Summary: What is a nocebo? Placebo is Latin for "I shall please." It is a "sugar pill" (a therapeutically inert event) that benefits the patient because of their belief in the matter. Nocebo is Latin for "I shall harm." It is something that is also therapeutically inert; it does nothing really... i.e., it's a "sugar pill," and IT INJURES THE PATIENT because of their belief in the matter. "Your back pain is caused by a herniated disc" is probably the most commonly delivered nocebo today. It does unimaginable harm and can disable an innocent believer. Find out more. Become an informed consumer of health care; protect yourself, your friends, and your family.
