Papers of the Week

The placebo effect is important in determining the outcome of the treatment of pain for which expectancy and context are the main contributors. The variable success of thermal neurotomy spinal pain procedures is often seen as evidence of the placebo effect. Conversely proponents of pain procedures explain poorer outcomes on technical procedure deficiencies including inadequate diagnosis.This cohort study set out to determine if patient expectancy is a contributing factor in the outcome of thermal neurotomy to cervical, thoracic, and lumbar zygapophysial and sacroiliac joints.