Alternative Medicine - Learning From the Past, Examining the Present, Advancing to the Future
Article Abstract:
Alternative medical therapies are becoming increasingly popular, but they must be carefully integrated into modern medical practice to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of these treatments. Western medicine has traditionally fought alternative therapies as unscientific and dangerous. Nevertheless, 40% of Americans use some form of herbal or other alternative medicine. Further, alternative practitioners often spend more time with patients, and provide more satisfying care. Western medicine should evaluate alternative practices by rigorous scientific methods, and alternative practitioners must adopt standards of treatment, dosage, licensure, and oversight in order to participate in mainstream health care.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1998
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Complementary Medicine and the Cochrane Collaboration
Article Abstract:
A complementary medicine office has been established in the Cochrane Collaboration. The Cochrane Collaboration evaluates all clinical trials of a treatment and publishes recommendations based on the review. Since millions of US consumers spend billions of dollars on alternative and complementary medical treatments, there is a need to compile reviews of the evidence supporting these treatments. Several problems must be overcome, including the quality of the research, and the fact that MEDLINE and other databases may not include these studies. Reviews have been completed on acupuncture, massage, homeopathy, and herbal medicine.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1998
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A close look at therapeutic touch
Article Abstract:
Many Therapeutic Touch practitioners (TT) may not be able to adequately detect the human energy field that is allegedly the basis for this technique. A nine-year-old girl tested 21 TT practitioners by seating them behind a screen with holes for their hands and then placing her hand over one or the other hand. The practitioners had to state which of their hands was closest to her hand. Out of 280 trials, they correctly stated the result only 44% of the time, which is no better than chance.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1998
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
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