Placebo prescriptions and fake treatments improve patient conditions
Clinical trials consistently demonstrate that placebo prescriptions—including transparently administered open-label placebos—can improve patient-reported conditions such as chronic pain, fatigue, and allergic symptoms.
The retrieved papers include multiple randomized controlled trials specifically investigating open-label placebos (OLPs) and finding consistent, statistically significant improvements in subjective and functional patient outcomes (such as pain reduction, fatigue, and allergic rhinitis symptoms) compared to treatment as usual or waitlist controls. No papers refute the claim.
Cláudia Carvalho, J. Caetano, Lidia Cunha, Paula Rebouta, T. Kaptchuk, I. Kirsch. Open-label Placebo Treatment in Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial. 2016. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000700
This randomized controlled trial found that open-label placebo treatment elicited greater pain reduction and reduced disability in patients with chronic low back pain compared to treatment as usual.
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Teri W. Hoenemeyer, Ted J. Kaptchuk, Tapan S. Mehta, Kevin R. Fontaine. Open-Label Placebo Treatment for Cancer-Related Fatigue: A Randomized-Controlled Clinical Trial. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-20993-y
This randomized-controlled trial demonstrated that open-label placebos significantly reduced fatigue severity and improved fatigue-disrupted quality of life in cancer survivors.
M. Schaefer, Tamay Sahin, Benjamin Berstecher. Why do open-label placebos work? A randomized controlled trial of an open-label placebo induction with and without extended information about the placebo effect in allergic rhinitis. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0192758
This study showed that open-label placebos without deception can improve symptoms in patients with allergic rhinitis.
J. Kleine‐Borgmann, K. Schmidt, Andreas Hellmann, U. Bingel. Effects of open-label placebo on pain, functional disability and spine mobility in chronic back pain patients: a randomized controlled trial.. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001683
This trial demonstrated that a 3-week open-label placebo treatment significantly reduced pain intensity, functional disability, and depressive symptoms in chronic back pain patients.
K. Flowers, Megan E. Patton, Valerie Hruschak, K. Fields, Emily Schwartz, J. Zeballos, James D. Kang, R. Edwards, T. Kaptchuk, K. Schreiber. Conditioned open-label placebo for opioid reduction after spine surgery: a randomized controlled trial. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002185
This randomized controlled trial found that conditioned open-label placebos reduced daily opioid use and worst pain scores in patients recovering from spine surgery.
S. Yennurajalingam, A. Azhar, Zhanni Lu, Ashley J Rodriguez, Adrienne B Arechiga, Maria Guerra-Sanchez, Penny A. Stanton, Clark R. Andersen, D. Urbauer, E. Bruera. Open-Label Placebo for the Treatment of Cancer-Related Fatigue in Patients with Advanced Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1093/oncolo/oyac184
This trial indicated that open-label placebos were efficacious in reducing cancer-related fatigue and fatigue clusters in patients with advanced cancer.
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