3 ms·
Placebo effect: how can knowing you’ve taken a treatment improve your condition, without having actually taken the treatment?
by marmaduke 6y ago
Placebo effect: how can knowing you’ve taken a treatment improve your condition, without having actually taken the treatment?
- gfxgirl 6y agoThere is considerable debate on if the placebo effect is real and for what situations it is. For example apparently it can cure a headache but AFAIK there is no evidence it can cure actual physiological issues (cancer, sickness, ...) It makes some sense it would work on pain since pain at some point is just a signal to your brain and you chose consciously or unconsciously to change your perception of that signal. On the other hand there is nothing placebo will do to stop that cancer from growing or those viruses from multiplying.
- marmaduke 6y agoGiven the various issues with painkillers, a better understood placebo effect would be great even if it is pain only.