Could you improve your health with positive thinking? A new study suggests the power of your mind could help you reduce your asthma symptoms.
A study of 39 asthma patients by researchers at Harvard Medical School in the United States revealed that a placebo, or fake treatment, could improve lung function and ease the symptoms of the respiratory condition.
The researchers devised four types of treatment; an inhaler containing an active drug, a placebo inhaler with no active drug, a placebo treatment of “fake” acupuncture where a device is used to give the impression that the skin is being punctured, and no treatment at all.
The patients were given three rounds of treatment picked at random.
Those taking the inhaler containing the active drug improved their lung function by 20 percent, proving drugs prescribed to asthma sufferers work.
But the surprising result was that the lung function of those using the placebo treatment improved by seven percent, a result mirrored by those who received no treatment at all.
When asked how much better they felt after their treatments, the patients involved in the study said they felt 50 percent better after using the inhaler containing the active drug and 46 percent better after the placebo treatment.
Those who had no treatment said they only felt 21 percent better.
The researchers believe the study shows the importance of the doctor-patient relationship and how caring is an key part of the medicine.
But it was the drug treatment that made the patients’ lungs work better and without the drug, they may have suffered an asthma attack. How much better they felt after the placebo treatment played no part in their physical health.
With many studies into asthma treatment, the inescapable fact is asthma sufferers need medication to regulate their condition and ease symptoms to prevent an attack. Other factors and remedies can only reduce their risk of suffering an attack.
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