Mind over medicine: can honest placebos cut opioid doses in half?

This study is testing whether an open-label placebo—where patients know they're taking a placebo—can help reduce opioid medication doses while keeping pain relief the same. It involves 66 adults with spinal cord injuries, multiple traumatic injuries, or burns who are using opioids for pain during intensive inpatient rehabilitation. Researchers will pair the placebo with a reduced opioid dose to see if patients can maintain comfort with fewer drugs and potentially lower side effects and addiction risk.