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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Does too much deuterium clog up our mitochondria?

I recently came across a strange idea that appears to be popular in the biohacking and alternative health community. The essence of it is that many of the ills of modern life are cased by a buildup to excess deuterium in our bodies. As this site…
matt_black
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Can the size and shape of penis be enhanced permanently?

A very good friend of mine went to the UK for his master's two years ago. After his breakup and several hookups (via online dating sites), he told me that he is very depressed, especially after one of the people he met explained to him that even…
Janus Boffin
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Can good smells boost our immune system?

According to aromatherapists and articles such as this, good smells boost our immune system, and conversely, bad smells deteriorate our bodies. Is there a plausible mechanism to explain why this would happen? Has this claim ever been validated by…
Thursagen
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Does supplementation of garlic/allicin reduce the risk of catching the common cold significantly?

The study Preventing the common cold with a garlic supplement: a double-blind, placebo-controlled survey shows a reduction of days challenged virally by about 70% just by taking 180mg allicin every day. This would be really huge. The economic impact…
Tobias Hermann
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What makes a naturopathic massage naturopathic, and is there any significant benefit to it or is it a hoax?

I've seen advertisements for naturopathic massage, with claims of health benefits that apply to a wide range of conditions and diseases. Is a naturopathic massage significantly different from a regular one, and does the difference lead to…
blueberryfields
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Are regular tea bags effective in treating pink eye?

http://myculturedpalate.com/blog/2013/03/11/tea-bags-a-natural-remedy-for-pink-eye/ or http://altmedicine.about.com/od/healthconditionsdisease/a/pinkeye.htm Chamomile is also used in folk medicine to treat pink eye. Brewing a cup of chamomile tea,…
user21713
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Can high doses of niacin (B3) effectively treat psychosis?

Does high doses of vitamin B3 treat or stop psychosis effectively? The DOCTOR YOURSELF NEWSLETTER (Vol. 3, No 12) May 5, 2003 VITAMIN CURE FOR PSYCHOSIS Simply put, it is niacin, and plenty of it. In the film "Masks of Madness; Science of Healing,"…
Jan Vladimir Mostert
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Is laetrile an efficient drug against cancer?

Recently, I encountered a person who asks for money donation. She suffers from non-Hodgkin lymphoma and claims that there is a very promising way to be cured - to use the drug named laetril (or laetrile), also known as vitamin B17. She claims that…
Katarina
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NAET - is it a hoax or does it have any merit?

Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Techniques seems to claim to be able to heal almost anything. It primarily focuses on allergies as the core of all issues. It seems to talk of meridians in human body that get blocked and can be the cause of almost…
tellmethetruth
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Does chelation therapy for artherosclerosis, clogging of our arteries, work?

I have seen (not read) the book Bypassing Bypass Surgery by Elmer Cranton, which claims that infusions of Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) can apparently clean out the arteries for cholesterol and calcifications, and hereby reduce need for…
Mr. White
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Does Pavan Mukta Asana help releasing gastrointestinal gas?

Pavan Mukta Asana As mentioned above, practicing the purvana-mukta-asana will help to release gastrointestinal gas. It is also improves other gastrointestinal problems like upset stomachs and constipation by stimulating the abdominal region. Does…
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Do cryotherapy chambers reduce healing time and relieve pain and fatigue?

There's a fad going around, especially in the NBA to use "Cryotherapy" to reduce healing time and relieve pain and fatigue. The patient is placed in a chamber, which is lowered to -166 degrees Celsius (107 Kelvin), for about five minutes. There…
John Rhoades
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Does orthotics work?

My father has problems with his knees. His doctor said that he should get an operation. However, the operation does not usually work, is very expensive, and can make things worse. A multi-level marketer offered him an alternative: he wears orthotic…
user4951
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Is jergon sacha any use against viral infections such as HIV?

I've just been followed on twitter by @Jergon_Sacha who claims that the plant jergon sacha (which appears to be from the genus Dracontium) is Traditionally used for viral infections HIV, AIDS, hepatitis and other virus problems etc. Has this…
Andrew Grimm
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Is seemingly bare-hands surgery (with no instruments) fake?

I have seen a video about surgery without surgical instruments, which can be seen here: I found nothing about that Brazilian surgery (link), so I asked here to have some answer or comment about the accuracy of this video and to understand how it…
Soheil Paper
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