Last Updated on August 11, 2022 by Neelam Singh
Quick Take
Multiple posts on the internet claim that ‘clapping’ is a scientific way of treating serious diseases like heart conditions and diabetes. Our investigation failed to find any scientific evidence favoring the claim. Due to lack of scientific evidence, we are rating this as False.
The Claim
A screenshot of an article sent to us by one of our readers has the title “Just By Doing Clapping Your These Disease Can Be Cured..!!” We tracked the article to a media website called Tezzbuzz. The archived version of the article is here and a snapshot is given below:
On searching the internet we found similar claims on the internet, some of them made even by people claiming to be Doctors. Many such claims link the claims to a medicinal practice called Acupressure.
Fact Check
What is Acupressure? Is it a valid medicinal practice?
In India, Acupressure is a healing technique clubbed under the medicinal practice of Naturopathy. Naturopathy is one of the recognized medicinal practices by the Government of India. The website of the Ministry of AYUSH defines Acupressure as, ‘Acupressure is an ancient healing art that uses the fingers or any blunted objects to press key points called as ‘Acu Points’ (Energy stored points) on the surface rhythmically on the skin to stimulate the body’s natural self-curative abilities. When these points are pressed, they release muscular tension and promote the circulation of blood and the body’s life force to aid healing.’
Can clapping help cure diseases?
We were able to track multiple articles that makes multiple claims about clapping. However, we could not track a single scientific research evidence about the benefit of clapping. The Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy, the apex body in India under which this field of medicine comes has not listed any research about Clapping in last three years.
We could track one research publication in Science Daily that claims, ‘Hand-clapping songs improve motor and cognitive skills’. But once again, this 2010 study was done to observe the improvement of motor skills in kids. There is no relation of the same with serious ailments like heart disease, diabetes, asthma, and arthritis as the TezzBuzz article claims.
We could also track a mini-review on Psychology and Behavioral Science International Journal titled, ‘Clapping has Incredible Benefits’. The said review, published on August 17, 2017, was supposedly based on research findings and was submitted by Ms. Sukanya Bose, Symbiosis Centre of Health Care (SCHC), Pune University, India. In the document Ms. Bose mentions, ‘Clapping is known to improve the overall heart health and improve blood pressure. Blood circulation to various organs is also improved by regular clapping. Clapping also helps improve asthma related problems by promoting function of nerve endings that connect these organs.‘
However, Ms. Bose did not offer any scientific evidence or supporting research reference for these claims. This was critiqued extensively by Stuart J McKelvie, Department of Psychology, Bishop’s University, Canada on the same Journal on September 08, 2017. Mr. McKelvie in his critique writes, ‘Future research may reveal positive effects of clapping, but at present, there is lack of scientific support….the claims made in the mini review are wide-ranging, but are not accompanied by the scholarly evidence and citations required by the journal‘.
We have seperately reached out to Ms. Bose about her mini review. But till we hear from her, based on the critique by and considering that the original review actually had no supporting evidence – we are not counting the vailidity of the document.
We also, reached out multiple doctors in Naturopathy and modern science for their opinion on the topic. We will update this section soon.
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