Does anyone believe in "old wives tales" or "homemade remedies/aids"?

I have 4 kids and they always come up with sickness and hurting and crying and certain things that a doctor would overlook as a cough or minor ache, but the problem persist for awhile longer.
So in comes my mother-in-law….I will let her know what the doctor said and she will roll her eyes and start getting oils and leaves and plants and strings and all kinds of things that pretty much come from nature, and starts doing her thing rubbing, pulling, stretching and tugging of the kids right (nothing harmful).
But it amazes me how it totally works every time. Once she’s done the kids take a nap and whatever it was that was bothering them is no longer.
So my question is, does it really work or is it just coincidence?