Placebos in Clinical Practice

REINFORCING MIND-BODY LINK

Medical dictionaries define placebo as a non-medication substance, prescribed or given to reinforce the patient's expectation to get well. Research on the effect of placebos is of great significance to healthcare professionals because of their widespread use. That widespread use draws from their effect in the improvement of a symptom or disease without specifically improving the condition under treatment. That effect, called the placebo effect, has been proven powerful and inherent in clinical work. Furthermore, the patient-practitioner relationship is an equally essential part of the psychosocial aspect of treatment. Within that context, the practitioner communicates information on recovery and wellness through words, gestures and behavior. In addition to previous studies on the wide acceptance and use of placebos, a more recent one revealed that 46% of academic physicians in the Chicago area used placebos in their everyday clinical practice. A high 96% of...
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