A placebo is anything that seems to be a "real" medical treatment -- but isn't. It could be a pill, a shot, or some other type of "fake" treatment. What all placebos have in common is that they do not contain an active substance meant to affect health.It can also be defined as "a substance or procedure… that is objectively without specific activity for the condition being treated".
How Are Placebos Used ?
Researchers use placebos during studies to help them understand what effect a new drug or some other treatment might have on a particular condition.Common placebos include inert tablets, vehicle infusions, sham surgery and other procedures based on false information.
For instance, some people in a study might be given a new drug to lower cholesterol. Others would get a placebo. None of the people in the study will know if they got the real treatment or the placebo.
Researchers then compare the effects of the drug and the placebo on the people in the study. That way, they can determine the effectiveness of the new drug and check for side effects.
What Is the Placebo Effect?
How Are Placebos Used ?
Researchers use placebos during studies to help them understand what effect a new drug or some other treatment might have on a particular condition.Common placebos include inert tablets, vehicle infusions, sham surgery and other procedures based on false information.
For instance, some people in a study might be given a new drug to lower cholesterol. Others would get a placebo. None of the people in the study will know if they got the real treatment or the placebo.
Researchers then compare the effects of the drug and the placebo on the people in the study. That way, they can determine the effectiveness of the new drug and check for side effects.
What Is the Placebo Effect?
Sometimes a person can have a response to a placebo. The response can be positive or negative. For instance, the person's symptoms may improve. Or the person may have what appears to be side effects from the treatment. These responses are known as the "placebo effect."
There are some conditions in which a placebo can produce results even when people know they are taking a placebo. Studies show that placebos can have an effect on conditions such as:
Depression
Pain
Sleep disorders
Irritable bowel syndrome
Menopause
In one study involving asthma, people using a placebo inhaler did no better on breathing tests than sitting and doing nothing. But when researchers asked for people's perception of how they felt, the placebo inhaler was reported as being as effective as medicine in providing relief.
How Does the Placebo Effect Work?
Research on the placebo effect has focused on the relationship of mind and body. One of the most common theories is that the placebo effect is due to a person's expectations. If a person expects a pill to do something, then it's possible that the body's own chemistry can cause effects similar to what a medication might have caused.
For instance, in one study, people were given a placebo and told it was a stimulant. After taking the pill, their pulse rate sped up, their blood pressure increased, and their reaction speeds improved. When people were given the same pill and told it was to help them get to sleep, they experienced the opposite effects.
Experts also say that there is a relationship between how strongly a person expects to have results and whether or not results occur. The stronger the feeling, the more likely it is that a person will experience positive effects. There may be a profound effect due to the interaction between a patient and health care provider.
Positive thoughts can set off the release of healing hormones and neurotransmitters -- such as dopamine, nitric oxide, and endorphins -- into the bloodstream. The effects of these chemicals can be powerful : Nitric oxide can increase blood flow to the organs, for instance, and endorphins can act like nature's morphine, dulling pain.
Can negative thoughts have the opposite effect?
Yes. In some cases, negative thinking is the cause of the "nocebo effect" -- in which patients feel worse after learning that a treatment may have negative side effects. In fact, in one study, asthmatics who inhaled a harmless solution that they had been told contained irritating allergens started wheezing. What's more, the researchers found that the subjects' bronchi actually constricted as a result. Our body's natural self-repair systems can't work properly if we're chronically stressed or pessimistic. They're more effective when the relaxation response is dominant.
Yes. In some cases, negative thinking is the cause of the "nocebo effect" -- in which patients feel worse after learning that a treatment may have negative side effects. In fact, in one study, asthmatics who inhaled a harmless solution that they had been told contained irritating allergens started wheezing. What's more, the researchers found that the subjects' bronchi actually constricted as a result. Our body's natural self-repair systems can't work properly if we're chronically stressed or pessimistic. They're more effective when the relaxation response is dominant.
Certain mind/body activities can ease a variety of symptoms and help heal our body.By consciously cultivating optimism ,exploring the good side of events and people around us and reaffirming our own positive traits, actions and aspirations we can positively direct the power of the mind to make the body cure itself of whatever ailments it happens to be suffering from.Such is the power of the mind.This was pointed out quite eloquently by the author, Adam Smith (pseudonym) in his book, Power of Mind (1975).
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