Sham surgery showdown: is common back operation just a placebo?
NCT ID NCT07418944
First seen Feb 21, 2026 · Last updated May 09, 2026 · Updated 9 times
Summary
This study compares real microdiscectomy surgery to a placebo (sham) surgery for people with sciatica from a herniated disc whose leg pain hasn't improved after 6 weeks of non-surgical care. 122 participants will be randomly assigned to either the real operation or a fake procedure that looks and feels the same but doesn't remove any disc material. The goal is to see if the surgery provides real pain relief and recovery benefits beyond the placebo effect.
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Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
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Study contacts
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Contact
Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
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Contact
Email: •••••@•••••
Locations
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Helsinki University Central Hospital
RECRUITINGHelsinki, Finland
Contact Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
Conditions
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