Do placebos work?
The Talmud, the ancient compendium of rabbinical thought, quotes: "Where there is hope, there is life." Since ancient times, hope has been used as a powerful tool for the health of the soul and body. The power of positive thinking is not a new subject however, placebos are still new to the research studies and modern science. The term refers to a sham intervention in medical treatment that has the power to produce an effect with no biologic rationale.
Can such fake medical treatments, inert tablets, or surgery lacking therapeutic value really work? Do placebos have the power to heal? Do placebos really work?
Experts weigh placebos
The answers to these queries are still debated upon by medical experts. According to an experiment by Ted Kaptchuk at Harvard Medical School, placebos were effective. Three groups of migraine sufferers were given treatment drugs in envelopes with labels: "Maxalt", "Placebo" or "Maxalt or placebo". BBC reported that patients responded better when given a placebo while the envelope said Maxalt. Kaptchuk concluded through the experiment that just by changing the word on the envelopes, a placebo could be made as effective as the medication. The simple act of taking a pill served as a driving force to heal most of the migraine sufferers in Kaptchuk’s experiment.
Placebos are commonly being used in drug trials and research in the US by the Food and Drug Administration. It is done by leading controlled trials in which some participants are given the real drug and some are given a placebo. Generally, no participant is told what they are being given. In recent years, a strengthening trend in placebo responses has been observed. Researchers led by Dr. Jeffret Mogil at McGill University in Montreal have discovered through a study of data from 80 trials for drugs to treat neuropathic pain, that US Americans seem to be getting by merely taking part in studies regardless of whether they are given real drugs or placebos. This observation is a breakthrough in the effectiveness of placebo in humans.
Mind Conquers
Experts have concluded that the effectiveness of placebo treatment is based on the relationship between how strongly a person believes in the treatment and its results. The stronger the relationship, the more likely it is for the person to experience positive effects. The same is the case with negative effects that may follow. Placebo effects are tied to expectations that don’t make it imaginary or fake. Some studies have also observed actual physical changes through placebo treatments however most of the successes of these treatments are found in analgesic or psychotherapy treatments. Placebos don't have the power to heal a tumor or kill cancer. Instead, it works only on the symptoms modulated by the brain such as the perception of pain, stress-related insomnia, cancer side effects like fatigue or nausea, etc.
The key is to maximise patients' expectations and harness their own wonderful forces of imaginations to help them heal their mind, body and soul. The positive effects of placebo treatments lie in the staunch belief in it which helps create a strong connection between brain and body, aiding them to work and heal together. If a person believes a pill or placebo in any form, can do something, then it's possible that the body's own chemistry can cause effects similar to what a treatment or medication might have caused.
The bottomline is that the human mind is a powerful,majestic healing tool when given the chance. It can stimulate healing of the body when given the right stimulus (hope), and can be just as effective as traditional treatments.