"It is the subjective symptoms that brought these patients to medical care in the first place. They came because they were wheezing and felt suffocated, not because they had a reduced FEV1," noted Dr. Moerman of the University of Michigan, Dearborn.
For subjective and functional conditions, including migraine, back pain, depression, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, many autoimmune disorders, and any condition defined by its symptoms, "a patient-centered approach requires that patient-preferred outcomes trump the judgment of the physician.
"Under these conditions, inert pills can be as useful as ‘real’ ones; two inert pills can work better than one; colorful inert pills can work better than plain ones; and injections can work better than pills," wrote Dr. Moerman.
Dr. Wechsler’s study was supported by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Dr. Wechsler and his associates reported ties to numerous industry sources. Dr. Moerman reported no financial conflicts.