Skeptics Stack Exchange
Skeptics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [alternative-medicine]

Use this tag for claims regarding cures and health practices which fall outside the boundaries of scientifically validated medicine.

Any healing practice, method, compound or procedure which falls outside the bounds of scientifically validated medicine either because it has not demonstrated significant, safe, repeatable results consistently under proper observing conditions, or has not yet had the opportunity to undergo such testing. Can also relate to the study, evaluation, and interpretation of data collected on such processes. Related term: Complementary Medicine.

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Is osteopathic medicine evidence based?

There seems to be a lot of conflation of osteopathic medicine with other alternative medicines, even questions about whether or not it is an alternative medicine or mainstream. In the U.S. osteopathic physicians (D.O.) have all the rights and…
John Rhoades
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Can a fan blowing on you at night make you sick?

It has been pretty hot in my neck of the woods over the last week. It has been roughly 80 degrees in my room at night. To try to stay comfortable and get to sleep I have been running two fans. One in the window and one pointed at my bed. Today I…
Linger
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Is 432Hz sound frequency more "natural" or beneficial to human body than 440Hz?

I have been reading about tuning musical instruments to A=432 frequency instead of recently (meaning in the last century) arbitrarily defined standard of tuning to A=440Hz. Supposedly the 432Hz frequency and its derivative tones have been…
Aambro
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Is acid reflux ("heartburn") caused by having too little stomach acid?

According to a number of websites, "almost everything you have been told about heartburn, indigestion, and common stomach ailments are lies", and heartburn is actually caused by too little stomach acid. The truth about most stomach disorders is…
endolith
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Did the original snake oil work?

"Snake oil" is a common name for a fake or over-hyped product. As defined by urban dictionary: comes from the 19th-century American practice of selling cure-all elixirs in traveling medicine shows. Snake oil salesmen would falsely claim that…
Artemisia
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What is Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS)?

Promoted by Jim Humble, Miracle Mineral Solution is claimed to cure a wide range of ailments. But what exactly is it, chemically speaking?
Richard Stelling
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Is it possible to overdose on Homeopathic medicines?

How much Homeopathic medicines would be required (or considered) an overdose? Every Homeopathic site claims the treatments are safe and have no side effects, it it even possible to overdose?
Richard Stelling
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Does aromatherapy have proven efficacy in certain cases?

When answering this question on the possibility of using soap to cure leg cramp I began looking around for double blind studies related to aromatherapy. This lead me to the following examples: Randomized trial of aromatherapy. Successful treatment…
going
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Are most humans infected with parasites that water fasting can eliminate?

So this is a new one for me... I came across a jaw dropping niche of health-woo today. Apparently tens of thousands of people (if not more) believe that almost all humans are infected with parasites that cause us all to crave sugary foods, and a…
WakeDemons3
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As seen in movies, is it medically sound to treat a bruise with raw meat?

I've seen in numerous movies that after a person gets beaten up in a fight they place a chunk of raw meat on their face. I found this link making reference to the practice and this one claiming it's a myth (though I have no regards for the validity…
Celeritas
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Do amber necklaces work for pain relief?

I have heard from several new mothers that they are being told about amber necklaces being sold for teething babies. (Pain relief?) I am very interested to see if there is any scientific evidence behind these as a medical benefit, and not just as…
Simon J M
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Do copper bracelets help arthritis?

Many people tell me to wear a magnetic or copper bracelet to improve my arthritis is there any science behind this? Many online shops sell copper bracelets containing magnets for their health effects. Here is an excerpt of the claim from I Love…
Don
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Are there any benefits to drinking 1.5 liters of water first thing in the morning (water therapy)?

I'm not sure the origin of this "water therapy", but I've seen various websites that claim that drinking 1.5 liters of water right when you wake up is great for your body/mind, heals all diseases, etc. Here are some…
Casey Patton
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Is chiropractic treatment safe and effective?

Has there been any reliable independent studies into the efficacy of chiropractic treatment and claims that it can either cure or provide significant relief from mechanical disorders? Is there any reported data to suggest a greater number of people…
going
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Does black seed oil help treat various cancers, asthma, epilepsy, liver conditions, high blood pressure and more?

Does anyone know if the scientific claims about black seed oil talked about here are true: One of black seed's primary bioactive components is thymolquinone, or TQ, which is found in its essential oil. So far, notes Aggarwal, botanists have…
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