How has research on psychosomatic disorders explained some apparent successes of quack treatments?

Research into psychosomatic disorders provides a scientific explanation for why some patients report improvements after using ineffective treatments offered by quacks. Because psychosomatic conditions involve physical symptoms that are worsened or triggered by mental distress, they are inherently susceptible to psychological influence.12

When a patient seeks help from a charlatan, the placebo effect often plays a central role in these apparent successes. If a patient believes in the practitioner’s claims or the efficacy of the treatment, their hopeful attitude can lead to measurable physiological improvements, such as the release of dopamine in the brain. This process demonstrates that mentally produced symptoms can sometimes be alleviated through mental means, such as the power of suggestion or the patient's expectation of a cure.314

By exploiting this connection between the mind and body, quacks can capitalize on the patient's desire for relief, particularly in conditions characterized by frequent remissions and recurrences, such as migraine or arthritis, where the natural course of the illness may be mistaken for a successful cure.1