OpenLabelPlacebos

OpenLabelPlacebos, or open-label placebos (OLP), are placebos that are administered with full disclosure to the patient that the treatment contains no active medical ingredient. They differ from traditional placebos that rely on deception or withholding information. In open-label use, patients are informed that the pills, capsules, or other forms of treatment are inert but may still produce beneficial effects through mechanisms related to expectancy, conditioning, and the supportive context of care.

OLP has been investigated in a range of conditions, with irritable bowel syndrome, chronic low back pain, and migraines among the more frequently studied areas. Some randomized trials and systematic reviews have found that open-label placebos can produce clinically meaningful improvements compared with no treatment or baseline, though effects are typically modest and vary by condition, study design, and patient population. Open-label placebos are sometimes used as an adjunct to standard therapies rather than as a stand-alone replacement.

Proposed mechanisms emphasize the therapeutic context: transparent communication, positive framing, patient expectations, and the ritual of treatment can trigger physiological and behavioral responses that contribute to symptom relief. The practice aligns with ethical principles by avoiding deception and supporting patient autonomy, which can enhance trust in the clinician–patient relationship.

In clinical settings, open-label placebo protocols emphasize informed consent, clear labeling, and appropriate patient education. While not yet a standard of care for most conditions, OLP is an area of active research, with ongoing debates about its boundaries, optimal contexts, and how best to integrate it with conventional treatments.