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IsThereaDoctorintheBody?1Whenyougotothedoctor,youliketocomeawaywithaprescription.Itmakesyoufeelbettertoknowyouwillgetsomemedicine.Butthedoctorknowsthatmedicineisnotalwaysneeded.Sometimesallasickpersonneedsissomereassurancethatallwillbewell.Insuchcasesthedoctormayprescribeaplacebo.2Aplaceboisasugarpill,aharmlessshot,oranemptycapsule.Eventhoughtheyhavenomedicineinthem,thesethingsseemtomakepeoplewell.Thepatientthinksitismedicineandbeginstogetbetter.Howdoesthishappen?3Thestudyoftheplaceboopensupnewknowledgeaboutthewaythehumanbodycanhealitself.Itisasiftherewasadoctorineachofus.Thedoctorwillhealthebodyforusifweletit.4Butitisnotyetknownjusthowtheplaceboworkstohealthebody.Somepeoplesayitworksbecausethehumanmindfoolsitself.Thesepeoplesaythatifthemindisfooledintothinkingitgotmedicine,thenitwillactasifitdid,andthebodywillfeelbetter.5Otherpeoplesaythisisnotso.Theysaythattheplacebomakesthewishtogetbetterbecomereality.Theplacebowillnotworkifthepatientknowsitisaplacebo.Thisshowsthatthebodyisnotfooledbyit.Itseemsthatifpatientsthinktheyhavebeengivenmedicine,theywillhavehope.Theyfeelthattheyaregettingsomehelp.Thisgivesthemastrongerwilltogetbetter,andthatiswhathelpstohealthem.6Placebosdonotalwayswork.Thesuccessofthistreatmentseemstorestalotwiththerelationshipbetweenthepatientandthedoctor.Ifthepatienthasalotoftrustinthedoctorandifthedoctorreallywantstohelpthepatient,thentheplaceboismorelikelytowork.Soinaway,thedoctoristhemostpowerfulplaceboofall.7Anexampleofthedoctor'sroleinmakingtheplaceboworkcanbeseeninthisstudy.Somepatientswithbleedingulcerswereputintwogroups.Thefirstgroupweretoldbyadoctorthattheyhadbeengivenanewdrugwhich,itwashoped,wouldgivethemsomerelief.Thesecondgroupweretoldbyanursethattheyhadbeengivenanewdrugbutthatnotmuchwasknownabouthowitwouldwork.Asaresult,70percentofthepeopleinthefirstgroupgotmuchbetter.Only25percentofthepeopleinthesecondgroupgotbetter.Andbothgroupshadinfactbeengiventhesamethingaplacebo.8Theplacebohasbeenfoundtoworkwithalotofdifferentcases.Ithelpssuchthingsasseasickness,coughs,colds,andevenpainafteranoperation.Andtherewasanexperimentdonetoseeifaplacebocouldhelpoldpeoplestayhealthyandlivelonger.9ThetestwasdoneinRomaniawith150peopleovertheageof60.Theywereputinthreegroupswith50peopleineachgroup.Thefirstgroupweregivennothingatall.Thesecondgroupweregivenaplacebo.Thethirdgroupweregivenarealdrugandtoldthatitwouldhelpwiththeproblemsofoldage.(Infact,itwasnotadrugforoldageatall.)Thethreegroupswerestudiedformanyyears.Thefirstgroupshowednochangesfromthewayoldpeopleinthatvillagehadalwaysbeen.Thesecondgroup(withtheplacebo)hadmuchbetterhealthandalowerdeathrate.Thethirdgroup(withtherealdrug)showedmuchthesameresultsasthegroupthattooktheplacebo.10Aplacebocanalsohavebadeffects.Ifpatientsexpectabadreactiontomedicine,thentheywillalsoshowabadreactiontotheplacebo.Thiswouldseemtoshowthatalotofhowyoureacttomedicineisinyourmindratherthaninyourbody.Somedoctorsstillthinkthatiftheplacebocanhavebadeffectsitshouldneverbeused.Theythinkthereisstillnotenoughknownaboutit.11Andyet,theuseoftheplacebohasbeenwellknownforhundredsofyearsinothercountries.TribaldoctorsinsomeAfricancountrieshaveknownforalongtimethatpatientswillgetbetteriftheythinktheyaregoingto.Manyofthetreatmentstheyusedonotseemabletomakeasickpersonbetter,andyetsuchtreatmentswork.12Thestrangepoweroftheplacebodoesseemtosuggestthatthehumanmindisstrongerthanwethinkitis.Therearepeoplewhosayyoucanhealyourbodybyusingyourmind.Andtheinterestingthingisthatevenpeoplewhoswearthisisnotpossiblehavebeenhealedbyaplacebo.