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11 Surprising Facts About Placebos

   Joseph Brownstein, LiveScience Contributor
   Date: 03 June 2013 Time: 08:00 AM ET

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     * Introduction Intro CREDIT: Brian Hoskins | Stock Xchng Pills
     * Early placebo research was done in the 18th century for consumer
       protection. A woman holds two aspirin in her hand. 11 CREDIT: Pills
       photo via Shutterstock aspirin-pills-water-120910
     * Even real treatments benefit from the placebo effect. A bottle of
       prescription pills 10 CREDIT: Prescription photo via Shutterstock
       prescription-drug-130328
     * "Placebo" and "the placebo effect" refer to different things. 9
       Assorted Pharmaceutical Drugs
       Credit: Dreamstime
     * There is a "nocebo" effect. A woman holds her aching head 8 CREDIT:
       Headache photo via Shutterstock woman-headache-130415
     * Many clinical trials no longer include placebos. doctor's office,
       appointment, physical 7 CREDIT: Doctor's visit photo via
       Shutterstock Doctor's visit
     * Placebos have a long-term, demonstrated effect in relieving pain.
       fibromyalgia 6 CREDIT: Yuri Arcurs | shutterstock fibromyalgia,
       neck pain
       Tender points on the neck are one sign of fibromyalgia
     * Scientists don't know if certain groups of people are more
       susceptible to placebos. A bottle of pills 5 CREDIT: Pills photo
       via Shutterstock pill-bottle-120619
     * The placebo effect is actually several effects.
       pills-natural-101014-02 4 CREDIT: Alita Bobrov | Dreamstime Pills
       Natural
     * Psychiatric illnesses are among the conditions most susceptible to
       placebos. brain cells, neurons 3 CREDIT: Dreamstime Brain
       The brain is made up of an inconceivable number of cells.
     * Not all placebos are created equal. drugs 2 CREDIT:
       Shutterstock.com drugs
       Drugs, when taken in combination, can cause severe side effects.
     * Placebo does not equal being duped. 1 FDA Issues Serious Reality
       Check on Diet Pills
       Photo taken by Steve Knight (stevekrh19). There are no usage
       restrictions for this photo

   The placebo effect plays a central role in doctors' understanding of
   whether medications work.

   The effects of a placebo, or "dummy," treatment cannot come from the
   actual treatment itself. In other words, the placebo effect explains
   why people report feeling better when they think they are taking
   medicine, but aren't actually receiving the treatment. (The word
   placebo comes from the Latin for "I will please.")

   The placebo effect can help explain why drugs and other treatments with
   no value can seem to work, and therefore, why some treatments pass
   muster while others do not.

   However, the placebo effect itself remains mysterious. Doctors still
   have questions about how it operates, and why its effect can be large,
   small or nonexistent for a given treatment or patient.

   The following pages share some of the history, knowledge and
   misconceptions about the placebo effect.

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