Can sugar pills without deception ease ER pain?

NCT ID NCT06408519

Completed Symptom relief Sponsor: Bruno Minotti Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Acute Pain Emergencies

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

PAIN, ACUTE

Contacts and locations

Locations

University Hospital Basel

Basel, Switzerland

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