Do patients with fibromyalgia syndrome and healthy people differ in their opinions on placebo effects in routine medical care?

Objectives: Placebo effects can relieve acute and chronic pain in both research and clinical treatments by learning mechanisms. However, the application of placebo-based treatment strategies in routine medical care is questioned. The current study investigated the opinions of patients with fibromyalgia and healthy controls regarding learning of placebo effects and their practical applications.

[Placebo procedures in the operating room: necessary or an unnecessary risk for the patient?].

Sham surgeries, surgical procedures without actually carrying out the intended surgical intervention, are rarely used in research concerning a new surgical or invasive technique. The conflicting needs of minimizing operational risks and maximizing simulation present challenges in designing placebo-controlled surgical trials. It is important to thoroughly consider ethical considerations in the design of studies involving sham surgeries, including the importance of a transparent research design, objective reporting of results, challenges related to the informed consent procedure, and the inherent risks associated with surgical procedures.