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Placebo Effect
The placebo effect is a phenomenon in which a patient's condition improves after receiving a treatment that has no active therapeutic effect. This improvement is thought to be due to the patient's belief in the treatment's effectiveness.
Three examples of the placebo effect might include:
- A patient with a headache takes a sugar pill they believe to be a painkiller and their headache improves.
- A patient with depression is given a placebo antidepressant and their mood improves.
- A patient with an itch applies a cream they believe to be a powerful itch reliever and their itch subsides.