Placebo effect - what is it?

Placebo effect - what does it mean? From Latin, “placebo” is translated as “flattery, like” and it means a physiologically inert substance that is used as a medicine. In this case, the positive therapeutic effect of this substance is based on the psychological subconscious expectation of the patient.

Placebo effect what is it

The placebo effect is manifested depending on a number of factors: the degree of suggestibility of the patient, the authority of the attending physician, the size and color of the capsule, and so on.

Reality or myth

The term "placebo effect" was discovered by a doctor from America, Henry Beecher in 1995. It was he who discovered that a third of patients are cured of tablets that do not contain active substances. The placebo effect is manifested depending on the state of the person and on his expectations. Some argue that a placebo only affects suggestible patients, but this is not the case.

Placebo effect was discovered

The positive effect of drug treatment is largely dependent on psychotherapeutic factors. The right attitude can enhance the therapeutic effect of pharmacological agents.

The placebo effect - what does this mean in terms of pharmacology

Placebo pills are used as a control when testing new drugs. A group of subjects is given a test drug previously tested in animals. Another group gets a placebo. For the drug to be considered effective, the effect of its use must exceed the placebo effect.

The placebo effect - what does it mean in terms of pharmacotherapy

In some cases, doctors prescribe a placebo for patients who are prone to auto-suggestion of painful manifestations. This avoids the unnecessary use of pharmaceuticals and possible complications from taking medications. By the way, the positive effect of homeopathic remedies can also be explained by the placebo effect.

In principle, a placebo is not only a substance or, for example, an imitation of any procedure. You can get a placebo effect even with the help of a conversation, the main thing is to mobilize the patient's beliefs in the right direction.

The Placebo Effect in Psychology

Placebo effect - what does it mean in terms of evidence-based medicine

Many drugs have not yet passed a placebo-controlled trial. However, many drugs act largely due to the "placebo component." This explains the fact that large and bright tablets are more effective, and advertised drugs cure faster than little-known medicines.

The Placebo Effect in Psychology

In psychotherapy, the placebo effect is achieved through suggestion. Medical suggestion does not require special skills, since the problem of patient disbelief is easily solved by linking information to the actual object. It can be an injection or a tablet that does not have a real effect on the body. In this case, the patient is informed that the drug he is taking has a certain effect on the body, and, despite its inefficiency, the expected effect begins to manifest itself to some extent.

Placebo effect what is it

Physiologically, the placebo effect can be explained as follows: as a result of suggestion, the human brain begins to produce substances corresponding to this action, which partially replace the effect of the drug. The second factor ensuring the effectiveness of placebo is the strengthening of general immunity, which fights the disease naturally.


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