Forum:Naturopathic Medicine vs. Oriental Medicine- Which is worse?

At least with acupuncture there is (some)evidence of pain relief, I am not sure which is worse?--Rationalzombie94 (talk) 03:56, 1 June 2015 (UTC)
 * How do you measure their "badness"? Also, which is worse, child soldiers or female genital mutilation? SuperDude,Where's my car? 05:10, 1 June 2015 (UTC)

I meant from a medical standpoint.--Rationalzombie94 (talk) 13:16, 1 June 2015 (UTC)
 * Well, it's a bit like not wearing a seatbelt while wearing parachute pants to protect you instead versus not wearing a seatbelt while holding a magic not-dying rock. As long as the baseline is "not demonstrated to help you at all", the best measure is how many people they convince to go without a seatbelt.  ikanreed You probably didn't deserve that 13:48, 1 June 2015 (UTC)
 * is probably the scariest of them all; I think of "oriental medicine" as "Chinese traditional medicine", and this is even worse. - Smerdis of Tlön, LOAD "*", 8, 1. 16:49, 1 June 2015 (UTC)
 * I don't wear a seatbelt and I believe in the magical power of statistical unlikelihood to keep me alive. Granted, I don't use a car as transportation very often. I wouldn't advise regular drivers/passengers to follow my example. 141.134.75.236 (talk) 17:06, 1 June 2015 (UTC)
 * This is incredibly dumb. Unlikely things happen and the marginal cost of buckling your seatbelt those sparse times you get into a car is about equal to getting in that car in the first place.  ikanreed You probably didn't deserve that 17:15, 1 June 2015 (UTC)
 * Easy to say for someone who obviously isn't majorly discomforted by wearing seatbelts. But my life is my own responsibility, me not wearing a seatbelt doesn't cause harm to others, even in the unlikely case of an accident occurring. 141.134.75.236 (talk) 17:41, 1 June 2015 (UTC)
 * I disagree. Your life isn't just your responsibility and numerous people look out for it without you realizing it.  And if you think seatbelts are uncomfortable, try lying in traction for a month.  ikanreed You probably didn't deserve that 13:35, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
 * Eh, lying down all day or sitting around all day. Doesn't seem like much of a difference from my current mode of existence. 141.134.75.236 (talk) 14:15, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
 * This isn't going to be a productive debate, but you really should reconsider your position. ikanreed You probably didn't deserve that 15:00, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
 * Eh, it's not like I'm championing my position as the height of rationality. I'm allowed my inverse stopped clock moment, dangit! ;) 141.134.75.236 (talk) 15:04, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
 * Parachute pants are probably safer. Extra padding, and the rock is just one more projectile in the event of an accident.  But in all seriousness, I don't get too upset when someone dies due to their own idiocy; the problem is when they kill someone else as a result (e.g., anti-vaxxers and their children).  What also upsets me is that alties can practice their quackery without a license, but I'm afraid of what a license in homeopathy would actually be.  A blank piece of paper, where the ink was so diluted it didn't contain any dye at all? CorruptUser (talk) 17:36, 1 June 2015 (UTC)


 * Korean-American here. I'm gonna have to slightly disagree and add that harm directly caused by the so-called cure is just as important. There was a recent case in Korea of an elderly lady suffering from osteoarthritis whose condition was sharply worsened by a acupuncture-related modality involving leaving tiny gold needles within the body. There were also recent cases where guang fang ji (廣防己, Aristolochia) was used in TCM preparations in the UK, leading to several cases of kidney faliure and cancer. And then you've got things in "Western" cures like bleach MMS and corrosive chemicals black salve that'll cause more harm than good because "the pain means its working!!" Yes, the harm caused by ignoring or eschewing modern medicine plays a significant part, but the times where the magic rock smashes your face in during a hard brake or [Note to self: find parachute pants-related cause of death and edit in here] demonstrate the more unique harms of each type of altmed. ℕoir LeSable (talk) 19:00, 1 June 2015 (UTC)


 * The question is too broad to have much meaning. Acupuncture could work for back pain, and if it does without other issues I would do it, but if you are in a car accident with a closed skull injury doing that (or homeopathy, or herbs) will generally be fatal or crippling.  What is being used and when is needed.  -EmeraldCityWanderer (talk) 15:44, 2 June 2015 (UTC)