#28: Is it the Remedy, a Placebo, or just Time? And, How Can You Tell the Difference?

Send us a text

Take the Health Type Quiz
Fascinating interplay between placebos and nocebos: what they are, why they matter, and how they shape your health decisions. Understanding these effects can help you save money, avoid disappointment, and make better-informed choices.

Key Points:

• Placebos and Nocebos Defined:
  • A placebo is an inert treatment leading to perceived improvement.
  • A nocebo occurs when negative expectations cause symptoms, even without an active trigger.
• Personal Stories:
  • My N-of-1 trial with creatine showed measurable improvements in muscle mass, confirming results beyond placebo effects.
  • A friend’s experience with plantar fasciitis improvement through chiropractic care raised questions about the placebo effect.
  • Taking a "statin holiday" revealed potential nocebo-related muscle soreness, which I’m further testing.
• Historical Context:
  • Early mentions of placebos include 16th-century sham exorcisms, where false holy relics exposed imagined reactions​.
  • The first placebo-controlled trial in 1863 tested rheumatism treatments, showing equal results between opium creams and inert plant-based ointments​.
• Scientific Insights:
  • Pain Relief: A study using laser pain tests demonstrated reduced pain with a placebo cream compared to control groups (study link).
  • Depression: Research on placebo antidepressants revealed that labeled placebos activated opioid receptors in the brain, mimicking real treatments (study link).
  • Sham Surgeries: A study on knee arthroscopy found no difference between real and placebo procedures over two years, reshaping how such surgeries are viewed (study link).
  • Sports Performance: Athletes showed enhanced cycling performance when they believed they received enriched oxygen, demonstrating the power of belief in physical exertion (study link).
• Everyday Medicine:
  • A UK survey found that 77% of doctors regularly use “impure placebos” such as unnecessary supplements or low-dose prescriptions to reassure patients (study link).

Takeaways:

1. Question Health Claims: Evaluate whether improvements from treatments or products might stem from placebo effects, not actual efficacy.
2. Test for Yourself: Apply N-of-1 experiments to discern the true impact of treatments, incorporating blind tests where possible.
3. Stay Skeptical: Avoid falling for placebo-driven marketing claims and expensive remedies that may lack scientific backing.

Let me know your thoughts or questions by visiting drbobbylivelongandwell.com. Let’s keep exploring how to live long and well!