Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

Honest placebos: can taking a sugar pill knowingly fight chronic pain?

NCT ID NCT06931158

Symptom relief Sponsor: Rhode Island Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 23, 2026 · Last updated Jul 24, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial investigates whether open-label placebos—pills that patients know contain no active drug—can reduce pain and opioid use in adults with chronic low-back pain. Participants take the placebo twice daily for 21 days and receive different types of explanations (such as a standard scientific rationale or a mindfulness-based one) to see which approach works best. The goal is to determine whether the way a placebo is presented influences its pain-relieving effects.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
an open-label placebo pill (a pill with no active drug, taken knowingly)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a simple, side-effect-free way to reduce chronic pain and reliance on opioids.
What could go wrong
This is an early-stage trial testing different explanations, not the placebo itself. The effect may be small or not last, and some people may not respond at all.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

327 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Mar 2025

Finished

Jun 2026

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 89 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion criteria are: * chronic pain (pain lasting at least 3 months, pain intensity 4/10 or over and interference 3/10 or over) * at least 18 years old * English speaking * have a smartphone or computer with video access * the chronic pain is concentrated into the patient's lower back (tentative criteria based on recruitment rate) Exclusion Criteria * Have chronic pain because of a cancer diagnosis * Over 89 years of age * Suspect an allergy to any placebo ingredient * Currently receiving worker's compensation.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Chronic low back pain are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Chronic Pain chronic pain syndrome

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Chronic low back pain Chronic pain

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Rhode Island Hospital

    Providence, Rhode Island, 02906, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.