Eli5: how are treatments like acupuncture, kinetic tape and homeopathy still a thing, if scientific studies disproving their effectiveness are publicly available to everyone and doctors?

Question

Eli5: how are treatments like acupuncture, kinetic tape and homeopathy still a thing, if scientific studies disproving their effectiveness are publicly available to everyone and doctors?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Many people aren’t scientifically literate, and can’t access the information in these studies.

Furthermore, “get rich quick” scams have always been a thing, because people like to think they’re beating the system and getting easy results. If they’re told that there’s a miracle cure that *the establishment* doesn’t want you to know, some people will try it. In addition, many quacks will make false claims of how X can cure all your ails etc.; actual doctors will be a lot more cautious with their advice, so it isn’t as enticing.

Also, a not-insignificant number of people have medical trauma, and don’t trust doctors or hospitals. The placebo effect and desperation are both powerful things; when people are dissatisfied with conventional medicine, they’ll try other things to get relief.