Single Placebo Injection Improved Chronic Back Pain for 1 Year: Study

Researchers have found that openly prescribed placebos can rival prescription drugs, steroid injections, and even surgery in providing relief for chronic back pain sufferers. The twist? Patients knew they were receiving a placebo—and it still worked. While the concept of placebos providing pain relief is not entirely new, this study breaks ground by informing participants they were receiving a placebo—a departure from the common practice of concealing this information. “To our knowledge, the brain mechanisms of an OLP (open-label placebo) treatment in a patient population have never been investigated,” according to the researchers. Open-label placebos are those that are honestly prescribed....