Placebos are fake medical intervention. Most placebos contain a small dose or none at all of the original drug the patient was made to think he/she was taking. The use of placebos for medication has been plagued with so many questions as to its validity ever since it was introduced to the medical world. Except for the psychosomatic effect, there are no other proven effects.h

But researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York have discovered that this psychosomatic effect that the placebos produce can indeed help patients afflicted by psoriasis. In the procedure, the patients were given placebos with small doses of the steroid drug that can help boost their immune system.

There were 46 psoriasis patients that participated in the study. One group was given a full dose, while the others were given insignificant amounts that can barely cause an effect without the doctors telling the patients. Some people belonging to the latter group reported recovery confirming the psychosomatic effect of placebos.

One intense discussion regarding the placebo effect is whether or not it breaks the Hippocratic Oath. Whether or not it really does, supporters of placebos at least offer hope to victims of serious illnesses.