Doctors have been known to advise: “Take two tablets and call
me in the morning.” Although they know and acknowledge the
idea that all (physical) treatments have active ingredients or
procedures that produce physical changes in a patient, they
know also of the power of psychological factors to cure all sorts
of things. The concept of mind over matter in the world of
health has been known for centuries.
What is it? “Placebo” comes from the Latin word meaning “to please.” A
placebo is simply defined as a preparation with no medicinal value and no
pharmacological effects. An active placebo is one that mimics the side-effects
of the drug under investigation but lacks its specific, assumed therapeutic
effect.