camwatch

Witt CM, Lüdtke R, Mengler N, Willich SN. How healthy are chronically ill patients after eight years of homeopathic treatment?–Results from a long term observational study. BMC Public Health. 2008 Dec 17;8:413. PMID: 19091085

Researchers at Berlin’s Charité University Medical Center continue their long-term study of nearly 4,000 adults and children with chronic illness treated by homeopathic practitioners.

Patients in the study presented with a variety of conditions, including migraine, tension type headache, sleep disorders, depression, anxiety disorders, multiple eczemas, psoriasis, allergic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, allergies, dysmenorrhea, multiple infections, hypertension, low back pain, and asthma. 

Their data "consistently show substantial health improvements in patients under homeopathic treatment, which persisted through the whole observation period. Improvements were more pronounced in younger patients, females, and those with greater disease severity at baseline."

However, the authors could not attribute the outcomes exclusively to homeopathy:

"As patients were allowed to use conventional therapies and other complementary therapies during the study period, the observed improvements cannot be attributed to homeopathic treatment alone. The aim of this study, however, was not to test the effectiveness of homeopathic drug treatment, but rather provide an unbiased representation of contemporary homeopathic health care and its outcome in routine care."

First do no harm.

The authors believe their study is significant in that it may be the first large study with a high follow-up rate to evaluate health outcomes under homeopathic treatment for such a long observation period.

CAMWatch: Posts about free-access, peer-reviewed articles on aspects of complementary medicine theory, practice and policy (about the blogger). This blog is not a source for medical advice.

technorati tags: complementary and alternative medicine integrative medicine

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Barnes PM, Bloom B, Nahin RL. Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults and children: United States, 2007. National health statistics reports; no 12. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2008. [Read the report.]

This nationwide survey of CAM practices in the United States, developed by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, was undertaken within the latest National Health Interview Survey.

The study, published in December 2008, includes questions on 36 types of CAM medical and health care systems, practices, and products such as herbal supplements, meditation, chiropractic, and acupuncture used in the previous year.

The authors give their definition of CAM in the Introduction:

"Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) covers a heterogeneous spectrum of ancient to new-age approaches that purport to prevent or treat disease. By definition, CAM practices are not part of conventional medicine because there is insufficient proof that they are safe and effective. Complementary interventions are used together with conventional treatments, whereas alternative interventions are used instead of conventional medicine."

The survey found that the most commonly used CAM therapies among adults were:

• Nonvitamin, nonmineral, natural products (17.7%)
• Deep breathing exercises (12.7%)
• Meditation (9.4%)
• Chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation (8.6%)
• Massage (8.3%)
• Yoga (6.1%)

This is the first national study in the U.S. to measure CAM use by children. Reported CAM use in children was substantially less than in adults. The most common practices among children were nonvitamin, nonmineral, natural products (3.9%), chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation (2.8%), deep breathing exercises (2.2%), yoga (2.1%), and homeopathic treatment (1.3%).

The report includes a brief discussion of systematic reviews of CAM therapies published between 2002 and 2007, identifying 10 that "found sufficient evidence to conclude that a given CAM therapy was effective for a given condition," including acupuncture and yoga for back pain, and acupuncture for knee pain (including osteoarthritis), insomnia, and nausea or vomiting (in pregnancy, following surgery, and induced by chemotherapy).

CAMWatch: Posts about free-access, peer-reviewed articles on aspects of complementary medicine theory, practice and policy (about the blogger). This blog is not a source for medical advice.

technorati tags: complementary and alternative medicine integrative medicine

Comments and Links Appreciated!

Marian F, Joost K, Saini KD, et al. Patient satisfaction and side effects in primary care: an observational study comparing homeopathy and conventional medicine. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2008 Sep 18;8:52. PMID: 18801188

Fascinating. Investigators at the University of Bern found that patients report higher satisfaction with homeopathy than with conventional allopathic medicine. A large study, 6778 adult patients received the questionnaire and 3126 responded (46.1%).

From the conclusion:

Overall patient satisfaction was significantly higher in homeopathic than in conventional care. Homeopathic treatments were perceived as a low-risk therapy with two to three times fewer side effects than conventional care.

CAMWatch: Posts about free-access, peer-reviewed articles on aspects of complementary medicine theory, practice and policy (about the blogger). This blog is not a source for medical advice.

technorati tags: complementary and alternative medicine integrative medicine homeopathy

Comments and Links Appreciated!