Have you ever heard the term “placebo”? Placebo or so-called “empty pill” is a substance that resembles drugs, without any active substance usually found in the drugs. Therefore, it will not give any effect on someone’s health. Besides in the form of pills, placebo is also available in the form of injection.
In the medical world, placebo is often used as a comparison to the potential success of a drug. In drug research that used placebo, the researchers will divide the participants into two groups. One group will take the real drug, while the other groups receive treatment with placebo. Since placebo is “empty”, participants who take placebos will not experience any improvement in their illness, at least in theory. However, many research showed that placebo may also give positive effects.
Based on the experts, the placebo users believe that those “empty” pills are the same with the other drugs which will give positive effects for their illness. Also, suggestions and explanations from the doctor also allegedly can increase the confidence of patients to the drugs they consumed. The higher the expectations of patients towards placebo, the higher the probability of placebo can give positive effects to those patients.
A recent study conducted by the Northwestern University tested placebo effects on 60 participants who have medical history of chronic back pain. In the research, the participants finished a series of questionnaire to score their personalities and whatever pain they feel. Besides, the participants also went through some neuroimaging sessions. The result showed that some participants who took placebo showed significant pain relief.
Text by Anggie Triana
Stock photos from Google Search Images
Source(s):
- Presseau, E. V., Berger, S. E., Abdullah, T. B. (2018). Brain and psychological determinants of placebo pill respone in chronic pain patients. Nature Communications, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05859-1.
- Sugar Pills Relieve Pain for Chronic Pain Patients (2018). https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180912133542.htm, September 19, 2018.
- Magical and Scientific: Placebo Effect (2014). https://lifestyle.kompas.com/read/2014/01/16/1324172/Ajaib.Nan.Ilmiah.Efek.Plasebo, September 19, 2018.