Placebo has a darker cousin: Nosebo. This is the harmful effect of negative expectations on the body. An example of this effect is when you feel pain because you step on a nail, and it turns out later that the nail wasn’t even touching your skin. For evolutionary reasons (survival depends on avoiding danger), the nocebo effect is stronger than the placebo effect.
Placebos work even if people know they’re placebos. In one trial, a placebo worked so well in a woman with irritable bowel syndrome that she was able to return to her normal life. Moreover, this woman knew that she was taking a placebo. Other studies have shown similar drugs to treat depression, back pain and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
‘Honest’ placebos may be ethically acceptable. In one study, patients who took a mixture of “honest” placebo and real painkillers experienced the same pain relief after surgery as patients who took only the real pills. But these patients were less likely to become dependent on painkillers.
The placebo effect is part of the treatment. Success in curing a disease can be affected by the way the doctor tells the patient to take the medicine, the color and size of the pill (a large orange one is better than a small red one for relieving pain; the color and size of blue pills). calming effect).
You don’t need a placebo to feel the effects. In one study, patients were given intravenous morphine after surgery. However, this was only told to half of the public. And these people experienced 50% more pain relief than those who were not informed about morphine.
You can give yourself placebo (and Nocebo) effects.. It is known that all kinds of communication can have both beneficial and harmful effects on us. One study even found that couples who dwell on their problems and negative aspects of their relationship have weaker immune systems.
News materials cannot be equated with a doctor’s prescription. Consult an expert before making a decision.
Source: Ferra
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