How the Placebo Effect Works—And How to Make Use of It

The placebo effect can be a nuisance to drug makers, whose new product proves little better than a sugar pill, but offer sweet hope for patients. ra2 studio/Shutterstock

Did you ever feel your own shoulders relax when you saw a friend receive a shoulder massage? For those of you who said yes, congratulations, your brain is using its power to create a “placebo effect.” For those who said no, you’re not alone, but thankfully, the brain is trainable.

Since the 1800s, the word placebo has been used to refer to a fake treatment, meaning one that doesn’t contain any active, physical substance. You may have heard of placebos referred to as “sugar pills.”