Question: Why does the Placebo effect work?

Andrew Swale answered on 19 Jun 2013:

Many think the placebo effect occurs because the patient believes in the substance, the treatment, or the doctor. The patient’s thoughts and feelings somehow cause short-term physical changes in the brain or body. The patient expects to feel better, and so he or she does feel better for some time. But even if a person feels better after taking a placebo, it doesn’t mean the person’s illness or symptoms were not real.