Numerous studies have made the 'placebo effect' the most-studied healing phenomenon known to mankind. In The Placebo Response in Manual Therapy Brian Fulton has drawn on these studies to provide an essential resource for all practitioners who work on a one to one basis with their clients. Those manual therapists who learn from this book will find that their new understanding can lead to improved clinical outcomes for their clients. The Placebo Response in Manual Therapy presents a knowledge-based approach to augmenting your patients' own healing systems. It explains how to: maximize the placebo response in your patients, using knowledge from 60 years of research "turn on" an individual's inner healing system, even with challenging patients increase your success rate and your patients' health outcomes within your current methods of practice use the client-practitioner relationship as a 'technique' for improving health outcomes in your patients based on research concerning the therapeutic encounter. The placebo effect of touch is an important factor in the effectiveness of all manual therapy treatments. However most manual therapists are not taught how to make use of the placebo response and many remain unaware of its potential and unsure of how to harness it as part of their therapy. This book is for them.
Brian Fulton RMT has been a Massage Therapist since 1999. Trained and educated in Ontario, Canada, he has maintained a clinical practice with a distinctly holistic approach to healing and disease prevention. As a past Director of the Registered Massage Therapists' Association of Ontario, he has been actively involved in moving his profession forward on all levels. In addition to his private practice, Brian was a health columnist for a community magazine for over ten years, writing on a broad range of topics from nutrition, exercise, injury management and disease prevention. His current passion lies in educating health practitioners in becoming more aware of the innate healing mechanisms inside of their patients. His book, The Placebo Response in Manual Therapy - Improving clinical outcomes in your practice, is a detailed work guiding health professionals in the important area of accessing their patients' natural healing systems by understanding subtleties in the practitioner-patient relationship.
Forewords Leon Chaitow Ruth Werner Preface Acknowledgements Introduction to the book Part 1 Understanding the Placebo Effect Definition of a Placebo Enter the Placebo A Historical Perspective The Nature of Belief Body/Mind Medicine Performance of the Placebo Do Placebo Effects Last? Objective Results from Placebos The Nocebo Criticism of the Placebo Effect Biological Pathways and Theories The Placebo Responder Ethics and Informed Consent Part 2 Concepts and Application Introduction to Part 2 Conditioning Expectancy Motivation and Desire Trust The Power of Listening Feelings of Care and Concern from the Practitioner Establishment of a Feeling of Control Reducing your Patients' Anxiety Levels Receiving Adequate Explanation of the Pathology The Narrative: How We Make Sense of the World Acceptance of the Mystery of Healing Certainty of the Patient Time Spent By the Practitioner Use of Ritual The Clinician's Persona Clinical/Healing Environment Practitioner's Use of Humor Helping Patients Maximize Their Own Healing Response Conclusions Part 3 Perspectives on Healing Introduction to Part 3 Where Do We Go from Here? Quantum Healing Appendix: Developing Strong Social Support References and Further Reading Index
