On the other hand there's http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM200105243442106 http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM200105243442106, a meta-analysis whi

On the other hand there's http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM200105243442106 http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM200105243442106, a meta-analysis which shows that while placebos might make people feel better, you don't actually get better – which is about what you'd expect and probably not shocking to most of you... but you'd be surprised at the mystical powers that are sometimes ascribed to placebos.