A fake pain treatment that only uses learned associations from past experiences doesn't actually change how much pain people feel or how their body automatically reacts to pain.

40

Pro

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Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

40

Community contributions welcome

40

The Influence of Placebo Analgesia Manipulations on Pain Report, the Nociceptive Flexion Reflex, and Autonomic Responses to Pain.

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2018 Nov

The study tested a conditioning-only placebo treatment (where you learn that a treatment works through repeated experience but aren't told it will help) and found it had no effect on pain, spinal reflexes, or body stress responses. This matches exactly what the claim says would happen.

Contradicting (0)

0

Community contributions welcome

No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

The Influence of Placebo Analgesia Manipulations on Pain Report, the Nociceptive Flexion Reflex, and Autonomic Responses to Pain.

Score: 40

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2018.04.012

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