How Does the Placebo Effect Work?
- Science Holic
- 13 hours ago
- 3 min read
Author: Elaine Guo
Editors: Emily Yu, Kacey Ye, Oscar Chen
Artist: Felicia Chen
The placebo effect is when a placebo, a substance that resembles a drug or medical treatment, is administered to a patient, but is not intended to have any therapeutic effect on the body. The placebo is often a sugar pill with no active ingredients intended to affect your body. It gives your body the expectation that it will work, so it makes you feel better because your brain convinces itself that the fake treatment is real. This triggers a psychological response that leads to physical changes in the body.
When given a placebo, it is not just about the “drug.” The placebo effect also depends on the environment, such as the clinical setting and the doctor's demeanor, as it impacts how your body reacts. When you are given attention, empathy, and care from the healthcare provider, it creates a supportive environment. This helps enhance the effect of the placebo because it gives you a sense that you are being treated.
The placebo effect works by turning on your body’s healing mechanisms. It specifically releases neurotransmitters such as dopamine and endorphins, which increases activity in regions of your brain linked to moods, self-awareness, and emotional reactions. Placebos can help treat pain, stress, fatigue, depression, anxiety, nausea, etc. Giving the patient a placebo can help reduce stress and decrease tension headaches because they believe that the “medicine” they are receiving will help. A study by a research team at Harvard Medical School included patients with migraines where six treatments were involved: two with positive expectations, two with negative expectations, and two with neutral expectations. With each type of expectation, one was given the pill with medicine, and the other the placebo. It was shown that the pill given with a positive expectation boosted the intended results of both the active migraine medication and the placebo. Furthermore, it was concluded that the placebo accounted for at least 50% of the overall pain relief. The placebo effect can be a powerful tool, but not without limitations. It can't cure diseases or treat infections, but it can help provide symptom relief and enhance quality of life. Placebos are also nontoxic and universally applicable. They have been proven to offer many effective benefits. They are cheap, not addictive, have no side effects, and provide hope when specific chemical treatments are unavailable.
Placebos can enhance traditional and modern medical treatment. It has been recognized as powerful enough that the American Medical Association considers it to reach an ethical standard to use for treatment or alongside standard medical treatments. They can replace or enhance treatments for such ailments and symptoms. It triggers real biological responses to help someone feel better, offering benefits that drugs can’t achieve alone. Placebos are a great way to decrease the amount of money spent on modern medicine and can reduce about 30% of pain.
Citations:
LeWine, H. E. (2024, July 22). The power of the placebo effect. Harvard Health. Retrieved
August 2, 2025, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/the-power-of-
Patterson, E., & Schroder, H. (2022, March 14). In studies and in real life, placebos have a
powerful healing effect on the body and mind. Michigan Medicine. Retrieved August 2,
2025, from https://www.michiganmedicine.org/health-lab/studies-and-real-life-
PRESCOTT, B. (2014, January 8). Expectations Influence Effects of Medications and Placebo.
Harvard Medical School. Retrieved August 17, 2025, from
The Powerful Placebo Helping the Brain Heal the Body. (2023, January). News in Health.
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