Is Meghan's NuCalm patch pseudoscience?

[Scurrilous Rumour]

An anti-stress patch that promises calmness for the wearer. Sounds interesting, right? Anything to do with mitigating anxiety catches my attention. But it also sets all my pseudoscience alarm bells ringing. Especially as it is in the news solely because Meghan Markle was photographed wearing it.

Now, before I say anything else, I am more interested in discussing the patch, or 'bio signal processing disc' than I am in discussing Meghan. I'm guessing she is acting as a human billboard for the product, but that is irrelevant.

Does the disc actually do anything at all? Can it possibly work?

The Telegraph consulted an expert:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-fa...-patch-nucalm/

With a 20-pack of discs costing just $80 (£63), for those who love to copy Meghan’s style, it’s certainly a more affordable buy than her usual array of Cartier. But according to Guy Leschziner, Professor of Neurology and Sleep Medicine at King’s College London, many of the company’s claims sound suspiciously like pseudoscience.

NuCalm claim to achieve their benefits through so-called neuroacoustic software, utilising oscillations and vibrations to achieve a change in the human physiological state. According to Leschziner, this is theoretically possible. “There is some evidence that by utilising acoustic signals, you can modulate brainwaves,” he says. “But I think that the devil is in the details.”

So, the expert says it is theoretically possible, but goes on to say their marketing claims sound dodgy.

Personally, I cannot see how a patch on your wrist can possibly affect your brainwaves. It sounds impossible to me. But what do I know?

Anyone heard about anti-stress patches before, or using "oscillations and vibrations to achieve a change in the human physiological state"? Maybe you've even tried things like it. There are lots of anti-stress products out there.

Any thoughts?

[anxiouslondoner]

Given the duck test (if it quacks like a duck...) I'd say there's at least a 99% chance of this thing being pure unfiltered bullsh!t.
"neuroacoustic software, utilising oscillations and vibrations to achieve a change in the human physiological state."
That's prime wackadoodle-speak right there. It's up there with quantum crystal oscillation 5G-blocking magical woo-woo sticks.
I suppose there's a certain amount of placebo affect you can't really argue with, but unless this thing is a nicotine patch, the actual measurable physiological change from this thing is surely indistinguishable from nil.
(Not that I'd feel much guilt in scamming these parasites for every penny they have, but personal (lack of) ethics aside...)

[Dougella]

I think it's likely mostly placebo effect. Unless it has a substance in it, like you say AL, like nicotine or something else....

[biscuits]

If it works for Meg then that's great. Plenty of alternatives to medication are used.

There's an element of placebo effect in most things, medication included.

I wouldn't be interested in purchasing this though but I'd try it if someone gave one to try.

[Merritt]

Sounds like a load of old woo-y guff. I couldn't care less whether someone with money to burn tries them, but there can be a danger of stuff like that being legitimised to people who believe that if a rich, successful person does it, it must be good. She might already have stuck the rest of them in a drawer and forgotten they existed by now.

[Appear]

Ooooh... is this why sitting on top of the tumble drier feels so good? The oscillations are modulating my brainwaves too??

Show me a handful of independent randomised controlled trials with statistical significance and a meaningful effect size when the trial group is compared to an active/placebo control and I might listen. But I'm guessing they've only got case studies from many 'happy customers' and shouldn't that be enough?

One for filing alongside reiki and shouting at the moon.

[Marco]

I suppose if it does no harm and may even have a placebo effect (like homeopathy), then great!