Claims Concerning Natural Pain Relief

[mintymow]

Does anyone know if companies selling products for "Natural Pain Relief" are governed by any organisations such as those that are responsible for prescribed medication. I.e. how can we know if any of their claims are true?

[sandyRoe]

If their claims were true the big pharmacutical companies would be selling their natural cures.

[jno]

I don't think there's ever any guarantee that a particular cure will work. Best thing is to try it. Personally, I'm unconvinced by homeopathic medicines, but others swear by them.

[doctordb]

It's a multi-billion dollar corporate industry with absolutely no proven efficacy.

[ChillDoubt]

Sums it up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMGIbOGu8q0

[doctordb]

Lol chill, so many of my echinacea loving friends I have to show this too!

[Eve]

I keep away from them, give me the pharmaceutical hard stuff any day!

Tried, tested and a lot stronger (and more effective) than natural stuff.

[jake-the-peg]

It's much more complex than that.

You have to ask what you mean by true

People say it's 'just' the placebo effect as if that meant people don't experience pain relief from placebo - if that were the case trials would not need to be double blind!

In fact physical effects have been measured (dopamine release) in response to placebos

Long term Chronic pain is notoriously difficult to treat and some people find such treatment effective - in which case all well and good

It doesn't mean it will work for everyone because you really have to believe in it - which is quite ironic!

Do these things pass scientific double blind tests for efficacy - No

Do they relieve pain *for some people* - Yes

The funniest thing is that the majority of GPs have admitted using placebos - often anti-biotics for something they know an anti-biotic is useless for.

You may even have had such a placebo yourself!

[woofgang]

The really odd but is that some things.....copper collars for instance, seem to work for dogs and horses.......