TED-Ed: The power of the placebo effect - Emma Bryce

The video explores the placebo effect, starting with an experiment using a fake painkiller, Trivaricaine. Despite having no active ingredients, subjects reported pain relief, illustrating the placebo effect. The history of placebos dates back to the 1700s, used when real drugs were unavailable. Placebos mimic real treatments and have been used in clinical trials since the 1950s to test new drugs. Ethical concerns now limit their use. Placebos can cause real physiological changes, like altering blood pressure and reducing stress hormones. However, reliance on placebos can lead to missing effective treatments. The placebo effect remains a mystery, prompting further research into its mechanisms and implications.

What ethical concerns arise from the use of placebos in modern medical practices?

In what ways can the placebo effect cause measurable changes in a patient's physiology?