The placebo effect is a phenomenon in which a person's symptoms or well-being improve after receiving a fake treatment that has no specific or intrinsic effect on their condition.
For example, a person may feel less pain after taking a sugar pill that they believe is a painkiller, or they may feel more energetic after receiving an injection of saline soluti ... Show More
Today
How can I save 1000 pounds in a year?
Saving money can be challenging, especially in these uncertain times. But it's not impossible. With some planning, discipline and creativity, you can achieve your savings goal and improve your financial situation. Saving is important for many reasons; It can help you prepare for ... Show More
4m 36s
Today
Are we less fertile than before?
According to the British Fertility Society, between 9% and 15% of couples will encounter fertility problems, while Fertility Network UK says that “over 3.5 million people in the UK go through some kind of fertility challenge.” Interestingly, the total fertility rate in England an ... Show More
4m 34s
Apr 2020
Will a placebo boost my sports performance?
<p>In medicine, it’s long been recognised that a placebo, a sham medicine or treatment, can have a powerful positive effect on a patient’s health. Part of that effect relies on a person’s belief that an inactive substance or treatment (for example, a sugar pill) is in fact an act ... Show More
26m 27s
Nov 2023
Jeremy Howick, "The Power of Placebos: Unlocking Their Potential to Improve Health Care" (Johns Hopkins UP, 2023)
Should your doctor prescribe a placebo for you, instead of conventional medicine? And if she did, would it work? Is the double-blind placebo-controlled paradigm really the gold standard for medical research?
Placebos are the most widely used treatments in the history of medicine. ... Show More
34m 56s
May 2022
How Your Expectations Can Change Your Life
<p>During World War II, Henry Beecher, an anesthesiologist serving in the U.S. Army, noticed that 32% of the soldiers he treated for horrific battle wounds felt no pain. A further 44% experienced only slight or mild discomfort, despite the fact they had shrapnel embedded in their ... Show More
50m 26s
Jan 2024
TMHS 757 - The Truth About The Placebo Effect
Each year, trillions of dollars are poured into the American healthcare system, yet the rates of chronic illnesses and diseases continue to climb. If we want better health outcomes, we’ve got to stop handing over our power to prescription pads and diagnoses, and instead harness a ... Show More
1h 18m
