Harnessing the Placebo Effect

[Guest guest]

Source: Mayo Clinic

Date:

2003-12-31

Placebo Effect: Harnessing Your Mind's Power To Heal

It's true that some people who participate in research studies and

take inactive medications called placebos do see health improvements.

People taking placebos have experienced reduced pain, healed ulcers,

eased nausea and even warts disappeared.

The January issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource details several

theories on how the placebo effect might work:

Benefit from attention: In a placebo-controlled research study,

patients often have frequent and intensive medical attention. Some

people respond favorably.

Stimulus response: People may have a trained positive response to

taking a pill or receiving treatment, whether it's real or not.

Beliefs or expectations, including the meaning you attach to a

treatment: A person with positive expectations of the treatment may

experience the placebo effect more than someone with lower

expectations.

Relationship with your doctor: A person whose doctor is supportive

and positive may experience more benefit from a placebo -- or the

standard treatment -- than someone who doesn't have that

relationship.

Pleasing your doctor: You feel better because -- consciously or

unconsciously -- you want to show your doctor that you're a good

patient and you appreciate the care.

Probably a combination of many psychological and physiological

mechanisms are at work. Research studies and theories hold important

clues to solve the mystery behind the placebo effect, but more

research is needed to examine how these factors interplay to produce

this healing force.