Are placebo pills sugar pills?
The placebo effect is in full force today but the concept is nothing new. It is an age-old phenomenon that revolves around the simple idea of conquering your mind to generate healing of the body. Most of the people are only aware of placebo pills which are sometimes used to create the placebo effect. People ask many questions regarding placebos; how they work and are placebo pills sugar pills?
Well in medical terms, placebos is an inert substance or technique with no medicinal quality and are administered like a drug. It is more than just a sugar pill. Commonly it is used in clinical trials to assess the effectiveness of new drugs but it can induce psychological and physical benefits to patients also.
Placebos Are Not Just Pills
Placebos are able to work effectively only because people want and need help. When a person takes up treatment in the form of a pill, injection, surgery, or activity- he is seeking help. Taking any form of treatment makes him believe he is receiving the treatment which makes him feel better. It doesn't matter if the substance he is taking is inert or has no chemical value, if he has faith in the treatment and high hopes to get better, he will feel better too. Sometimes placebos are also known to induce negative effects like nausea, headaches, or any other unpleasant effect. This is largely because of negative expectations. Placebos work this way. You get what you expect, so it is best to keep your expectations bar high and your hopes strong.
Placebos do not always have to be in the form of medicines. Sometimes merely changing environments can trigger the placebo effect too and make patients feel better. That is one of the main reasons people who are sick prefer the natural environment which helps them absorb the freshness of it and relieve stress.
Placebo At The Doctor’s Office
Studies have shown that simply visiting a doctor can harness the healing power of the placebo too. Have you ever been ill and miserable that you had to drag yourself to the doctor’s office and the moment you saw the doctor you felt better? Many people claim that!
It is actually true that having hopeful interactions with a professional and getting care and attention can actually facilitate your mind-body healing process. Your body is naturally capable of gearing up for self-healing but needs a trigger from the mind and the mere act of visiting the doctor and having him hear out your complaint can do that. Many studies have also shown that warmth and compassion during clinical interaction can generate better placebo results.
A study experimented on patients with irritable bowel syndrome by giving them placebo acupuncture. The result showed that the patients who were intentionally treated with empathy and warmth gave far better outcomes than those who weren't treated that way. Kind words and soft speech can do wonders and trigger the tiny brain cells in the patient, helping him gear up for recovery.
As a kind doctor is able to communicate positive expectations in a better way, he can drive placebo responses more efficiently. Communication affects treatment outcomes. The way the information is communicated or conveyed to the patient makes all the difference. Logical yet emotionally sensitive information can make all the difference.
Conclusion
Like all good things, the placebo effect has its limits too. Sometimes a positive expectation about a therapy does not guarantee that it will be effective. People die while believing their treatment will benefit them. However, that should not undermine the effectiveness of the placebo (in any form) in healing. This mind-body medicine has a lot of healing potential. We are all born responsive to placebos. All we need to do is enhance this ability to harness our natural healing capacity.