Eric Emil Jacobson

Eric Emil Jacobson, PhD, MPH

Lecturer on Global Health and Social Medicine

Dr. Jacobson is a lecturer on social medicine. His initial research training was in medical anthropology, with a dissertation on psychiatric aspects of Tibetan medicine.

Address: 
10 Ramsdell Court
Arlington, MA 02476

Affiliations: 

  • Research Associate, Motion Analysis Laboratory
  • Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
  • Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital

Dr. Jacobson has been investigating Asian and other alternative therapies including work on studies of the placebo effect and diagnostic reasoning in acupuncture. Dr. Jacobson recently conducted a pilot clinical trial of an alternative manual therapy, structural integration, as a treatment for low-back pain.

  1. Jacobson EEMeleger ALBonato PWayne PM, Langevin HM, Kaptchuk TJDavis RB. Structural integration as an adjunct to outpatient rehabilitation for chronic nonspecific low back pain: a randomized pilot clinical trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015; 2015:813418. PMID: 25945112.
  2. Citations: 4  Article has an altmetric score of 21   

  3. Bishop FL, Jacobson EE, Shaw J, Kaptchuk TJ. Participants' experiences of being debriefed to placebo allocation in a clinical trial. Qual Health Res. 2012 Aug; 22(8):1138-49. PMID: 22673094.

    Citations: 8   Fields: 

    Hea

       Translation:Humans
  4. Bishop FL, Jacobson EE, Shaw JR, Kaptchuk TJ. Scientific tools, fake treatments, or triggers for psychological healing: how clinical trial participants conceptualise placebos. Soc Sci Med. 2012 Mar; 74(5):767-74. PMID: 22285289.

    Citations: 19  Article has an altmetric score of 10   Fields: 

    HeaPsySoc

       Translation:Humans
  5. Jacobson E. Structural integration, an alternative method of manual therapy and sensorimotor education. J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Oct; 17(10):891-9. PMID: 21992437.

    Citations: 7  Article has an altmetric score of 16   Fields: 

    Com

       Translation:Humans
  6. Jacobson E. Structural integration: origins and development. J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Sep; 17(9):775-80. PMID: 21875349.

    Citations: 2  Article has an altmetric score of 48   Fields: 

    Com

       Translation:Humans
  7. Kerr CE, Shaw JR, Conboy LAKelley JMJacobson EKaptchuk TJ. Placebo acupuncture as a form of ritual touch healing: a neurophenomenological model. Conscious Cogn. 2011 Sep; 20(3):784-91. PMID: 21397519.

    Citations: 16  Article has an altmetric score of 2   Fields: 

    PsyPsy

       Translation:Humans
  8. Kaptchuk TJ, Shaw J, Kerr CE, Conboy LAKelley JM, Csordas TJ, Lembo AJJacobson EE. "Maybe I made up the whole thing": placebos and patients' experiences in a randomized controlled trial. Cult Med Psychiatry. 2009 Sep; 33(3):382-411. PMID: 19597976.

    Citations: 52  Article has an altmetric score of 30   Fields: 

    AntPsySoc

       Translation:Humans
  9. Kelley JMLembo AJAblon JS, Villanueva JJ, Conboy LALevy RMarci CD, Kerr CE, Kirsch IJacobson EERiess HKaptchuk TJ. Patient and practitioner influences on the placebo effect in irritable bowel syndrome. Psychosom Med. 2009 Sep; 71(7):789-97. PMID: 19661195.

    Citations: 62  Article has an altmetric score of 8   Fields: 

    Psy

       Translation:Humans
  10. Lembo AJConboy LKelley JM, Schnyer RS, McManus CA, Quilty MT, Kerr CE, Drossman D, Jacobson EEDavis RB. A treatment trial of acupuncture in IBS patients. Am J Gastroenterol. 2009 Jun; 104(6):1489-97. PMID: 19455132.

    Citations: 39  Article has an altmetric score of 17   Fields: 

    Gas

       Translation:Humans
  11. Passos MC, Lembo AJConboy LAKaptchuk TJ, Kelly JM, Quilty MT, Kerr CE, Jacobson EE, Hu R, Friedlander E, Drossman DA. Adequate relief in a treatment trial with IBS patients: a prospective assessment. Am J Gastroenterol. 2009 Apr; 104(4):912-9. PMID: 19293784.

    Citations: 14  Article has an altmetric score of 9   Fields: 

    Gas

       Translation:Humans
  12. Jacobson, E. Panic Attack in Tibetan refugees, In D Hinton and B Good (eds.) Culture and Panic Disorder. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press. 2009.

  13. Kaptchuk TJKelley JMConboy LADavis RB, Kerr CE, Jacobson EEKirsch I, Schyner RN, Nam BH, Nguyen LT, Park M, Rivers AL, McManus C, Kokkotou E, Drossman DA, Goldman P, Lembo AJ. Components of placebo effect: randomised controlled trial in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. BMJ. 2008 May 03; 336(7651):999-1003. PMID: 18390493.

    Citations: 306  Article has an altmetric score of 295   Fields: 

    Med

       Translation:Humans
  14. Jacobson, E. Soundings in Tibetan Medicine: Anthropological and Historical Perspectives. Proceedings of the Tenth International Association for Tibetan Studies. M Schrempf (ed), C Ramble (series ed.). 'Life-wind illness' In Tibetan medicine: Depression, generalized anxiety and panic attack. 2007.

  15. Conboy LA, Wasserman RH, Jacobson EEDavis RB, Legedza AT, Park M, Rivers AL, Morey EB, Nam BH, Lasagna L, Kirsch ILembo AJKaptchuk TJ, Kerr CE. Investigating placebo effects in irritable bowel syndrome: a novel research design. Contemp Clin Trials. 2006 Apr; 27(2):123-34. PMID: 16427366.

    Citations: 11   Fields: 

    MedThe

       Translation:Humans
  16. Schnyer RN, Conboy LAJacobson E, McKnight P, Goddard T, Moscatelli F, Legedza AT, Kerr C, Kaptchuk TJWayne PM. Development of a Chinese medicine assessment measure: an interdisciplinary approach using the delphi method. J Altern Complement Med. 2005 Dec; 11(6):1005-13. PMID: 16398591.

    Citations: 10  Article has an altmetric score of 3   Fields: 

    Com

       Translation:Humans
  17. Patel SM, Stason WB, Legedza A, Ock SM, Kaptchuk TJConboy LCanenguez K, Park JK, Kelly E, Jacobson E, Kerr CE, Lembo AJ. The placebo effect in irritable bowel syndrome trials: a meta-analysis. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2005 Jun; 17(3):332-40. PMID: 15916620.

    Citations: 79  Article has an altmetric score of 35   Fields: 

    GasNeu

       Translation:Humans
  18. Stone DA, Kerr CE, Jacobson EConboy LAKaptchuk TJ. Patient expectations in placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials. J Eval Clin Pract. 2005 Feb; 11(1):77-84. PMID: 15660541.

    Citations: 24  Article has an altmetric score of 8   Fields: 

    Hea

       Translation:Humans
  19. Jacobson E. . Healing by Hand: Bonesetting and Manual Medicine in Global Perspective, KS Oths and ZH Servando (eds). "Getting Rolfed": Structural bodywork, biomechanics and embodiment. 2004.

  20. Jacobson E. Panic attack in a context of comorbid anxiety and depression in a Tibetan refugee. Cult Med Psychiatry. 2002 Jun; 26(2):259-79. PMID: 12211327.

    Citations: 2   Fields: 

    AntPsySoc

       Translation:Humans
  21. Greene PJ, Wayne PM, Kerr CE, Weiger WA, Jacobson E, Goldman P, Kaptchuk TJ. . The powerful placebo: doubting the doubters. Advances in Mind-Body Medicine. 2001; 4(17):298-307.

  22. Jacobson EE, Meleger AL, Bonato P, Wayne PM, Langevin HM, Kaptchuk TJ, Davis RB. Structural Integration as an adjunct to outpatient rehabilitation for chronic non-specific low back pain: a randomized pilot clinical trial. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2015:ID 813418. View Publication.