There is lots of literature about the placebo (and nocebo) effect. The New Scientist publication “Nothing” has a couple of articles about it. In the opening one a co-author takes part in an electric shock placebo experiment fully understanding what is happening and still found the placebo effect worked on him.
Copper Bracelet Wearers
- Thread starter TeeDee
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I think that we are suggesting that it doesn’t matter if copper bracelets are having a placebo effect. They might still be working.
In that same book, “Nothing”, there is a story of a woman who, after a trial, discovered that she’d receive a placebo and desperately toured chemists asking for some. I don’t think she was successful.
In that same book, “Nothing”, there is a story of a woman who, after a trial, discovered that she’d receive a placebo and desperately toured chemists asking for some. I don’t think she was successful.
I feel naked without my wedding ring, and I don't feel right to go out, even just to the shops, without my earrings in.....I have three in each ear, usually gold studs, sometimes silver, never bronze or copper though. It just feels better when they're all on.
I suspect that folks that wear the copper bangles for a bit, or a watch constantly, don't feel 'right' without those either.
Whether that's a placebo effect or not, I don't know, but there is a definite, "Yes, that's better", sort of feeling to wearing them.
Habit, familiarity ?
I suspect that folks that wear the copper bangles for a bit, or a watch constantly, don't feel 'right' without those either.
Whether that's a placebo effect or not, I don't know, but there is a definite, "Yes, that's better", sort of feeling to wearing them.
Habit, familiarity ?
After I told my sister that i'd been having a bit of arthritis trouble, last Christmas she gave me a brass bangle that she inherited from my mother, which I'd forotten about but which I knew my mother used to wear in the hope that it might help with her aches and pains.
I wore it for about six months. Apart from a greenish shadow developing around my wrist I noticed no effect at all. I don't wear it any more but it's sitting by my keyboard now as a reminder.
I wore it for about six months. Apart from a greenish shadow developing around my wrist I noticed no effect at all. I don't wear it any more but it's sitting by my keyboard now as a reminder.
I think that the operative phrase in your post is, “……benefiting from…..”
There is nothing “quasi” about the placebo effect. Reduced perception of pain is reduced pain!
Two things I never go far without. Glasses and watch. I am Mr magoo without glasses but the watch is a funny one. With it a rarely check the time without it and I get a bit antsy to check the time. It's not that it's better with it, it's just that time becomes a cause of anxiety without a watch. I hate being late and my life revolves around time in the week. Time to get up, to leave the house, to catch the train to get to work, to have first break, time for lunch, time for that meeting, time to call someone, etc. That leaves a need for time device. I prefer not to use phones for time as they're bulky things these days. I can't use my laptop at work because I'm not at my desk all the time. A watch is the practical device.
However, I don't quite know whether I feel better with it than without it. I would love to be without it. I've been wearing n one since 10 yo. I even believe wearing watches has made the wrist I wear it on narrower than the other but that could be the difference between dominant hand and non dominant hand whose wrist my watch goes on.
However, I don't quite know whether I feel better with it than without it. I would love to be without it. I've been wearing n one since 10 yo. I even believe wearing watches has made the wrist I wear it on narrower than the other but that could be the difference between dominant hand and non dominant hand whose wrist my watch goes on.
Understood. I shall police my words more exacting moving forward.
So as you claim you write for a scientific paper the following should be an easy question to answer.
Can Copper be absorbed into the body via Skin contact?
I ask ( I appreciate its Wiki )
Trace metal - Wikipedia
So Zinc another very useful trace element and capable of being absorbed via the Skin. Yes comparing apples to pears I appreciate but maybe those scoffing at the notion that absorption via the skin is not possible may re-evaluate that idea and their manners.
You may or not be aware of pubmed already but I think you would like it.Understood. I shall police my words more exacting moving forward.
So as you claim you write for a scientific paper the following should be an easy question to answer.
Can Copper be absorbed into the body via Skin contact?
I ask ( I appreciate its Wiki )
Trace metal - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
View attachment 82081
So Zinc another very useful trace element and capable of being absorbed via the Skin. Yes comparing apples to pears I appreciate but maybe those scoffing at the notion that absorption via the skin is not possible may re-evaluate that idea and their manners.
Pubmed.gov
A search of ‘ copper absorption skin’ might prove useful.
This, for example.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35427767/
I’ve just seen there’s a paper on copper and zinc levels in people with vitiligo - might lead somewhere for you?
Two things come to mind....the skin of the wrist is not the mucosal membrane.....and those reports indicate that the Beryllium alloy seems to be the issue when the metals do touch the skin....and Be is toxic.~But then, too much copper leads to brain and liver damage. Usually the body excretes extra in bile, but apparantly it doesn't need much to screw it up.
M
M
Remembered from fairly long ago: Cu and Zn have a kind of balance and amounts that might be slightly toxic can be avoided if the balance is correct or there abouts.
Many metals apparently can be absorbed through skin but as I understand it not as metals but in ionic form. So something first has compound it before it can be absorbed.
Many metals apparently can be absorbed through skin but as I understand it not as metals but in ionic form. So something first has compound it before it can be absorbed.
I am not a biologist.
Further, I am not scoffing.
I am intrigued.
Thus far, the placebo effect of wearing a copper bracelet is observable. Other effects less so.
I would repeat my view that a placebo benefit is no lesser recourse than ingesting medicinal substances by whichever route.
Surely as soon as your relying on placebo effects, then the material the bangle is made from becomes irrelevant.
It's only because someone says a copper bangle works, that copper bangles became a thing. It's a meme.
It's only because someone says a copper bangle works, that copper bangles became a thing. It's a meme.
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No. There is a body of opinion behind the choice of copper that contributes to the effect in the same way that a clinical academic environment contributes to the effect of a little white sugar pill.
Recently various exotic metals and minerals have been put forward as bracelets. Magnets and crystals are also on sale. We just don’t have a body of experiential information to know how effective these have been.
I believe that it might be possible to inform myself that another material is having the desired effect. I might try that experiment. Maybe a silk cord bracelet - but right now I’m not suffering symptoms
As an individual you probably can't. But your group, tribe, society can convince you. It's already happened with you wearing copper bangles.
Snake oil will have a placebo effect, it's just because your group has assigned a negative connotation to snake oil, you don't take it because it makes you stand out.
Snake oil will have a placebo effect, it's just because your group has assigned a negative connotation to snake oil, you don't take it because it makes you stand out.
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