The placebo effect is a psychological and physiological phenomenon

 

The placebo effect is a psychological and physiological phenomenon where a person experiences a real improvement in their symptoms or condition after receiving a treatment that has no therapeutic effect—typically a sugar pill, saline injection, or sham procedure. This happens because the person believes the treatment is real and expects it to work.

Key points:

• Expectation is powerful: The brain can trigger healing responses, like releasing endorphins or reducing stress, simply due to positive belief.

• Not “fake” healing: Even though the treatment is inactive, the effects can be measurable—such as lowered pain levels, improved mood, or even physical changes in the body.

• Common in clinical trials: Placebos are used as controls to help researchers determine whether a new drug or treatment has real efficacy beyond psychological influence.