Can a sugar pill curb the opioid crisis?

This pilot study tests whether a technique called conditioning with open-label placebo (COLP) can help patients with spinal cord injuries, polytrauma, or burns reduce their opioid painkiller doses without losing pain relief. Participants receive a sugar pill and an essential oil scent alongside their usual oxycodone, with the goal of maintaining the same pain control while lowering opioid exposure. The study measures changes in opioid use and pain scores to see if this approach is worth further investigation.