Could the best medicine be no medicine at all? It’s a question posed on WNYC’s Radiolab, and one that is supported by studies showing placebos can have a concrete and powerful effect on our bodies and health.
This isn’t an invitation to take sugar pills for your illnesses – the placebo effect is all about creating beliefs and perceptions, and it isn’t limited to medicine. Placebos can be anything from a pill to a doctor’s white coat to a hospital garment. (Our recent feature story, “Healthy Alterations,” was about redesigning the hospital gown to improve the patient experience.)
On a recent Radiolab, hosts Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich discuss the placebo effect from the doctor’s angle:
And at the most recent TEDMED conference, the magician Eric Meade drew parallels between placebos and magic tricks by demonstrating how they facilitate reactions to things that aren’t necessarily real (viewer discretion advised).
Medicine certainly plays an indispensable role in the healing process, but the success of the placebo calls attention to the complexity of this process. It is important that we also place value on the beliefs, clothing, interior design and all the other elements that comprise the modern medical experience.
PREVIOUS POST
