The placebo effect

Over the centuries, it became obvious to those who practised some form of medicine that if the patient believed strongly enough that the treatment would work, there was often an improvement. The mind is a powerful resource when it comes to producing effective treatments. In some early cultures, shamen and witch doctors performed rituals to give themselves more credibility. In more modern times, doctors rely on their status and a bedside manner designed to induce deference in the patient. So the individual's reputation and word-of-mouth recommendation for the treatment "sells" the service and the medications. This is not confined to the more obvious medical conditions but also applies to aphrodisiacs. Whenever men and women have wanted additional sexual pleasure, they have often turned to local experts for something to increase desire. Yet, along with many other "social" conditions, sexual performance has been redefined as a medical matter and there are now teams of experts with remedies tested through clinical trials waiting for patients to emerge. Sex is now full of problems waiting to be treated.

This is not to deny that erectile dysfunction undermines self-confidence and, if not remedied, may cause depression. But men have been quick to embrace the idea that pills can be a cure for all their problems. The pharmaceutical industry has become very profitable as a result. However, there is a critical difference between the classical aphrodisiac and modern medication. There is no evidence that any of the usual aphrodisiacs have any beneficial effect on the human body. The good results almost inevitably come from the placebo effect. The couple so strongly want to believe that eating this food, drinking that concoction or rubbing on that ointment will produce good results, they end up enjoying themselves. Even if the product fails, they are often embarrassed and will not ask for their money back. So the myths of success are born. But modern medication now has the backing of science. The drugs are PDE5 inhibitors and there are wonderfully technical explanations of how they work their magic. At one level, this is the modern equivalent of the shamen dancing round a fire waving an animal skull around, but the clinical trials produce scientific evidence of success. The men who take this medication do get erections.

Recently, there was a piece of comparative research to decide which of the three drugs currently available to treat erectile dysfunction produced the best results. The answer confirms a simple truth. The majority of men prefer cialis in both versions. As the "weekend pill", the word-of-mouth is strong that there is thirty-six hours of sexual activity available. Men who start with this drug are usually so pleased, it never occurs to them to try either of the other two. Now that a once-daily version of cialis is available, men can return to their youth with sexual responsiveness on demand 24/7. Issues of convenience and effectiveness sell the drug and have converted it into the brand leader in many national markets. The fact that all three drugs are based on the same chemistry and have very similar levels of effectiveness and safety counts for little. Men are sold by the reality they really can go for the whole weekend. Once sold, the placebo effect improves the performance enabled by the chemistry. The mind and the body make a great team when they work together well.

To see what John Scott has written on different topics visit http://www.36hour-strong.com/articles/placebo-effect.html and find him there. John Scott has dedicated his work to helping people understand better the subject he writes about.