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The Placebo Effect On Patients

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The placebo effect is a widely known phenomenon where patients are given some form of dummy medication in place of actual medication that produces the same effect as the real medication would have. They intend to help stimulate areas of the brain that may prompt the release of chemicals such as endorphins to aid in the relief of the symptom. Tests have shown that forms such as injections psychologically perform better than pills, because of the slight pain that injections bring ( Freeman, Shanna. "How the Placebo Effect Works." HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks.com, 13 Jan. 2009. Web.). Because of the pain, people tend to believe that the medication would work better. Placebos can be used to treat multiple different diseases, but has been …show more content…

"Is the Placebo Effect in Some People 's Genes?" Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 16 Apr. 2015. Web.). If a placebo is effective, the brain releases certain chemicals that depend on the expected effect, such as dopamine or endorphins, to counteract the symptoms or effects the patient may be feeling. In theory, if a patient were to have higher endorphin levels in the brain, they too would have a higher chance of the placebo effect taking place, depending on their symptom. Both endorphins and dopamine can be released in cases to do with pain. According to the classical conditioning theory (Lemoine, Patrick. "Medscape Log In." Medscape Log In. Medscape, 9 Oct. 2015. Web.), taking a pill provides a stimulus that can provoke a reaction from the brain. Different methods a placebo can be taken or used range from pills and injection, to surgery. With research, placebo injections showed to be more effective than orally ingested pills, possibly to do regarding the slight pain that injections bring. The patient is more likely to believe the medication would work because of the minor pain (Brynie, Faith. "The Placebo Effect: How It Works." Psychology Today. Brain Sense, 10 Jan. 2012. Web.). Generally, the expectation of the medication to work causes the effect to take place, due to the brain influencing itself into releasing chemicals that may aid in symptom relief.

This phenomenon has also helped in aiding various

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