One way around this problem would be to change the study design slightly and employ a single blind method where control and study groups are both seen by the doctor. Once we have shown a significant effect in a well designed study we have satisfied the criteria for contributory cause. It is not necessary that we know why something happened or precisely how it works. The mechanism of how penicillin works was discovered long after it had saved many thousands of lives. The discovery of vitamin B12 similarly saved many lives before its actual chemical structure and mechanism were known.
Research builds upon itself like a coral reef.
From lessons learned in in one trial, new projects, testing new hypotheses, are spawned. Another common error made by researchers is in the extrapolation of their data. It is not wise, and usually not valid to extrapolate beyond the range of the data. To extrapolate from animal models to humans or from one body part to another is tenuous at best and must be done with an appropriate disclaimer. In a recent article in one of our journals, the author frequently relied on data obtained from patients with industrial low back injuries to support his theories about neck injuries from whiplash.