placebo effect

Introduction

Effect of placebo or sham procedure.

Notes

• may be a genetic predisposition to respond to placebo
• 12% of UK physicians have used placebos
  • 50% of patients told "this therapy has helped many other patients"
• placebo effect of injection > topical placebo > oral placebo
  • 40% response rate with large effect sizes for needle-based procedures in osteoarthritis (no biologic benefit)
  • placebo responses may last beyond one year
• even intellectually diasabled persons susceptible to placebo effect

Additional terms

• placebo
• sham procedure