Positive thinking a big factor in effectiveness of migraine pills
Study of headache sufferers suggests their expectation of the pain relief a pill will deliver is a big factor in the drug's effectiveness
A quirky US study suggests patients' expectations can make a considerable difference in how they feel after receiving treatment for a migraine.
Boston researchers recruited 66 migraine patients in an attempt to quantify how much of their pain relief came from a specific medication and how much was due to the placebo effect, or the healing power of positive belief.
More than 450 headaches later, they reported on Wednesday that it was important for doctors to carefully choose what they told patients about a powerful medicine, because the message could help enhance its benefits, or blunt them.
"Every word you say counts, not only every gram of the medication," said Harvard University professor Ted Kaptchuk, who led the study with a team at Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital.
Every word you say counts, not only every gram of the medication
During the tests, patients who have suffered regular migraine headaches agreed to forgo pain relievers for several hours during one attack, recording their symptoms for comparison with later attacks.