| Introduction: Several previous placebo ‘treatments’ have been developed for chiropractic clinical trials. However, all of the placebos included some form of touch, such as sham massage or manipulation. The objective of this study was to develop and test a placebo treatment that included minimal contact with subjects. Methods: Subjects were randomized to one of four groups; three groups receiving flexion distraction care (8, 12, or 18 visits) and one receiving placebo care (8 visits) over six weeks. Subjects were asked about their perception of care at the end of the first week of care and at the care completion visit. Results: By the end of the study, approximately 23% of the subjects in the placebo group believed that the treatment was certainly placebo and another 39% believed that the treatment was possibly placebo. On the other hand, the majority of subjects in the active care groups believed they were receiving active care. Interestingly, more treatments led to a higher percent of subjects who believed that they were in the active treatment group. Conclusion: Based on these results, it does not appear that our placebo was a successful comparison to the active treatment groups. This abstract is reproduced with the permission of the publisher. Click on the above link for free full text. Link to PDF version.
|
