Unfortunately, due to the difficulties in studying these effects within the brain (all those wonderful circuits to excite, inhibit, disinhibit, etc) it’s even more difficult to “prove” scientifically this effect. And, until this is reproducible, it will be difficult to ethically incorporate this into allopathic medical practice.

This is also one of the reasons we have such difficulties with “drug seekers” too – their expectations of only, say Demerol or Oxycontin (or even Vicodin)as effective for their “pain” (psychic or “physical”). Yet, if we try to “sell” another med, we are termed “unethical.” Sometimes, we can use the generic name (which is so much more polysyllabic) to have the desired effect.

But this is also the reason that some physicians are more “effective” than others – the confidence that their patients have in them, either from prior reputation (that information before the history/physical), or that “bedside manner” that convinces the patient of the “quality” issue