The Best Medicine

The placebo effect can improve almost any medical condition—yet doctors all too often ignore it. Here's what it can do for you—and how to take advantage of it.

By Walter A. Brown, published on September 01, 1997 - last reviewed on September 29, 2009

The Placebo Phenomenon

Placebo injections are more potent than placebo pills, and capsules more potent than tablets.
A patient's response to placebos is not related to his or her personality, sex, or even suggestibility.
Placebo effects are dose related. Two placebo pills have a greater effect than one, and large pills are more powerful than smaller ones.
In a study of medical students, blue placebo capsules were more likely to produce sedation than pink capsules.
The most common "side effects" from placebos: drowsiness, headaches, nervousness, insomnia, nausea, and constipation.

"Nocebos," or negative placebos, can also be quite powerful. Researchers at UCLA told psychology students who had volunteered for a study that a mild electric current would be passed through their skulls, and that they might experience a headache. Although there was in fact no such current, more than two-thirds of the students reported that they felt pain.

Placebos At Home

Many minor illnesses and injuries don't require a trip to the doctor's office. But around the home, family members can still take advantage of the placebo effect when caring for sick children, spouses, or parents. (Most parents, in fact, routinely treat their kids' ills with placebos without realizing it.) Here are some ways to make placebos part of your family's medical kit:

For children, provide simple healing rituals—anything from a bandage of the traditional: "Let mommy kiss it and make it better."
Be reassuring and optimistic to enhance the child's or other family member's expectations of healing. Tell him that he will feel better and explain when he will feel better.
Remind the patient of previous positive experiences: "Remember how quickly it healed last time?"
If professional medical care is required, emphasize the positive effects of treatment rather than focusing on negatives like pain or side effects. Tell the child (or adult) what positive changes to expect: "This medicine will take away the pain in your ear."