# Copper-it does work for chronic pain! I am living proof! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 17, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copper-it-does-work-for-chronic-pain-i-am-living-proof/628526 "2012-07-17T15:15:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copper-it-does-work-for-chronic-pain-i-am-living-proof/628526/81 "2012-07-18T04:59:23Z")
Why on earth would anyone care whether or not the pain relief seen from wearing copper bracelets is due to the placebo effect? ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copper-it-does-work-for-chronic-pain-i-am-living-proof/628526/82 "2012-07-18T07:18:16Z")
The OP probably intended to comment on Cecil’s column: [Do copper bracelets ease pain?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1276/do-copper-bracelets-ease-pain) After reading the column I now know that at least one exhaustive study has already been done. > [@](#): > > But the study’s methodology was pretty casual–people answering a newspaper ad were asked to wear bracelets and fill out a questionnaire. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copper-it-does-work-for-chronic-pain-i-am-living-proof/628526/83 "2012-07-18T07:40:25Z")
Does it cure devotees? ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copper-it-does-work-for-chronic-pain-i-am-living-proof/628526/84 "2012-07-18T09:47:08Z")
The copper bracelet cure is very reasonable-to a homeopathic physicians. Just enough copper atoms pass through you skins to do their work-it should be like a 1000X dilution. Homeopathic medicine at work-curing people with less! ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copper-it-does-work-for-chronic-pain-i-am-living-proof/628526/85 "2012-07-18T11:15:54Z")
What about all the real cures to conditions, things that actually do work, that science by it’s design and implementation can never find? Does the fact that science can’t find these cures mean they are not cures even though they will cure the person? People are individuals and sometimes a cure is very individual specific, some of these science can not find because if they test other people it can’t work, if they happen to test the person that it can cure and it worked it won’t be repeatable because it only worked for that person. So IMHO there are cures out there, many more then we know scientifically, but the question is how to find out which one is for your condition. The obvious choice is to try the scientific/medically known options, but many of them only work for ‘most of the people’ to varying degrees of success. But if you are not one of them and your condition does not improve what to do. This is where science fails the individual, and when some individuals will start seeking. This is why science can never be a ultimate force in our world, it fails us eventually and we will look for alternatives and some, like this one, do work. And IMHO part of the fight against ignorance, people will not accept science when science fails them and they will seek and find a higher truth. Well how can one find these individual cures? That is a subject to debate. In my own opinion we are guided by what some may call ‘spirit guides’ though some may say that we already know what we need, some hard wired programming will direct us to what we need. Either way in order to tap into that we need to get rid of preconceived but IMHO false notions, particularly that science has the answers and determine what is true and false. Start believing in yourself and your ability to find exactly what you need which can be anything from a certain highly regarded doctor to a tribal witch doctor, to all the varying degrees of conventional and alternative medicine. Why are these not scientifically verified then? For one it is very individualistic, a person may be cured by a copper bracelet another with a simular condition may have a healing ceremony, another by a shaman’s potion and still another though acupuncture. But the other side of this is I believe we are guided to things we don’t know if yet and are not ready to understand yet. We are simply not mature enough to understand certain things, but we can still be cured by them. If we let us be guided with a pure heart and trust we can receive cures, but if we try to scientifically examine it our attempt may be frustrated because we are not ready to understand that yet and the guidance will not be there. This I believe is at the heart of why science can not study the spiritual, for once the scientific investigation starts the spirits have already determined if we are ready for the knowledge to do it ourselves, if not then no spiritual guidance will be given and the scientific effort will result in ‘no evidence found’ or something simular. Does this mean that the scientific process should not be used, absolutely not, it is valuable, but it is only part of the answers we ahve access to. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copper-it-does-work-for-chronic-pain-i-am-living-proof/628526/86 "2012-07-18T11:43:50Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > Why on earth would anyone care whether or not the pain relief seen from wearing copper bracelets is due to the placebo effect? Because the seller of the item is claiming otherwise and raking in profit. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copper-it-does-work-for-chronic-pain-i-am-living-proof/628526/87 "2012-07-18T11:44:24Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > She claimed it worked for her. No - she claimed more than that. Look at the thread title. She claimed “it does work” as a general statement, and that she is “living proof”. Those are far stronger claims than “I think it helped me”, and that’s why she’s getting a stronger reaction. If she’d stuck to opinion, I, for one, would have rolled my eyes and moved on. Instead, I felt the need to contradict her. “Proof”, in particular, is a very strong claim that requires very strong evidence. ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copper-it-does-work-for-chronic-pain-i-am-living-proof/628526/88 "2012-07-18T11:51:26Z")
I can’t tell if **kanicbird** is writing parody or not. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copper-it-does-work-for-chronic-pain-i-am-living-proof/628526/89 "2012-07-18T11:55:20Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > What about all the real cures to conditions, things that actually do work, that science by it’s design and implementation can never find? Can you give an example of one? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copper-it-does-work-for-chronic-pain-i-am-living-proof/628526/90 "2012-07-18T11:58:20Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Can you give an example of one? A non-anonymous and/or non-anecdotal one, to be specific? ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copper-it-does-work-for-chronic-pain-i-am-living-proof/628526/91 "2012-07-18T12:04:09Z")
My leg pain and most of my involuntary twitches were cured by titanium. After my neurosurgeon removed the damaged disks she used a titanium plate to hold my neck bones together while they fused. Titanium works for chronic pain! ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copper-it-does-work-for-chronic-pain-i-am-living-proof/628526/92 "2012-07-18T12:04:35Z")
“There is a name for alternative medicine that has been proven to work. It’s called ‘medicine’.” - Tim Minchin ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copper-it-does-work-for-chronic-pain-i-am-living-proof/628526/93 "2012-07-18T12:18:46Z")
I love how many posters are convinced that the OP is real and describing a real experience. The power of a personal testimonial is the only thing that’s real here, even when it comes from an anonymous poster who never intended to return. > [@kanicbird](#): > > People are individuals and sometimes a cure is very individual specific A classic pillar of woo. “We’re all diffrunt and what works for one may not work for another because we’re all unique doncha know, and you just have to keep trying stuff till something works”. Except that this claim grossly exaggerates individual variation and ignores the effectiveness of proven drugs and treatments over a wide spectrum of humanity. It does however provide a nice out for scam artists and Internet sellers of bogus supplements and therapies. “I guess you were too unique for our remedy! But here are testimonials from lots of unique people who were cured!” Yeah, right. The capacity for self-delusion is far from unique. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copper-it-does-work-for-chronic-pain-i-am-living-proof/628526/94 "2012-07-18T12:43:28Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > This I believe is at the heart of why science can not study the spiritual, for once the scientific investigation starts the spirits have already determined if we are ready for the knowledge to do it ourselves, if not then no spiritual guidance will be given and the scientific effort will result in ‘no evidence found’ or something simular. Does this mean that the scientific process should not be used, absolutely not, it is valuable, but it is only part of the answers we ahve access to. If there’s a genuine effect, then it should be measurable - and science would be able to detect and measure it, even if no explanation was forthcoming. If it’s not a measurable effect, it’s not an effect at all. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copper-it-does-work-for-chronic-pain-i-am-living-proof/628526/95 "2012-07-18T13:01:25Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I backed up my side with double-blind studies, so it isn’t just my word against hers no matter how many times you try to spin it that way. Half of my previous post was not responded to. The OP was shot down before having a chance to clarify, one way or the other, her position. That’s not fighting ignorance, that’s us being playground bullies. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copper-it-does-work-for-chronic-pain-i-am-living-proof/628526/96 "2012-07-18T13:07:46Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Half of my previous post was not responded to. The OP was shot down before having a chance to clarify, one way or the other, her position. That’s not fighting ignorance, that’s us being playground bullies. Her post was a one-shot advertisement for copper bracelets. She gave her spiel, made the unsubstantiated claim, and finished with the standard “God Bless” close. There was no request for discussion-no “what do YOU think”. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copper-it-does-work-for-chronic-pain-i-am-living-proof/628526/97 "2012-07-18T13:12:32Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Half of my previous post was not responded to. The OP was shot down before having a chance to clarify, one way or the other, her position. That’s not fighting ignorance, that’s us being playground bullies. When you step in bullshit, you don’t need to justify scraping it off your foot. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copper-it-does-work-for-chronic-pain-i-am-living-proof/628526/98 "2012-07-18T14:12:06Z")
> [@MegaBee](#): > > I can’t tell if **kanicbird** is writing parody or not. Kanic is an Internet fixture, like porn. Kooky but harmless, like porn. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copper-it-does-work-for-chronic-pain-i-am-living-proof/628526/99 "2012-07-18T14:14:58Z")
> [@MegaBee](#): > > I can’t tell if **kanicbird** is writing parody or not. Not parody. [**kanicbird** on medicine.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12645390&postcount=240) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copper-it-does-work-for-chronic-pain-i-am-living-proof/628526/100 "2012-07-18T14:19:34Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > I think she’s a True Believer. Spammers very rarely fill out such a complete profile and even then, it’s clearly a bot or human who doesn’t speak English. Not proof in itself but it is not usual for someone to join, start a thread, post a testimonial and then not reply in their own thread. Total number of posts: 1 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copper-it-does-work-for-chronic-pain-i-am-living-proof/628526.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copper-it-does-work-for-chronic-pain-i-am-living-proof/628526.md?page=6)