfire beating drums and chanting.

 

[CADplans]

re: treating wasp stings with onion juice.
It kills the pain, almost immediately, at least for me. I was told it was anecdotal, and not scientific, and essentially told it was all in my head.

Considering the pH of a wasp sting,, vinegar should relieve the pain,,,

 

[MossRoad]

I soak a cotton ball in witch hazel and apply it to the sting, bug-bite, etc... and it seems to stop the itch and swelling. As I mentioned before, that, and beer.

 

[bunyip]

I soak a cotton ball in witch hazel and apply it to the sting, bug-bite, etc... and it seems to stop the itch and swelling. As I mentioned before, that, and beer.

What a waste, you pour beer on a sting!!!
Anybody remember the 'blue bags' in the laundry, I have a vague recollection of grandmother using them on stings, no idea what was in them and haven't seen them since I was a kid in short pants.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

https://www.acehardware.com/departm...MIgdTvqKfo4wIVEz0MCh3OUwKHEAQYASABEgKt_vD_BwE

 

[Jim Shooz]

Anybody remember the 'blue bags' in the laundry, I have a vague recollection of grandmother using them on stings, no idea what was in them and haven't seen them since I was a kid in short pants.

I remember them from a long way back. The sheets would be boiled up in a copper and during the rinsing the blue would be put in to make them whiter.

 

[bunyip]

Didn't realise they still make them
Vintage Washing Laundry Reckitt s Bag Blue Reckitt & Coleman Hull Dolly Bag 195s NOS Dolly Blue
Memories......