Pharmacy Daily | Dispensary Corner 25 Aug 25

THERE is a way to relieve pain without medicine, researchers have discovered.

Psychiatrists from James Madison University and Case Western Reserve University found that being given a medical diagnosis alone can bring relief from pain - even without treatment.

Dubbed the 'Rumpelstiltskin Effect', simply naming a medical condition can have very real benefits, including helping alleviate some symptoms.

Patients often describe feeling a wave of relief after finally receiving a diagnosis, whether for a neurodevelopmental condition such as ADHD, or something as common as a stress headache.

Writing in BJ Psych Bulletin, the researchers explained: "A clinical diagnosis invites patients to see their experiences through a medical lens.

"This diagnosis functions not only as a medical label but also as a social tool for making previously unarticulated suffering comprehensible."

While the researchers are hopeful that their findings will make healthcare professionals more aware of the power of diagnosis, they concede that further investigation is needed to fully validate the effect.