Medicine Men: Pain Is All In Your Mind
January 15, 2008
Two identical twins, both doctors, underwent an experiment with Channel 4 to check out pain management alternatives to pill popping.
In our western society, pills such as ibuprofen and paracetamol are our first port of call when we have a twinge of pain. However, pills can have side effects. Channel 4’s new series, Medicine Men, explores alternatives to the western culture and the second episode focuses on pain.
The two doctors, aged 29, went to Malaysia where people at a Hindu festival pierce themselves with spikes, leaving them in for an hour and they claim to feel no pain. One of the twins, Xand, prepared for the festival by talking to the priest and festival-goers and really felt the pain whilst the other, Chris, simply turned up on the day and recovered quite quickly.
In an article in The Independent, the doctors talk about how subjective the pain was. Some people were crippled with pain and others were walking round with fairly severe injuries yet not feeling a thing.
The doctors also discuss the placebo effect and how that can work remarkably well when both the patient and doctor believe in it. The programme also touches upon the resurgence of hypnosis and hypnotherapy, particularly the use of hypnosis when undergoing surgery as hypnosis seems to reduce the bleeding and recovery time, and block the pain pathways to the brain.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is another therapy gaining recognition by the medical profession and also works by potentially breaking the pain pathways.
Medicine Men will air on Channel 4 on Tuesday 22nd January at 9pm, so the pain episode should be on the 29th January.
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