Full text

Turn on search term navigation

© The Author(s) 2025. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Placebo effects have been linked to a range of clinical symptoms. Traditionally, it was believed that deception was necessary for placebos to work. However, emerging research shows that openly administered placebos can benefit patients with various medical conditions. This study aimed to analyze the effects of Open-Label Placebo (OLP) on physical function and pain in individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain. We conducted, in August 2024, a systematic literature search in PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and EMBASE for RCTs comparing OLP with any other intervention or no treatment. The level of evidence was assessed with GRADE. The effects on physical function tests were analyzed descriptively, while patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) on physical functioning and pain were synthesized using random-effects meta-analyses. Study quality was assessed using the revised Cochrane risk of bias tool, RoB2. From 1775 articles, seven RCTs with a total of 703 participants were included—five on back pain and two on knee pain. All seven studies had a high risk of bias for PROMs due to awareness of the intervention. Among the four studies that reported objective outcomes, two had a low risk of bias and two had some concerns. All studies included a follow-up between 3 and 12 weeks, except for one study that had a 3-year follow-up. With moderate evidence, we found that OLP as a stand-alone or add-on treatment had no effect on physical function tests, but concerning PROMs, there was low evidence for very small to moderate effects on self-reported physical function (SMD = 0.40, 95% CI 0.19–0.60) and small to moderate effects on pain intensity (SMD = 0.46, 95% CI 0.28–0.63) compared to treatment as usual or no treatment. These results suggest that OLP may enhance PROMs in chronic musculoskeletal pain patients, but one should keep in mind that the clinical value of OLP is not yet established. This study received no specific funding.

Registered in PROSPERO: CRD42023487578.

Details

Title
A systematic review and meta analysis of open label placebo effects in chronic musculoskeletal pain
Author
Borg, Fredrik 1 ; Gedin, Filip 2 ; Franzén, Erika 3 ; Grooten, Wilhelmus Johannes Andreas 3 

 Karolinska Institutet, Division of Physiotherapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Stockholm, Sweden (GRID:grid.4714.6) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 0626); Scandinavian College of Chiropractic, Stockholm, Sweden (GRID:grid.487382.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 0439 2988) 
 Scandinavian College of Chiropractic, Stockholm, Sweden (GRID:grid.487382.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 0439 2988); Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Stockholm, Sweden (GRID:grid.4714.6) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 0626) 
 Karolinska Institutet, Division of Physiotherapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Stockholm, Sweden (GRID:grid.4714.6) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 0626); Karolinska University Hospital, Medical Unit Allied Health Professionals, Stockholm, Sweden (GRID:grid.24381.3c) (ISNI:0000 0000 9241 5705) 
Pages
24007
Publication year
2025
Publication date
2025
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3227340579
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2025. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.