I’m going to reply to Stephanie’s comment over there.

And of course that would have to be double-blind so that the examiner’s (unconscious) expectations played no role, either.

Well, not all. But I’ll do it in such a way that your stress levels go way down and you feel better.

Many studies try to answer a question like: do you feel less pain? The answer to that is pretty subjective, and can really vary depending upon one’s expectations. I could see how a measured placebo effect might thereby change over time. A more stoic society might report less pain (even though the actual nerve stimulation or reaction remained the same).

However, there are a lot of other studies that are objective. Does Chondroitin actually promote joint healing? In this case, it either does or it doesn’t, and a proper double-blind experiment ought not see a change in the effect of the placebo. There is no subjectivity involved.

Note that my article — which, hopefully, you will read in its entirety? — goes into some depth (at least for a pop culture magazine!) about the various elements that may be contributing to this problem for Big Pharma. As I pointed out in the White Coat Underground thread, Peter’s initial impression that I was declaring that sugar pills are somehow mysteriously getting stronger was off the mark. There are a LOT of factors in play here, some of which I talk about in the article, and many of which I couldn’t get into in a limited space for a general readership.

I look forward to your thoughts!