The Placebo Effect in Pain Therapy - Suitable for Everyday Clinical Use? Yes, Definitely!

Abstract

Placebo effects are defined as positive physiological or psychological changes that occur after either taking pills without a specific active ingredient or after receiving sham interventions. The underlying mechanisms are based on expectation and conditioning effects. The neurobiological and peripheral physiological processes associated with placebo effects can also play an important role in pharmacological treatments and are therefore not necessarily linked to the use of a sham drug or intervention. In clinical settings, the use of traditional placebos is highly problematic for both legal and ethical reasons. In addition to recent scientific findings on open-label placebo applications, this article offers suggestions on how to harness analgesic placebo effects by utilising their underlying mechanisms to optimise the effectiveness, tolerability and compliance of existing pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for the patient's benefit.