Oral Communication Informative Speech

ORAL COMMUNICATION INFORMATIVE SPEECH
"The Healing Power of a Thought"
Imagine going to the doctor for a headache, and instead of giving you actual medicine, they hand you a
water, telling you it will help relieve your pain. Surprisingly, after drinking it, your headache fades away.
Good Afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen, I Am Jharie Mae Badol. What if I told you that the most powerful
medicine is one that doesn’t even exist?
Today, we’ll explore the science behind the placebo effect, how it’s used in medical research, and why
understanding it might just change the way we think about healing.
What if I told you that the secret to healing might not lie in the medicine you take, but in the power of
your mind? Imagine this: you’re given a pill, told it will ease your pain, and suddenly, you feel better. But
here’s the catch—the pill was nothing more than a sugar tablet. No medicine, no cure, just belief.
Welcome to the fascinating world of the placebo effect.
What is placebo Effect?
After getting a treatment that contains no active medicinal components, a person may experience
genuine changes in their health or symptoms, a phenomenon known as the placebo effect.
In clinical trials, where patients are split into two groups, one receiving the treatment and the other a
placebo it is frequently utilized. The goal is to compare the patient's expectations with the amount of the
drug's effect that is caused by the medication.
For instance, the placebo effect occurs when someone takes a sugar tablet they think is a pain reliever
and feels better.
So how does placebo effect works?
Expectation and belief are essential components in the placebo effect. The brain frequently reacts as if a
treatment were real when we think it would help us. According to scientific research, the placebo effect
can cause the brain's natural painkillers, such as dopamine and endorphins, to be released. Signs create
the same parts of the brain as actual drugs, according to brain imaging. This demonstrates the
tremendous strength of the mind-body a connection.
The real world example of placebo effect was during the World War 2. Dr. Henry Beecher, an
anesthesiologist during World War II, faced a shortage of morphine for injured soldiers. To prevent panic
and pain, he injected soldiers with saline, telling them it was a powerful painkiller. Surprisingly, many
soldiers reported significant pain relief. This demonstrated that belief in the treatment was enough to
trigger the body’s natural pain-relief mechanisms, showing the power of the placebo effect.
Another example for placebo effect is the chronic illnesses. Placebos have been shown to improve
symptoms for conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, and even depression, where the belief
in treatment can enhance a person’s overall well-being.
In fact, a study published in Science Translational Medicine in 2014 tested migraine sufferers.
Participants were given either real medication or placebo pills labeled as “placebo” or as “painkillers.”
Surprisingly, even when people were told they were taking a placebo, they still reported pain relief.
Researchers also at Harvard Medical School conducted a study on patients with irritable bowel syndrome
(IBS). Patients knowingly took placebo pills labeled as "placebos." After three weeks, nearly twice as
many patients in the placebo group reported symptom relief compared to the group that received no
treatment.
In a 2002 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, patients with knee arthritis
underwent either real surgery or a sham surgery (where no real procedure was performed). Those who
had the fake surgery reported the same level of pain relief and mobility improvement as those who
underwent the actual operation.
According also to the Neuroscientific studies using MRI scans have shown that when people experience
pain relief from placebos, their brains release endorphins and activate the same regions involved in real
painkiller effects.
The placebo effect plays a critical role in medical research. It is a key reason why rigorous clinical trials
are conducted to compare new treatments with placebos. If a drug doesn’t outperform a placebo, it’s
considered ineffective. But the placebo effect goes beyond research. It forces us to rethink the role of
belief and trust in healing. For example, patients often respond better to treatments when they trust
their doctors and feel hopeful about recovery. This suggests that bedside manner and patient care are as
important as the treatment itself. In some cases, doctors are even exploring “open-label placebos,”
where patients are fully informed that they’re taking a placebo but still experience improvements. This
ethical approach allows us to harness the placebo effect without deception, expanding its potential
applications in modern medicine.
Why does placebo effect matters?
The placebo effect challenges our understanding of healing, suggesting that belief, trust, and expectation
play significant roles in recovery. It also opens doors for more holistic treatments that combine medical
care with the power of psychology, empathy, and patient-doctor communication. Moreover, the placebo
effect highlights the importance of psychology in healing. It’s not just about curing diseases—it’s about
enhancing the overall well-being of patients.
The placebo effect is more than just a medical curiosity; it’s a powerful reminder of the mind’s influence
on the body. From relieving pain to improving chronic conditions, it shows us that belief can create real,
measurable changes in our health. As we continue to study this phenomenon, we might discover new
ways to harness the placebo effect to improve patient care and outcomes. It’s not a replacement for
medicine, but it’s a valuable tool that reveals the untapped potential of the human mind.
Once Again Ladies and Gentlemen, I am Jharie badol telling you that the next time you pop a pill or
undergo a treatment, ask yourself how much of the healing comes from the medicine, and how much
comes from your belief in it? Perhaps the most potent medicine of all lies within us.
Thank you.

Oral Communication Informative Speech

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Oral Communication Informative Speech

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Oral Communication Informative Speech

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

ORAL COMMUNICATION INFORMATIVE SPEECH

"The Healing Power of a Thought"

What is placebo Effect?

So how does placebo effect works?

Why does placebo effect matters?

You might also like