A new British study out in the journal PLOS ONE is stirring up a lot of debate, as it gives some estimates on the number of doctors who are giving patients placebo to treat their various conditions.

When you take a pill, you and your doctor hope it will work — and that helps it work. That's not a new idea. But now researchers say they know just how much of a drug's effect comes from the patient's ...

In many medical studies, even people who take “fake” treatments, such as sugar pills with no active ingredients, can still feel better. These are the puzzling “placebo effects”. They are common, ...