Why a placebo can work–even when you know it's fake

"The fact that it’s prescribed by a physician is also key, experts say. “A placebo isn’t about the pill. It’s the ritual of the pill,” Kaptchuk says."

“The mind plays such an important role in patient recovery,” Krystal says. Like all placebos, open-label ones take advantage of the bond between doctors and patients that is “one of the most special and unique connections among people in our society.”