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Clinical Research News
Value of Placebo Effect Uncovered
Feb 22 2010
The placebo effect should not be dismissed as mere fancy, new research has suggested.
Led by Damien Finniss from the University of Sydney's Pain Management Research Institute and published last week in The Lancet, the study brought together the world's scientific papers on research into placebo effects and studied what effects they had on patients.
"Most people still think of placebo as an effect which occurs in some people when they receive a sham or dummy treatment, usually when studying the effectiveness of a new treatment," Mr Finniss said.
"But we've moved past that. This new research shows that placebo effects may occur in conjunction with any form of treatment, when the mind-brain interaction works to promote the body's natural healing mechanisms."
One paper studied involved people who were taking opioid-based pain killers but were then switched unknowingly onto a placebo while another involved the placebo effect in people taking NSAIDs.
"You don't need a sugar pill to create a placebo effect," Mr Finniss said.
"Our research reveals that placebo effects can occur in routine medical practice across a wide range of medical conditions - and these effects can be therapeutically powerful."
The effects of the placebo were many, he said, ranging from the reduction of persisting pain to improvement of movement in Parkinson's disease.
"Essentially, placebo effects change the way our brains and bodies work, complementing the effects of medical or other therapeutic treatments [and] often leading to reduction in symptoms," Mr Finniss said.
"The placebo component of every therapy should not be overlooked. It has the potential to make routine medical treatments more effective."
Source Publication: Reed Business Information
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