Placebos: Pain Relief Might Not Be “All in Our Heads”
For the first time, scientists have found that a placebo with implied pain-relieving properties directly activates the brain’s chemistry involved in regulating and suppressing pain.
The therapeutic benefits were noted after the subjects received an inert substance that was suggested to reduce pain. Implied pain-relieving placebos have also been associated with reductions in the subjects’ ratings of their own pain. The release of endorphins is the body’s natural way of killing pain.
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Considerable evidence indicates that endogenous opioids (endorphins) play a role in pain regulation. The new findings run counter to the common idea that the placebo effect is just psychological or a result of suggestion.
The scientists found that the anticipation of decreased pain could modulate brain chemical transmission between neurons that are associated with pain reduction. This chemical transmission, occurring at the site of the mu-opioid receptors in the endogenous opioid system, correlated with subjects’ reports of decreased pain intensity and unpleasantness.
Positron emission tomography (PET) and molecular imaging were used to quantify the activity of the endorphins. The scientists administered an IV placebo of salt solution, which was presented as a pain-reliever, to seven healthy men while they were experiencing moderate, sustained levels of pain. The other seven volunteers did not receive a placebo while experiencing pain. lexapro medication
PET scans and the imaging techniques revealed that the brains of the volunteers who received placebos released endogenous opioids. The volunteers also confirmed that they felt less pain. The activation of endorphins correlated with decreased elements of the pain experience, depending on the location and magnitude of the endorphins released in the brain.
