When is a placebo effect not an effect?
It is often stated, paradoxically, that a treatment is not effective when trials have shown a placebo effect. This should be rephrased 'that the tested treatment is not more effective than the placebo' if we are not to confuse ourselves and the public in the current debate on complementary and alternative medicine.
Wigley
Richard
R
World Health Organization Collaborating, Centre for Epidemiology of Rheumatic Disease, Palmerston North Hospital, New Zealand. r.d.wigley@xtra.co.nz
D026881:Acupuncture; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D006801:Humans; D059408:Pain Management; D015990:Placebo Effect; D004561:Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation