The placebo effect in general practice

The placebo effect has been used to make people feel better since ancient times. The improvement in symptoms from placebos can be dramatic, yet the medical profession gives this relatively little attention. Neurobiological explanations for the placebo effect have been uncovered in recent years, and there is a growing interest in understanding and harnessing it within the consultation – where the placebo effect is known as the context-mediated effect. Using the placebo effect without care and skill can leave patients in a worse position, facing adverse effects, unnecessary costs and unhelpful health-seeking behaviour. This article will offer a guide to the placebo effect and its less well known sibling the nocebo effect, to help readers be more aware of its presence and value in the GP consultation