Placebo Effect : You must have heard many times that just after meeting or talking to a doctor, the patient starts feeling better without taking any medicine… or the words of that person work as a cure. Many times it also happens that after eating prasad from a particular religious place or eating any other ordinary thing, one feels improvement in health. But why does this happen? How can a person feel better without taking any medicine or treatment? There is a deep psychology at work behind this which is called placebo effect. The placebo effect is an interesting psychological phenomenon where a person feels an improvement in their condition after taking a placebo or 'dummy' treatment even though the treatment has no real medical benefit.
The placebo effect is a phenomenon in which people experience healing based solely on their belief, without any actual treatment. This effect occurs when a person is given a treatment that has no medical element but his unwavering belief and expectations make it effective. Many types of studies have been done regarding this and research is still being done. This topic crosses the border between psychology and medicine and how our mindset and thinking can affect our physical health.
The word 'placebo' is derived from the Latin word 'I will please'. You can see the placebo effect as a common example in the way that a person eats something with full confidence and feels relief from his illness. This effect can occur in any form, such as if one confidently takes a sugar pill or takes water, salt water injection or even a simulated surgical procedure, a positive effect can be seen. . There are many studies regarding this which show that the placebo effect is not only to belief or expectation but it also affects the brain functions and body reactions. Many types of research are going on regarding this effect, through which the complexity between the mental state of people and their health is being understood. In medical research this effect is often used in drug trials to understand what the actual treatment effect is.
The placebo effect causes the brain to produce various neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and oxytocin that can help reduce pain and other disease symptoms. A recent study found that people who received a placebo treatment had reduced activity in areas of the brain that identify pain, making them literally feel less pain.
This effect is used in many medical trials, where researchers compare two groups. One is given the actual treatment and the other a placebo. Thus, it can be determined what effect the actual treatment has, whereas the outcome of a placebo depends only on the individual's mindset. The placebo effect is being used in many health conditions such as pain management, depression and anxiety disorders. Researchers believe that when patients expect the positive effects of a placebo, it can have a positive effect on their health. The placebo effect refers to the power of mindset and beliefs to influence our health.
(Disclaimer : This article is based on information received from various sources. We do not confirm this.)
