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Article: Placebos: Fooling the body to heal itself
- Article from:
- USA TODAY
- Article date:
- July 1, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright Society for Advancement of Education Jul 1999. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Even though they do not contain active pharmaceutical ingredients, placebos often are beneficial in alleviating stress-induced ailments.
CENTURIES of clinical experience show that placebos benefit a wide range of afflictions. Indeed, research over the past few decades has identified some of the mechanisms behind the placebo effect. Yet, the placebo response-or, more descriptively, a response to the treatment situation-continues to be disparaged by the health care community and patients.
How did placebos come by their dubious reputation? The centuries-old term "placebo" comes with historical baggage. Latin for "I shall please," the word had by the 14th century become a pejorative term ...