Folk medicine includes such practices as home remedies, faith healers, and herbal or alternative medicines, according to the UCLA Online Archive of American Folk Medicine. Folk remedies are often based on wisdom that has been handed down, but with little to no scientific evidence of their efficacy. The UCLA archive states that it does not endorse the use of alternative therapies over conventional medicine. Furthermore, you should always consult a doctor about diagnosis and treatment of any illness.
Online Archive of American Folk Medicine
Established in 1984 and made available online in 1996, the Archive of American Folk Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, systematically documents folk medicine and alternative medicine beliefs and practices. The project began in the 1940s, using historical references of all kinds to catalogue remedies dating to the 18th century. The database yields scores, if not hundreds, of recipes for each remedy or malady listed.
Earthclinic
Earthclinic began in 1999 collecting the latest and most up-to-date restorative remedies for many modern-day ills, such as cancer and fibromyalgia. Reader tested and submitted, the database is searchable by remedy, ailment, supplement, pet information, mind and body, and has discussion posts for answering questions and trading information online.
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization notes that 80 percent of the populations in some African and Asian countries depend on traditional medicine for primary health care. Whereas some modern drugs have been developed using traditional knowledge about plants (ethnobotany), counterfeit or poor quality products can seriously threaten human health. Because herbal medicines are the most popular and most lucrative form of traditional medicine, rising demand and poor management could lead to a loss of biodiversity from overcollection of plant materials in the wild.
World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies
The WFCMS, based in Beijing, China, is an international nonprofit academic organization made up of many affiliates around the world. It provides information on Chinese traditional medicine, particularly acupuncture. The website contains lengthy lists of organizations, listed by world region and country, dedicated to the research or practice of various forms of traditional medicine. These include acupuncture, herbal medicine, alternative, holistic, naturopathic, and massage therapies.
Archivoo: Alternative Folk Medicine
Another website archive, archivoo hosts alternative folk medicine pages that have been accumulated through contributors to the site. Most of the sites featured in this article are listed in archivoo, as well as many individual articles on folk medicine and sites devoted to regional folk medicine in the United States and other countries.
Tipking
Tipking is a website run out of the United Kingdom for which visitors provide about 95 percent of the tips. Categories of tips include diet, exercise, general health, herbs, remedies, and self-improvement. Tipking receives about 250,000 unique visitors each month.
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