A placebo-controlled study found that spinal adjustments reduced pain like placebo did, but only adjustments produced measurable functional improvement and distinct brain activity changes. The placebo effect matters, but adjustments create specific neurological effects beyond expectation.
One of the strongest parts of this review, getting back into it, was that there was a placebo-controlled study and it showed both groups, placebo, non-placebo, improved in pain, but only the group that received spinal adjustments improved functionally. And that functional improvement was significant. The adjustment group also showed distinct brain changes. So expectations, I never lean away from placebo. I love placebo. It's amazing to me that there are some professions out there that actually their interventions do worse than placebo. That's a whole story for a different podcast episode. But in our situation, that's not the case. And I love it when a patient, I think we should all be encouraging placebo effect. That's, to me, that's great communication, a welcoming environment, and setting up expectations for relief. Not a guarantee, but expectations. And expectations do play a role in all healthcare. But adjustments show specific neurological effects beyond placebo. Specific neurological effects beyond placebo. And that's massive for our profession.
