Placebo effect

The placebo effect is the improvement in symptoms that occurs after receiving an inert treatment, purely because of patient expectations and the therapeutic context.

In pain medicine, the placebo effect is especially strong, since pain perception is heavily influenced by psychological and contextual factors. While often seen as a nuisance in research trials, the placebo effect demonstrates the power of the brain to modulate pain. Harnessing this effect ethically — through empathy, communication and trust — can enhance the effectiveness of real treatments.