Crystal Plaster Double-Blind Test
2017 (English)Report (Other academic)
Abstract [en]
The object of this study was to verify the pain reducing effect of the “Crystal Plaster”. This is a specific plaster made from dermatological proved material with a central circular spot of glue with fine quartz crystals embedded on the dermal side. A quantity of 93 patients with chronic pain at the vertebral column could be recruited for this study.
The pain sensation of the patients was registered as a value between zero and ten on the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). In all phases of the study, the pain at rest was regarded separately from the pain felt in motion. No correlation of these different pain assessments was found.
- In general patients reported relief of pain, but single persons told about one step increase of the VAS value after the Crystal Plaster application. Side effects by application and wearing the Crystal Plaster were slightly and did not exclude a use over several months.
- After one day of application of plaster the elevated average was 70% of the pain at rest as well as in motion indicated at the beginning of the study.
- After three month of Crystal Plaster application the VAS values communicated by the patients refer to about 50% and after doubling these times to near 40% of the average of initial pain intensity. This finding counts with only minor difference for pain at rest and in motion.
- To gain evidence for a special contribution of the quartz crystals, Crystal Plaster were compared to similar constructed plaster with spheres of glass in the spot of glue (Placebo Plaster): A detailed examination revealed, that the Crystal Plaster have a significantly stronger pain reducing effect on non-degenerative forms of rheumatism along the backbone. In addition, the ease of pain at rest is correlated to that of pain in motion regarding the individual patient wearing Crystal Plaster for one day. The appropriate effect of the Placebo Plaster appears more randomly.
- For the long-time application of Crystal Plaster, no data of a control plasters are available. Nevertheless, the continuous effect during six months by reducing the pain sensation by 60% of the initial value, and the clear effect reported by 55% of the users, exclude, that these findings with Crystal Plaster can be rated solely as a Placebo Effect. The degree of pain relief by Crystal Plaster is even in the range of proven pharmaceutical pain treatments.
- A partial explanation for the pain releasing effect of Crystal Plaster is surely the role of plaster as strong mediators of self-healing mechanisms: This Placebo Effect is involved in every kind of treatment. To explain the physiology of any kind of peripheral pain control, the Gate Control Theory is discussed.
The pronounced effect of Crystal Plaster may be enhanced by the specific plaster design in combination with its selective placement at the neuralgic sites, which is supervised by experienced osteopaths.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2017. , p. 26
Keywords [en]
energy medicine, rheumatism, crystal plaster, pain reducing, quartz crystals, test, patients, placebo
Keywords [sv]
energimedicin, reumatism, kristallplåster, kvartskristaller, test, patienter, placebo
National Category
Water Engineering
Research subject
Water Resources Engineering
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-64767OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-64767DiVA, id: diva2:1119417
2017-07-042017-07-042021-10-24Bibliographically approved