Mind over matter

SHEER BRAINPOWER DRIVES THE HEALING IMPACT OF THE PLACEBO EFFECT.

Placebos are an important part of testing new treatments. Before new medicines or procedures hit the clinic, they are compared to a pill, patch or injection that doesn’t contain any active ingredients. Neither the doctor nor the patient know which is which, helping to prevent bias. But the brain is a powerful thing, and just thinking you’re getting treatment can make you feel better — or give you side-effects.

One of the most famous studies, led by Jon Levine in 1978, attempted to find out what was happening. He and his team gave placebo ‘painkillers’ to patients after wisdom teeth extraction. Their studies revealed that the pain relief the patients experienced was actually down to the release of their own natural painkillers — endorphins.

This strange effect can’t cure cancer or get rid of asthma, but with a little help from sugar pills and saline injections, your brain can change the way you feel.