Papers of the Week

Placebo hypoalgesia provides pain relief for individuals via the expectation of a beneficial or therapeutic outcome, while nocebo hyperalgesia results in increased pain in response to anxious anticipation of harmful outcomes. These forms of placebo pain modulation can be induced through repeated associations, verbal cues, and social interactions. Understanding these methods of pain modulation can provide greater insight into the psychosocial contexts of pain modulation, as well as develop novel approaches to pain management.