Well, I\u2019m sorry to disappoint, but no one knows how exactly the placebo works. Yet, here is what\u2019s known.<\/p>\n
Placebo is a substance that may look as a real drug, but it doesn\u2019t contain any active ingredients. It\u2019s often called the \u201csugar pill\u201d\u00a0because sometimes it\u2019s made of just sugar and glucose. Placebos can be also devices, procedures or injections\u00a0if the patients believe they are effective and will make them feel better.<\/p>\n
Placebos may be pharmacologically inert. <\/strong>That means that they contain no active ingredients (the sugar pill). However, medications that do have active ingredients but aren\u2019t proven to work on the patient\u2019s particular condition can also be placebos. A surgery can be claimed a placebo too. Some people believe that homeopathy and alternative medicine are placebos as well.<\/p>\n As it was already mentioned, the phenomenon is still not clear to the neuroscientists, but yet few things have been revealed. For example, the placebo helps the brain to release natural chemicals like endorphins \u2014 the hormone of happiness. This is why placebos are extremely effective on treating post-operative pain, depression, and anxiety.<\/p>\n One of the theories behind the placebo effect is the subject-expectancy effect<\/strong>.<\/p>\n This theory postulates that people unconsciously change their reaction to bring a positive result when taking a pill that is supposed to be helpful.<\/p>\n Another theory says that people who experience the placebo effect have become classically conditioned<\/strong> to expect relief.<\/p>\n Both theories are rather similar as far as in both of them the patient has a built-in<\/em> expectation of the result.<\/p>\n Another interesting attempt to understand the placebo effect is a study from 2002, conducted at UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute. The researchers there designed two groups of patients to test experimental antidepressants. The first group has been given the actually tested drug and the second one has been receiving a placebo for their depression. After a couple of weeks, each group\u2019s brain activity was measured. The good news is that both groups had shown positive effects.<\/p>\n The researchers registered, though, that the placebo group had a significant increase of the brain activity compared to those who were taking the drug. Something more, a different part of the brain was active \u2014 the prefrontal cortex which is related to planning, cognitive behavior, personality expression and decision making.<\/p>\n On the other hand, placebos are not simply \u201cin your head\u201d. They can cause physical reactions too \u2014 to relieve pain, but also bring it as well as to relax your muscles.<\/p>\n The next infographic, that we have prepared, will add some more knowledge about the placebo effect in facts and figures.<\/p>\n
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