Homeopathic medicines are JUST WATER!

[KanadaHye]

Re: Homeopathic medicines are JUST WATER!

A lot of the research gets done anyway, but you can't get upset that the government is selective about funding. I would be furious if the government had funded research on TT for example, which is the hokey claim that you can manipulate the aura, thus healing people, by holding your hands over their body. A bit of a misnomer to call it theraputic touch even. There is far more deserving research to be funded than this. Nor do we have the abundant funds to throw away on claims that don't even have logic (let alone legitimate research) backing their assumptions and are often not even scientific claims (e.g. testable, or falsifiable).

Depends what you're healing here. TT would work well if your symptoms are lonliness. It's actually a transfer of heat energy from one person to another... try this, put your hand up against the computer monitor and get as close to it as you can without touching it. People pay $20-60 bucks for a session of this. Just like they do for Yoga. Or a massage. Or have their future predicted by some nut with cards. In an increasingly isolating society, there is more and more demand for things like this.

It's up to the individual to decide what is good or bad for them. Hopefully with some guidance from parents, family members, and other people that care for their well being.... they will be able to make the right choices. For those who don't have such a network of people, I guess they are S.O.L.

[Siggie]

Re: Homeopathic medicines are JUST WATER!

Depends what you're healing here. TT would work well if your symptoms are lonliness. It's actually a transfer of heat energy from one person to another... try this, put your hand up against the computer monitor and get as close to it as you can without touching it. People pay $20-60 bucks for a session of this. Just like they do for Yoga. Or a massage. Or have their future predicted by some nut with cards. In an increasingly isolating society, there is more and more demand for things like this.

It's up to the individual to decide what is good or bad for them. Hopefully with some guidance from parents, family members, and other people that care for their well being.... they will be able to make the right choices. For those who don't have such a network of people, I guess they are S.O.L.

TT is not about that. C'mon. This was tested and their claims were disproved.
The point is about false claims. If these people were honest about what they do then I wouldn't have a problem with it. But they are conning uninformed people out of their money. Massage is great for muscle issues, tension, relaxation, etc. But when they start to make unfounded woo woo claims, then there's a problem. The same with chiropractic. If they're treating back problems, then fine, but when they start to claim (like most do) that subluxations (something impossible to demonstrate even exists) are causing all kinds of ailments from cancer to ear infections, then they have crossed a line. People then go do these kinds of treatments which aren't going to help the underlying issue. Even if these bunk treatments don't cause harm (and many do, there are lots of cases of nerve damage and paralysis from chiropractic for example), they can delay effective treatment. For a lot of illnesses delaying treatment in and of itself is harmful. Think about people with cancer who try some woowoo crap for a couple months before then turning to scientific medicine. Those couple months could very well be the difference between life and death. I heard about a study a few months back testing some "alternative" treatment for cancer compared to traditional chemo. It was done for something like 90 days. Then all of those who got that alternative treatment, not having been helped, went for chemo afterwards. But it was too late because they lost precious time; that groups chance of survival was startlingly lower than the control scientific treatment group. I want to say it was at least half, but I'm not sure. I can try to find it if you're interested.

These things come at a cost... they all do!

What about the grieving families who psychics exploit? That's not entertainment. They are not only swindling people who are in that state, but by claiming to be communicating with their dead loved ones they're also craping on their memories of that person. It's not okay and these things are not harmless.

Now someone who realizes that psychics are basically doing a magic trick (cold reading) and they choose to go to one for entertainment, is a different story altogether. I don't have a problem with this.

That's all I'm seeking to do. Provide people with information to make better choices. My point about the homeopathy was to make people aware of what homeopathy actually is.
If people aren't educated about these and don't learn to think critically, ask questions, and do a little research themselves, they can actually be harmed.

For instance a bill passed in Canada recently that gave nurses, some clinicians, etc (with training) to prescribe medication. Sneaky people sneaked naturopaths into that list too and these people don't have any medical training or qualification to prescribe medication, but as if their invalid treatments weren't causing enough harm already, now they can prescribe medication too. This puts the public at risk.
How did this happen? Probably multiple reasons, two of which seems most likely to me: 1) legislators not reading what they vote for and sign into law carefully to have even noticed that naturopath was included, and 2) legislators who saw it, but have no idea what naturopaths do and what naturopathy is who didn't even bother to look into it or ask their staff to pull up some simple balanced (their claims + search for support for those claims) information.

You're arguing for a balanced view, but that's just what I'm trying to do. People are usually only aware of the claims made for these treatments and they assume they can't make these claims without some evidence, but they can. Rx medications and treatments are regulated by the government which requires they demonstrate their efficacy (and safety) either against placebo or the best current treatment and medications are quality controlled to ensure that the active dosage and strength, etc is consistent and inactive ingredients are truly inert and safe, but these "alternative" treatments and herbal stuff are not regulated at all (e.g. buying st. johns wart pills from one manufacturer vs another or even the same manufacturer today vs. 6 months from now could have very different concentration and strength making dosage a nightmare even if worked).

These claims are out there and I'm just trying to show people that there isn't evidence to support them, so I feel that I am being balanced. I am balancing their unchecked claims by pointing out that they're unfounded. If it would be helpful for me to first present their claims before I do so, I guess I can try to do that...