Is the placebo effect real? What are the best scientific theories and explanations for the placebo effect?
Expectation management! (consciously and subconsciously)
Of course it is real, and powerful. It also interact with pharmacologically-active drug, which mean that the current interpretation of RCT results may not be accurate.
It should not be confused with other changes such as those due to regression to the mean, nature history of the condition, and Hawthorne effect.
Most drug studies today, particularly those with new study drugs with new mechanisms of action, include mandartory randomization to new study drug vs. placebo.
From a theoretical point of view, how is it possible for a placebo to achieve the same outcome as a real drug? I am confused.
These issues have been well-studied in the peer-reviewed medical literature. A peek into that literature should answer many of your questions.
Ok. Let me search for this topic. But from a philosophical point of view, how is it possible? It is like magic. For example, do you believe in acupuncture? Is it based on a placebo-like phenomenon?
Example placebo study just published:
Moayyedi P, Eikelboom JW, Bosch J, et al. Pantoprazole to Prevents Gastroduodenal Events in Patients Receiving Rivaroxaban and/or Aspirin in a Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial [published online ahead of print, 2019 May 2]. Gastroenterology. 2019;S0016-5085(19)36764-2. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2019.04.041
There is little doubt that the placebo effect is real. However, it depends on the expectations of the patient. If the person believes that she will get better, then she will get better. If the person does not believe, then she will not.
From a scientific (and philosophical) point of view it is strange. Suppose I were to say. If you want to get a heart attack, you will get one; but if you do not believe that you will get a heart attack, then you will not. Hmm. It is ALL in the mind.
If you want to get rich, you will get rich; if you do not want to get rich, you will not.
Is this the correct way to understand the causal mechanism of the placebo effect. For me this explanation is not satisfactory. Does the placebo effect work in other aspects of our lives?
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