If the placebo effect works by tricking the brain, why does it need to be tricked if it’s apparently able to solve the issue on its own?
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The placebo effect is complicated and difficult to study. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to make any absolute and certain statements, since this is an area of ongoing medical research. We can only say what seems currently likely.
Relatively recent research suggests that the placebo effect has been overestimated; some of the foundational studies that “established” the placebo effect failed to account for certain factors, such as regression to the mean.
“Regression to the mean”, in practice, is the really simple fact that most patients get better. Even if they have a disease that is permanent and the body can’t fix it, people have ups and downs within that context; and they tend to be going to get treatment when they’re in the “downs”.
There does appear to be some amount of small measurable effect. It’s strongest in subjective measures; in particular, in pain. This makes sense as the *experience* of pain is fundamentally a neural phenomenon, something that is happening in the brain. It is well known that mental state significantly affects pain – it’s why people can ignore pain during a fight, for example. Things like stress, comfort, etc. have a major effect on pain.
There’s little (but not zero) current, verified evidence that the placebo effect can significantly affect “physiological” issues.
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