Sugar Pills and Snake Oil:- The Power of the Placebo

The Club’s guest speaker this week was Dr Mike Dow,a retired Psychologist.The title of his talk ‘Sugar Pills and Snake Oil -the Power of the Placebo’ had already stimulated much curious interest in advance of the meeting.That curiosity was well justified - Dr Dow held his audience’s attention throughout as he outlined the history of the placebo in medical research and the apparent effects it can have on patients. Most interestingly Dr Dow explained how the placebo effects can definitely be real.The use by a patient of a placebo given by a Doctor induces an expectation of benefit ‘which releases endorphins or dopamine which in turn will result in pain relief for the patient’. It was clear from a considerable body of research that the more strongly a patient believes in the treatment,even though it may be quite useless, the more likely the results will be better.

Dr Dow referred to many examples from research papers where placebos produced somewhat surprising results. It had been shown that where sugar coated placebo pills had been given to patients, they were thought to be more effective by the patient where two rather than one pill was taken. Likewise, ’posh’ capsules were deemed more effective than the humble pill; pills in flashy packaging appeared to produce better results than those more simply packaged. Even paying more for the same treatment appeared to produce better results -more expensive electric shock treatment was deemed more effective than the same treatment given at a lower cost. The role of the Doctor was also important when it came to the the likelihood of a patient feeling better. The tone of voice, the mannerisms, expressions, and the positivity of the Doctor can all influence outcomes. Dr Dow touched also on the role of alternative therapies including Homeopathy and how effective or not these therapies might be. It was clear that the use of placebos raised important ethical issues for the medical profession, and careful monitoring of their use remained essential. Dr Dow posed the question ‘Is there an ethical placebo?’. He concluded ‘If placebos do anything, it’s that the complex neuropsychological responses that result in feeling better should not be dismissed.’

After many questions from members Dr Dow was given a much deserved vote of thanks.

The Club’s guest speaker this week was Dr Mike Dow,a retired Psychologist.The title of his talk ‘Sugar Pills and Snake Oil -the Power of the Placebo’ had already stimulated much curious interest in advance of the meeting.That curiosity was well justified - Dr Dow held his audience’s attention throughout as he outlined the history of the placebo in medical research and the apparent effects it can have on patients. Most interestingly Dr Dow explained how the placebo effects can definitely be real.The use by a patient of a placebo given by a Doctor induces an expectation of benefit ‘which releases endorphins or dopamine which in turn will result in pain relief for the patient’. It was clear from a considerable body of research that the more strongly a patient believes in the treatment,even though it may be quite useless, the more likely the results will be better.
Dr Dow referred to many examples from research papers where placebos produced somewhat surprising results. It had been shown that where sugar coated placebo pills had been given to patients, they were thought to be more effective by the patient where two rather than one pill was taken. Likewise, ’posh’ capsules were deemed more effective than the humble pill; pills in flashy packaging appeared to produce better results than those more simply packaged. Even paying more for the same treatment appeared to produce better results -more expensive electric shock treatment was deemed more effective than the same treatment given at a lower cost. The role of the Doctor was also important when it came to the the likelihood of a patient feeling better. The tone of voice, the mannerisms, expressions, and the positivity of the Doctor can all influence outcomes. Dr Dow touched also on the role of alternative therapies including Homeopathy and how effective or not these therapies might be. It was clear that the use of placebos raised important ethical issues for the medical profession, and careful monitoring of their use remained essential. Dr Dow posed the question ‘Is there an ethical placebo?’. He concluded ‘If placebos do anything, it’s that the complex neuropsychological responses that result in feeling better should not be dismissed.’

After many questions from members Dr Dow was given a much deserved vote of thanks.