The power of belief in medicine
The science behind placebo effect
For many decades, placebo effect was thought as an error in pharmaceutical research and development. It was thought to be a random dot in the plot which disrupted the final results and hence have to be eliminated. However recent eveidences show that placebo may have real effects on the brain. It seems to heal the brain.
What is placebo effect?
Placebo effect refers to the psychological positive effect in patient suffering from any ailment that occurs without any medical intervention. For example, a saline injection has no beneficial effects on the body however it may provide psychological comfort where the patient feels immediate soothing effect after such an injection. It is not just imagination. It is a measurable neurochemistry
The placebo effect is one of the most fascinating things in the whole of medicine. It’s not just about taking a pill, and your performance and your pain getting better. It’s about our beliefs and expectations. It’s about the cultural meaning of a treatment. - Ben Goldacre.
The Brain Doesn’t Distinguish Between “Real” and “Expected”
The brain doesn’t realize that it is being tricked. It believes the lies to be the truth which inturn leads to the release of necessary neurotransmitters,enzymes which improves the condition of a patient. Modern imaging and studies have proven that actual response occurs similar to administration of actual drugs.
These changes in response include:
Endorphins
Dopamine
Serotonin
Endocannabinoids
Placebo Evidence
Studies show:
Placebo pain relief can be blocked by naloxone, a drug that blocks opioids
This proves the body is releasing real endogenous opioids
The brain doesn’t just report less pain—it processes less pain.
Placebo in disease management
This effect could be utilized in treatment of parkinson’s disease where dopamine boosting therapy helped in the release of actual dopamine from the brain which improved the signs and symptoms of the condition
Placebo effects are stronger when:
The treatment looks medical
The one providing the placebo seems professional and confident
The environment feels clinical and professional
Larger pills work better than smaller ones
Branded pills outperform generic ones
Expensive treatments are more effective
The placebo effect reveals a powerful truth:
Belief alone is not enough—but belief can unlock systems that already exist within us.
You have to believe in a placebo or it won’t work, but if it works, it’s obviously working in some indirect way, through feedback in the immune system, let us say, or in the willpower of the patient to take a more strenuous exercise in their own therapy. - Charles Jencks.
