Math 1030 Project 2

Magnets & Pain Relief

Name: Eliza Peralta
Section: MATH 1030
Date:8/2/2017

Compare the mean, range, and distribution (graphing both a double histogram using relative
frequency and box plots) of the pretest for the active magnet group and the placebo group. Tell
why you think the groups appear to be similar or different.

Placebo: Mean = 9.54 Range = 3

Active Magnet: Mean = 9.62 Range = 2

(See attachment for histogram and box plot)

The reason the pretest for the active magnet group and the pretest for the placebo group appears
to be similar is because each group of patients with post-polio syndrome that experience both
muscular or arthritic pain should experience around the same amount or level of pain at their
trigger point initially starting the experiment, even before they were put in their corresponding
groups. Therefore, both averages and ranges are similar between the two groups.

Compare the mean, range, and distribution (using both histograms and box plots) of the post-test
for the active magnet group and the placebo group. Tell why you think the outcomes appear to be
similar or different.

Placebo: Mean = _8.43_ Range = _6_

Active Magnet: Mean = _4.41_Range = _10_

(See attachment for histogram and box plot)

The mean and the range for both groups appear to be different now in comparison because while
the active magnet group is receiving actual treatment, the placebo group is not receiving
treatment at all. Therefore, the active magnet has a lower average of pain and has a wider range
than the group that is receiving the placebo.
Calculate the pain relief, i.e. the change between the initial pain and that reported after the
treatment. Explain how you calculated the difference and what the numbers mean. Compare the
mean, range, and distribution (using both histograms and box plots) of the change for the active
magnet group and the placebo group. Tell why you think the outcomes appear to be similar or
different.

Placebo: Mean = _1.10_ Range = _5_

Active Magnet: Mean = _5.21_ Range = _10_

(See attachment for histogram and box plot)

I calculated the difference by subtracting the Post-Test from the Pre-Test, which calculates the
change between the initial pain and that reported after the treatment - it measures how much pain
relief the patients/subjects had after treatment. In comparison, the active magnet group and the
the placebo group appears to be different because while the placebo group did not show many
signs of significant change, the active magnet group did with 5x the change as the placebo group.
The active magnet groups change in range is twice as wide as the placebo groups too.

Some limitations that this study may have would be that the patients may have had
different trigger points/painful areas that must have been more or less effective with the magnets.
Also, they either had muscular or arthritic pain which could have had an effect on the amount of
pain relief as well. In order to consider all variables, they could focus on one type of pain and the
same body area only - Which kind of pain/body part reacted the most with the magnets?
These statistics do support the claim that magnets can help relieve some types of pain.
The group that was fortunate to be with the active magnets showed a significant relief in pain
after this double-blind study, while the placebo had little to no effect on the subjects. I believe
this is a pretty good, legitimate study and is definitely a good contributor when furthering
research on pain relief.