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

NCT ID NCT06931158

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

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.

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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

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Locations

Rhode Island Hospital

Providence, Rhode Island, 02906, United States

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