Placebo Power

Mind Over Matter

January 2006

The next time you're about to pop a painkiller, suck down a Pixy Stick instead. Researchers at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) gave male subjects who were experiencing jaw pain a placebo, but told them it was a painkiller. Despite the absence of medication, nine out of the 14 subjects reported feeling less discomfort with the bogus drug. Researchers found that the brains of patients who believed they were being treated released painkilling endorphins. To date, this is the first study to find a specific brain chemistry mechanism and could lead to new treatments for chronic pain--like killer leg workouts. Could a placebo fat-loss supplement be next? One can dream ...