(06-20-2021, 09:11 AM)Patrick Wrote: Alternative medicine is a term often used as opposed to evidence-based medicine.
It does not mean that it does not work, it just means that no one is able to find evidence that it works. That is mostly due to personal testimonials not counting as evidence.
Some of it simply cannot be proven if you measure with "materialistic science" approach (I am not sure that is the right term here, I will try to explain what I mean)
For example homeopathy.
Homeopathy, according to "evidence-based" science is baloney because if you try homeopathic medicine on a number of test persons there are no repeatable results (isnt it all about repeating verifiable results?)
The approach that homeopathy has is totally different from allopathic medicine.
For example a person goes to a doctor with a headache. Allopathic medicine has aspirine or paracetamol and often this works.
Same person goes to a homeopathic practictioner, he will find out what type of headache it is, when does the headache appear and then prescribe for example Gelsemium , or Chamomilla if the headache is connected to anger, or if it comes from being in the sun too long, then another remedy should be used. If it comes from having red face and high blood pressure it may be Aconitum, if the headache is pulsating maybe use Belladonna etc etc
Another homeopathic practitioner may use a "constitutional approach", that means find the remedy that works best for this persons physiology and psychology, and thus remedy any ailment they might have, including the headache.
That is why if you go to one of these practitioners, it takes at least one hour for a start, and they will ask you all sorts of weird questions to find out what works for your special case
See, that is a totally different approach and that is why the "one size fits all" approach in measuring data does not work in the case of homeopathy. That does not mean it is useless.
Another scientific argument that is often used to debunk homeopathy is "well it is all diluted so much, there is no more of the original substance in there, therefore the medication cannot work"
Well it is precisely BECAUSE it has been diluted and minutized so much, that it works! because it works on a cellular level and those tiny particles if you can call them that are able to interact with the molecules / cells.