# F-Scan **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 5, 2005, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-scan/293111 "2005-03-05T18:50:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MaddisMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@MaddisMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaddisMom)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2005, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-scan/293111/1 "2005-03-05T18:50:24Z")
I am sorry if I am doing anything wrong but I am new here. I am inquiring about F-Scan. My daughter (1 year old) has been terribly sick this past winter (asthma, 3 pneumonias, RSV, 2 hospital visits). My chiropractor gave me a suggestion, the F-Scan. This is what he told me. Viruses leave toxins in your body weakening your immune system. The F-Scan would target those viruses and toxins and cleanse the body allowing the immune system to become stronger. What I am wondering is if anyone has any information or experience with the F-Scan and if you could share this with me. I am looking to make an informed decision and not one based on scepticism and hysteria. I was also told that it may (not sure) help my son (2 years old) with his molluscum because it is also virus based. Thank you, MaddisMom P.S. I live in Canada if that makes a difference. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2005, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-scan/293111/2 "2005-03-05T19:11:27Z")
Whenever someone talks about cleaning toxins from the body, I’m immediately suspicious. I’m not sure what the f-scan is, but [this site](http://www.braintuner.com/fscan.htm) seems to be promoting something by that name. Note this at the bottom of the page: > [@](#): > > Disclaimer: the F-Scan II is not a medical device. It is an experimental electronic instrument. It is not intended for the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, cure or mitigation of any disease in humans or animals. It is not designed to affect the structure or function of any system in the body. If you have a health-related condition that requires medical attention, always consult with a licensed health care professional. Any individual results may vary. In other words, even the manufacturer doesn’t claim it will do anything. Tell your chiropractor quack quack quack quack. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2005, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-scan/293111/3 "2005-03-05T19:16:38Z")
Wow, it sounds like you’ve had some rough luck - a girl with viruses and toxins, and a boy with molluscum. From what I can tell, all of the pages that deal with “F-Scan” as a medical (and I use the word “medical” loosely) treatment use pseudo-science and big words to present an appearance of sophistication. I don’t doubt that it’s an incredibly sophisticated piece of equipment, but ask yourself the following questions: 1. Since there is no known cure for viruses other than vaccination, don’t you think this would get more press in the fight against HIV and influenza? I don’t know about you, but every website about F-Scan I’ve seen looks a lot like advertising rather than information. 2. It seems unlikely that a device running on regular wall-outlet power would be able to create the powerful standing waves that killing a virus would require. Are you sure this device can do what it claims? 3. Let’s assume that it _can_ shake a virus to death – what about the toxins? Since “toxins” can be elemental (e.g. molecules of a heavy metal like lead) how can this machine find their resonant frequency, and how will moving or shaking contaminants around inside one’s body make them any less harmful? I understand that you might be desperate to find a cure for your children’s maladies, but I think this device sounds like a crock. I suggest you find a certified physician in Canada who can help you out. Also, a quick Google reveals that _molluscum_’s most-common vector is unusual for 2-year-olds. Have you determined how your boy got it? With the rash of illnesses in your family, you might consider moving to a different house. ---
**Author:** ![Fritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Fritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2005, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-scan/293111/4 "2005-03-05T19:17:53Z")
Snakeoil. Sorry, but why would you subject your children to such quackery? I suggest that you take 99.99% of everything that your chiropractor says with a LARGE grain of salt. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2005, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-scan/293111/5 "2005-03-06T01:13:27Z")
My general rule of thumb (reinforced earlier today by an ad I saw in SkyMall while on the plane) is to automatically assume anything with a letter-hypen-word pattern name is an automatic scam. The F-Scan of the OP, for instance, or the bracelet I saw in the magazine that supposedly uses something called Q-Rays. Another red-flag is whenever toxins are mentioned, especially for viruses. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2005, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-scan/293111/6 "2005-03-06T01:47:39Z")
[Rife Machine Operator Sued](http://www.quackwatch.org/04ConsumerEducation/News/rife.html) > [@](#): > > The Attorneys General of Wisconsin and Minnesota have sued to stop an unlicensed woman, Shelvie Rettmann, of Prior Lake, Minnesota, from representing that she can cure cancer. > > In December 1997, Wisconsin Attorney General James Doyle announced that a Wisconsin resident who was diagnosed with advanced colon and liver cancer used Rettmann’s services after being told that she could cure the woman’s cancer [1]. Although medical doctors had recommended chemotherapy, Rettmann had advised her otherwise. > … > The mother paid Rettmann a total of $1,778.85, and the daughter paid $495.30. At their final meeting, Rettmann told the mother that she had been cured. Within a month, however, the mother experienced severe pain that caused her to see a physician. She was told that her cancer had progressed considerably and that the prognosis was hopeless. She died soon after that assessment. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2005, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-scan/293111/7 "2005-03-06T03:07:37Z")
I have not yet figured out why the legitimate chiropractors haven’t gotten together to drive the patent-medicine scammers who call themselves chiropractors out of business. If your chiropractor claims ANYTHING other than pain relief can be effected by their services, find another one who’s honest. And treat any recommendation made by the original chiro as seriously as you’d treat recommendations made by loonies on the streetcorner carrying signs heralding the end of the world. ---
**Author:** ![dqa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dqa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dqa)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-scan/293111/8 "2005-03-06T17:24:33Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > My general rule of thumb (reinforced earlier today by an ad I saw in SkyMall while on the plane) is to automatically assume anything with a letter-hypen-word pattern name is an automatic scam. The F-Scan of the OP, for instance, or the bracelet I saw in the magazine that supposedly uses something called Q-Rays. Watch out for them X-rays, while you’re at it. 🆒 You may also want to avoid the A-Team, B-movies, C-clamps, D-Day, E-mail, F-stops, G-men, H-Hour, I-beams, J-hooks, Chrysler K-cars, L-Dopa, M-class planets, the N-word, O-rings (look what they did to the space shuttle), P-Funk, Q-tips, R-values in insulation, S-curves, T-shirts, U-turns, V-chips, W-sitting, X-files, Y-intercepts, and Z-tel. And no matter what else you do, at all costs stay away from the G-spot. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2005, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-scan/293111/9 "2005-03-06T17:35:34Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I have not yet figured out why the legitimate chiropractors haven’t gotten together to drive the patent-medicine scammers who call themselves chiropractors out of business. > > If your chiropractor claims ANYTHING other than pain relief can be effected by their services, find another one who’s honest. And treat any recommendation made by the original chiro as seriously as you’d treat recommendations made by loonies on the streetcorner carrying signs heralding the end of the world. They should also recommend exercise and/or physical therapy so that you won’t have to keep coming back. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2005, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-scan/293111/10 "2005-03-06T18:32:21Z")
> [@dqa](#): > > Watch out for them X-rays, while you’re at it. > 🆒 > You may also want to avoid the A-Team, B-movies, C-clamps, D-Day, E-mail, F-stops, G-men, H-Hour, I-beams, J-hooks, Chrysler K-cars, L-Dopa, M-class planets, the N-word, O-rings (look what they did to the space shuttle), P-Funk, Q-tips, R-values in insulation, S-curves, T-shirts, U-turns, V-chips, W-sitting, X-files, Y-intercepts, and Z-tel. And no matter what else you do, at all costs stay away from the G-spot. Very impressive. How long did that take? ---
**Author:** ![MaddisMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@MaddisMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaddisMom)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-scan/293111/11 "2005-03-07T03:25:53Z")
> [@Jurph](#): > > Wow, it sounds like you’ve had some rough luck - a girl with viruses and toxins, and a boy with molluscum. From what I can tell, all of the pages that deal with “F-Scan” as a medical (and I use the word “medical” loosely) treatment use pseudo-science and big words to present an appearance of sophistication. I don’t doubt that it’s an incredibly sophisticated piece of equipment, but ask yourself the following questions: > > 1. Since there is no known cure for viruses other than vaccination, don’t you think this would get more press in the fight against HIV and influenza? I don’t know about you, but every website about F-Scan I’ve seen looks a lot like advertising rather than information.I think it may not be getting “press” because people are skeptical rather than trusting instinct. The websites I have seen look like advertising too, that is why I am asking for information. > > 2. It seems unlikely that a device running on regular wall-outlet power would be able to create the powerful standing waves that killing a virus would require. Are you sure this device can do what it claims?No, I am not sure. That is why I am asking if anyone has any experience or documented information that can help me answer that question. > > I understand that you might be desperate to find a cure for your children’s maladies, but I think this device sounds like a crock. I suggest you find a certified physician in Canada who can help you out.I have a medical doctor, in fact I have 4. I am not “desperate”, I heard about the F-scan and thought it might help. That is why I am researching. > > Also, a quick Google reveals that _molluscum_’s most-common vector is unusual for 2-year-olds. Have you determined how your boy got it? With the rash of illnesses in your family, you might consider moving to a different house. Actually, molluscum is quite common in young children. It is a virus and can be transmitted as easily as sharing toys. It is when you get it when you are older that you look at sexually transmitted diseases. BTW, we do not have a “rash” of illnesses in our family. Everything is completely explainable, but that is not the issue. And moving to a new house will not help viruses. Thank You ---
**Author:** ![MaddisMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@MaddisMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaddisMom)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-scan/293111/12 "2005-03-07T03:27:56Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Tell your chiropractor quack quack quack quack. How rude. I am simply asking for information to make an informed decision. I did not ask for derogatory comments. ---
**Author:** ![MaddisMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@MaddisMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaddisMom)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-scan/293111/13 "2005-03-07T03:30:02Z")
> [@Fritz](#): > > Sorry, but why would you subject your children to such quackery? This is why I am trying to gather information first, to make an informed decision. I have not “subjected” my children to anything. Do you have any documented evidence to disprove that it works? ---
**Author:** ![MaddisMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@MaddisMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaddisMom)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-scan/293111/14 "2005-03-07T03:32:02Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > [Rife Machine Operator Sued](http://www.quackwatch.org/04ConsumerEducation/News/rife.html) I am asking about the F-Scan, not the Rife Machine. I know they are similar but not the same. And I am asking for information about viruses, not curing cancer. ---
**Author:** ![MaddisMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@MaddisMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaddisMom)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-scan/293111/15 "2005-03-07T03:35:38Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I have not yet figured out why the legitimate chiropractors haven’t gotten together to drive the patent-medicine scammers who call themselves chiropractors out of business. > > If your chiropractor claims ANYTHING other than pain relief can be effected by their services, find another one who’s honest. And treat any recommendation made by the original chiro as seriously as you’d treat recommendations made by loonies on the streetcorner carrying signs heralding the end of the world. I can respect the fact that you do not agree with my chiropractor. However, why do you call him a “patent-medicine scammer?” You have no evidence other than the fact that I am asking for information based on information he gave me. I see no information about why the F-scan does not work or any links in your post. Do you have any information that would prove why the F-scan does not work? ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-scan/293111/16 "2005-03-07T03:51:30Z")
> [@MaddisMom](#): > > Do you have any information that would prove why the F-scan does not work? I think you’re missing the point, here. There is no evidence, from anyone, anywhere, that shows that the F-scan is effective at treating any known malady. It’s not up to the skeptics to prove that it doesn’t work. It’s up to the promoters of this quackery to prove that it _does_ work. And they clearly haven’t done that. And any doctor who recommends that you follow such a course of “treatment” is a quack. Period. ---
**Author:** ![MaddisMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@MaddisMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaddisMom)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-scan/293111/17 "2005-03-07T03:57:05Z")
> [@Early Out](#): > > I think you’re missing the point, here. There is no evidence, from anyone, anywhere, that shows that the F-scan is effective at treating any known malady. It’s not up to the skeptics to prove that it doesn’t work. It’s up to the promoters of this quackery to prove that it _does_ work. And they clearly haven’t done that. And any doctor who recommends that you follow such a course of “treatment” is a quack. Period. I have 5 people here, where I live that have used the F-scan and would say otherwise. Since I am a scientist at heart I was looking for some information as to why it does work. Maybe this is more a matter of faith than anything else. I don’t think that my chiropractor (that is who you were insinuating?) is a quack. I think he is a very caring man who is trying to help me find some relief for my daughter. I don’t appreciate the insult. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-scan/293111/18 "2005-03-07T04:07:40Z")
> [@MaddisMom](#): > > I have 5 people here, where I live that have used the F-scan and would say otherwise. This is what’s wrong with anecdotal evidence. There are people who are sincerely convinced that wearing a copper bracelet cures their arthritis, yet controlled scientific studies prove, over and over, that the effect is purely that of the placebo. > [@](#): > > I don’t think that my chiropractor (that is who you were insinuating?) is a quack. I think he is a very caring man who is trying to help me find some relief for my daughter. I don’t appreciate the insult. He may be a very caring man, but if he is recommending a course of treatment that has never been proven to be safe and effective, your daughter could do with a different brand of “caring.” A chiropractor might be able to help with muscle and skeletal problems, but chiropractors don’t have any specialized knowledge or training regarding viruses. Taking a recommendation from a chiropractor about how to deal with viral infections is like taking his recommendation about what kind of brake fluid to use in your car. You came here asking for some factual answers. You asked whether the F-scan worked. The factual answer is that, according to all available reliable evidence (i.e., not just some people saying, “I used it, and I feel great!”), it does _not_ work. If that’s not what you were looking for, I’m sorry, but it doesn’t alter the objective truth. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-scan/293111/19 "2005-03-07T04:10:44Z")
**MaddisMom** , I don’t think anyone intended to insult you. They may be insulting your chiropractor, however. That is scarcely the same thing. It is said that extraordinary claims demand extraordinary proof. If, as in this case, no such proof is available, medical devices like this one can reasonably be assumed to be worthless or dangerous or both, and those who recommend the use of such devices can reasonably be assumed to be either benign, deluded individuals or money-grubbing hustlers. It is obvious that you care about your daughter’s well-being. Please find competent medical treatment for her. Chiropractic medicine has its limits. Any chiropractor who claims to be able to cure viral illnesses by flushing toxins out of your body is, to put it very bluntly, overstepping the bounds of his training and heading into la-la land. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-scan/293111/20 "2005-03-07T04:17:18Z")
> [@MaddisMom](#): > > I can respect the fact that you do not agree with my chiropractor. However, why do you call him a “patent-medicine scammer?” You have no evidence other than the fact that I am asking for information based on information he gave me. I see no information about why the F-scan does not work or any links in your post. Do you have any information that would prove why the F-scan does not work? Jayjay has a point. There’s roughly two types of alternative medicine. One is things that mainstream medicine accepts as possible but unknown or unstudied treatments and cures. Most herbs such as St. John’s Wort, Valerian, Echinacea, etc. fit under this category for they contain active substances that alter body chemistry. The other branch of alternative medicine relies on unsound scientific or non-scientific principles or faith, and is not in any way shape or form accepted by the mainstream science. This includes homeopathic remedies, various commercialized electrical and “biofield” treatments, as well, as crystals and magnets. A device such as F-Scan supposedly relies on the fact that anything has a resonance frequency(which is true), but it also is somehow able to detect resonance frequencies of things that are “bad” (regardless of what they are, viruses, toxins, etc. as long as it’s considered “bad”) and use standing waves to destroy them. Yes, you can destroy things by creating a standing wave at the resonance frequency. No, without a major scientific breakthrough (not a medical one, an engineering one) you cannot make a device that detects resonant frequencies of particles suspended in a complex organic solution based on their relative moral value (bad, good, etc.). No, without a major change in the way the universe works, you cannot destroy just viruses and toxins using a focused wave. Based on elementary principles of physics, a device powerful enough to break up viruses in the entire body based on their resonant frequency will have to pretty much annihilate most of the body as well. The energy output of such a device would have to be enormous. The site for F-Scan claims that the sine wave it generates is “accurate to 0.01 Hz” although might seem pretty accurate to a layman, such fidelity would not be adequate for discriminating viruses from any other organic compounds inside the body. If we can’t see viruses on MRIs, and those operate at 40-50Mhz range with a much much MUCH greater fidelity than 0.01Hz, what hope is there for isolating and destroying them with something that fits in a pocket? If such a device really worked it would have great applications beyond the medical field. Sure, I’ll accept that the medical community is slow at accepting things that seem unorthodox, but the engineering community sure isn’t. Engineers would be on such a device like flies on honey before it shipped if it truly worked. The potential for improving microscopic manufacturing techniques would be endless. Anybody who recommends F-Scan who is also in a position of authority, such as a chiropractor, who represent themselves as health experts, is a “patent-medicine scammer”, for they have no right to recommend something that will not work and only drain your wallet. As a chiropractor he should know that it won’t work. Hope this helps, - Groman [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-scan/293111.md?page=2)