Eli5: How do placebos’ trick our brain into thinking they do something? How do we eventually get healed if the placebo didn’t do anything in the first place?

Question

Eli5: How do placebos’ trick our brain into thinking they do something? How do we eventually get healed if the placebo didn’t do anything in the first place?

In: Other

Answer 1

>How do we eventually get healed

Most common diseases self limited to start with. I run into this issue in medicine all the time. Families have been conditioned to think they need antibiotics and steroids every time they have a cough or sinus drainage. People have given them those drugs previously, and they have gotten better. But the truth is that they would have gotten better anyhow, and those drugs were not needed at all.

If you’re comparing placebo to no intervention at all, then placebo typically works more for “perception” type symptoms. Like pain, or fatigue. These are HIGHLY influenced by mood and overall disposition. The idea of having had “medicine” can greatly alter perception of symptoms.