Can sugar pills without deception ease ER pain?
NCT ID NCT06408519
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether giving patients open-label placebo pills (honest placebos) for acute pain in the emergency department is practical and acceptable. 57 adults with non-specific acute pain received either open-label placebo or ibuprofen. The main goal was to see if enough patients would join and follow the study, not to prove the placebo works. Results will help design larger trials on honest placebos for pain.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
Placebo (open-label) and Ibuprofen 400 mg
What this could lead to
If successful, this could show that honest placebo pills are a feasible and acceptable option for managing acute pain in the emergency department.
What could go wrong
This is a small feasibility study (57 participants) with exploratory outcomes, so results may not be conclusive or generalizable. The placebo effect is unpredictable and may not provide adequate pain relief for everyone.
Disclaimer
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This is a summary of
the original study
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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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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
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Locations
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University Hospital Basel
Basel, Switzerland