alternative treatment

12 Stories

Germany Considers Sale of Parasitic Worm Eggs ... as Food

Thousands of people around the world already take them

(Newser) - Let's get one thing straight: Parasitic worms can and do cause serious problems in the animals they infect, and it's largely seen as a good thing that most humans in wealthier nations don't have to deal with them. Hookworms, for instance, cause anemia, diarrhea, and pain, while...

Chavez on 'Complex' Treatments for Cancer

'Complex' therapies will eventually halt illness: VP

(Newser) - Hugo Chavez is "undergoing alternative treatments" for cancer, Venezuela's vice president says. "They are complex and difficult treatments that must, at some point, end the cycle of his illness," said Nicolas Maduro of the country's president on state TV. Following difficulties after surgery, Chavez is...

Your New Drug: Placebos
 Your New Drug: 
 Placebos 
Jan 8, 2012 11:54 AM CST

Your New Drug: Placebos

They seem to work even when patients know what they're getting

(Newser) - Placebos aren't just for research: Studies increasingly show that treatments with no active ingredients can work as well as—or even better than—"real" therapies. In one such study, some hotel employees were told they were getting good exercise at work; they lost weight, while fellow workers who...

Scientists Try to Solve the Mystery of Acupuncture

Researchers use modern medicine to test ancient therapy

(Newser) - Western researchers are using high-tech tools to unlock the secrets of an ancient therapy: acupuncture. Neuroimaging studies show the practice can calm parts of the brain linked to pain and activate those linked to recuperation. Doppler ultrasounds, meanwhile, show that acupuncture increases blood flow. Carefully placed needles can even make...

Treating Addicts With Heroin Gains Steam

British study finds benefits in giving addicts their fix

(Newser) - Giving heroin to heroin addicts may not sound like a great idea, but it could soon become the preferred treatment for hardcore addicts. Switzerland and a handful of other countries already have clinics that administer small, supervised doses to addicts, and Britain could be next after completing a four-year trial...

Scientists Urge WHO to Slam Homeopathy as HIV Remedy

Brits want such treatment ruled out for HIV, TB, malaria

(Newser) - Concerned about deaths tied to choice of treatment, British scientists are calling on the World Health Organization to speak out against homeopathy as a way to battle HIV, TB, malaria, influenza, and infant diarrhea. Clinics throughout Asia and sub-Saharan Africa offer to treat such diseases through homeopathy, though there is...

Castration Drug Claims Rile Autism Community

Experts blast flimsy science, lack of testing

(Newser) - A drug used to chemically castrate sex offenders is being touted as a "miracle" autism treatment, but many leading doctors say the use of the chemical is medically indefensible, the Chicago Tribune reports. Lupron blocks testosterone, and users embrace the unsupported theory that autism emerges from a link between...

Flesh-Nibbling Fish Latest Pedicure Fad

Carp smooth feet by eating dead skin

(Newser) - Fish pedicures where dozens of tiny carp smooth out your tootsies by eating away the dead skin is the latest in spa pampering. Since March, a DC area salon has offered the pools of garra rufa, aka doctor fish—popular in Turkey and Asia—as an alternative to scraping razors....

Illegal Workers Must Rely on Healers, Home Remedies

Farm workers without health care shun doctors, hospitals

(Newser) - Faced with high medical costs and fearing deportation, many illegal immigrants avoid doctors and instead seek their cures among traditional healers, the New York Times reports. With an estimated two-thirds of illegal immigrants uninsured, visits to a doctor are often reserved for emergencies. Instead, the immigrants—most of whom toil...

Honey Works on Kids' Coughs
Honey Works on Kids' Coughs
Dec 4, 2007 7:07 AM CST

Honey Works on Kids' Coughs

Study says it soothes throat, helps children sleep

(Newser) - Parents looking for an alternative to cold medicines for their young kids might consider a sweet solution—honey. A new study suggests that a commonly available dark variety soothes children's coughs and helps them sleep better, the Houston Chronicle reports.  The study comes in the wake of the FDA's...

Acupuncture Reduces Post-Op Pain: Studies

Patients needed less medication, had fewer side effects

(Newser) - Acupuncture before or during surgery can reduce post-operative pain, researchers have found. Patients who received the nontraditional treatment reported less pain after various surgeries, needed less pain medication and suffered fewer side effects from the medication they took, according to 15 clinical studies reviewed by the team. "The use...

Norway Royal Talks to Angels
Norway Royal Talks to Angels
Jul 25, 2007 2:24 PM CDT

Norway Royal Talks to Angels

Peculiar princess speaks of miracles, psychic powers, claims she'll teach disciples

(Newser) - Princess Martha Louise of Norway says she can talk to angels—and teach other people how to strike up a chat as well. The 35-year-old princess claims to have psychic powers that she plans to use in her new alternative therapy center: For about $4,150 a year she'll teach...

12 Stories