E Ernst

..Its cost-effectiveness has not been demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt. The concepts of chiropractic are not based on solid science and its therapeutic value has not been demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt...

..in recent years, several surveys have suggested that many midwives use some form of complementary/alternative therapy (CAT), often without the knowledge of obstetricians...

..Thus the risk-benefit balance fails to be positive. Patients are often mislead to believe otherwise and physicians should inform their asthma patients responsibly about the value of alternative medicine...

..Homeopathy is often advocated for patients with eczema...

..The concept that alternative therapies can eliminate toxins and toxicants from the body, i.e. 'alternative detox' (AD) is popular...

..Given that the methodological quality of all RCTs was poor, the results from the present review are insufficient to suggest that moxibustion is an effective treatment for constipation. More rigorous studies are warranted...

..Several systematic reviews (SRs) have assessed the effectiveness of moxibustion for a range of conditions, often with contradictory conclusions. Our aim was to provide a critical evaluation and summary of these data...

..Several studies have reported that moxibustion is effective in ulcerative colitis (UC). The objective of this review was to assess the clinical evidence for or against moxibustion as a treatment for UC...

..Preparations from maca root have been reported to improve sexual function. The aim of this review was to assess the clinical evidence for or against the effectiveness of the maca plant as a treatment for sexual dysfunction...

..The aim of this review was to evaluate previously published clinical evidence for the use of moxibustion as a treatment for hypertension...

..Numerous pre-clinical and clinical investigations seem to suggest that Ukrain is pharmacologically active and clinically effective. We wanted therefore to critically evaluate the clinical trial data in the form of a systematic review...

..The objective of this review was to systematically assess the effectiveness of moxibustion for supportive cancer care...

..To collect contemporary accounts of celebrity use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), to aid clinicians in determining which CAM treatments patients are likely to use...

..Encouraging but not fully convincing results emerged for melatonin...

..Only for kava were independent replications available. It was concluded that there is a lack of rigorous studies in this area and that only kava has been shown beyond reasonable doubt to have anxiolytic effects in humans...

..To identify adverse effects of spinal manipulation...

..The aim of this article is to compare the evidence relating to the effectiveness of complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) in palliative cancer care as it existed in 2000 and 2005...

..Nonserious adverse effects occur in 7-11% of all patients. In conclusion, acupuncture remains steeped in controversy. Some findings are encouraging but others suggest that its clinical effects mainly depend on a placebo response...

..This can be seen as an attempt to present nonsense as science. Because this misleads patients and can thus endanger their health, we should find ways of minimizing this problem...

..It is, therefore, concluded that our research efforts must be directed towards defining which form of CAM generates more good than harm for which condition...

..It is concluded that some complementary or alternative therapies have generated sufficiently promising results to warrant further investigation in large-scale, definitive, randomized clinical trials...

..It is suggested that this approach is likely to be more productive than the present governmental strategy...

..Ultimately, we need to know which herbal remedies do more harm than good for which condition. Because of the current popularity of herbal medicine, research in this area should be intensified...

..This systematic review aimed to summarize ophthalmological adverse effects of USM recently reported in the medical literature...

..The revised argument should be 'if it helps my patient, I want research undertaken to find out whether more people could benefit from it'...

..Anthroposophic medicine (AM) is popular in Europe. This review is an attempt to critically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of AM. The aim is to contribute to a critical discussion of this subject...

..All but one were placebo-controlled. All placebo-controlled trials failed to demonstrate efficacy. It is concluded that the most reliable clinical trials do not show any differences between flower remedies and placebos...

..It is concluded that the best clinical evidence does not demonstrate convincingly reflexology to be an effective treatment for any medical condition...

..In conclusion, the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment of depression remains unproven and the authors' findings are consistent with acupuncture effects in depression being indistinguishable from placebo effects...

..The criticism repeatedly aimed at NCCAM seems justified, as far as their RCTs of chiropractic is concerned. It seems questionable whether such research is worthwhile...

..There is no supportive evidence that chiropractic is an effective treatment for gastrointestinal disorders...

..Several systematic reviews of acupuncture as a treatment of insomnia have recently emerged. Their results are far from uniform...

..Nine systematic reviews arrived with clearly positive conclusions; however, there were many contradictions and caveats. The evidence for acupuncture as a treatment of obstetrical and gynecological conditions remains limited...

..For acupuncture and maca the evidence was insufficient for ED and SD respectively. It is concluded that there is some encouraging evidence but more and better studies are required to establish the value of CAM for SD and ED...

..The totality of about 200 clinical trials fails to demonstrate its efficacy beyond placebo. Its use as a benign placebo is ethically unjustifiable. It follows that homeopathy cannot be recommended for use in medical routine...

..To evaluate the evidence for and against the effectiveness of homeopathy...

..We conclude that the 'A + B versus B' design is prone to false positive results and discuss the design features that might prevent or exacerbate this problem...

..To assess evidence from randomised clinical trials about the effectiveness of extracts of Boswellia serrata (frankincense)...

..If chiropractic in the UK is to grow into an established health care profession, the General Chiropractic Council and its members should comply with the accepted standards of today's health care...

..They generated no evidence to suggest that chiropractic care is effective for fibromyalgia. Currently, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that chiropractic is an effective treatment for fibromyalgia...

..It is concluded that, according to the evidence of the most rigorous studies available to date, spinal manipulation is not an effective treatment for asthma...

..The totality of this evidence fails to demonstrate the effectiveness of this treatment. It is concluded that the above claim is not based on convincing data from rigorous clinical trials...

..This is carried out by citing from my own publications on the subject. It is concluded that my attitude changed because of the scientific evidence, which was published during this period...

..This, the author argues, can impinge on the main principle of medical ethics: beneficence, nonmaleficence, and autonomy. We should work toward correcting this deplorable situation...

..As spinal manipulation has repeatedly been associated with considerable harm, the risk benefit balance of chiropractic maintenance care is not demonstrably positive. Therefore there are no good reasons to recommend it...

..In conclusion, the notion that CSM is more effective than conventional exercise treatment in the treatment of neck pain was not supported by rigorous trial data...

..In conclusion, herbal medicinal products are regularly associated with serious cardiovascular adverse events but the size of this problem cannot be estimated at present. Vigilance and research seem to be the best way forward...

..Alexander technique (AT), a process of psychophysical re-education, is being promoted for a range of medical conditions. This systematic review is aimed at critically evaluating the evidence for or against the effectiveness of AT...

..The majority of rigorous trial data available to date suggest that ASU is effective for the symptomatic treatment of OA and more research seems warranted. However, the only real long-term trial yielded a largely negative result...

..It was therefore concluded that, at present, the question whether the anthroposophical concept of healing generates more good than harm cannot be answered...

..Although some progress has been made, this field continues to receive too little attention. The future of complementary medicine will depend on whether its modalities can be shown to generate more good than harm for the patient...

..Research in this area is scarce and with numerous therapies we cannot be sure about efficacy or safety. It follows that our current knowledge gaps urgently needs to be filled...

..There are no data to suggest that it is effective for any condition. Furthermore, ear candles have been associated with ear injuries. The inescapable conclusion is that ear candles do more harm than good. Their use should be discouraged...

..Contrary to what many proponents think, not all treatments are harmless. Neurologists should know more about complementary and alternative medicine and should advise their patients responsibly...

..At present, it is impossible to provide reliable incidence figures. It seems important to be vigilant and investigate this area more systematically...

..To evaluate the effectiveness of chiropractic and massage therapy for the reduction of any type of pain...

..This systematic review is aimed at critically evaluating the evidence for or against the effectiveness of this approach...

..We also hope in the future that we will be able to contribute to the understanding of acupuncture as a therapeutic modality...

..Currently the Cochrane Library contains 34 systematic reviews of complementary medicine: 20 of herbal medicines, 7 of acupuncture, 3 of homeopathy, 2 of manual therapies, and 2 of other forms...

..Flower remedies (also called "Bach" flower remedies) are used by an increasing number of individuals, and many health claims have been made for them. No systematic review of flower remedies has so far been published...

..After many years out of the limelight, massage therapy is now experiencing a revival. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate its potential for harm...

..None of these herbal medicines is free of adverse effects. Because the evidence is incomplete, risk-benefit assessments are not completely reliable, and much knowledge is still lacking...

..The evidence for this approach is still preliminary but, generally speaking, promising. The challenge for the future is to obtain reliable evidence and to identify those approaches that do more good than harm...

....

..69; 95% confidence interval, 3.54-15.83). These data imply that kava extract is superior to placebo as a symptomatic treatment for anxiety. Therefore, kava extract is an herbal treatment option for anxiety that is worthy of consideration...

..With this high level of prevalence, research into the potential risks and benefits of CM is urgently needed. Dermatologists should consider discussing CM openly with their patients...

..Serious adverse events have been reported and further research is required to determine the nature and frequency of such events...

..This is currently the case for only very few such preparations. It follows that, in order to advise consumers responsibly, the gaps in our present knowledge require filling...

..Yet numerous clinical studies have claimed efficacy. The aim of this systematic review is to summarise and critically evaluate the evidence from rigorous clinical trials of this form of therapy...

..favoring acupuncture) and for 6 it had changed in the opposite direction. It is concluded, that acupuncture research is active. The emerging clinical evidence seems to imply that acupuncture is effective for some but not all conditions...

..The best clinical evidence available to date fails to support its effectiveness. Nevertheless, it is gaining in popularity. One reason for this is that, at least in the UK, it is being promoted by influential people...

..Massage is a popular adjunct to cancer palliation. This systematic review is aimed at critically evaluating all available randomised clinical trials of massage in cancer palliation...

..Yet CAM can play an important role in oncology, and that is in supportive and palliative care. Several treatments can decrease the side-effects of cancer drugs or improve quality of life in other ways...

..Acupuncture has been repeatedly associated with infectious hepatitis. The aim of the present systematic review was therefore to critically evaluate such data from epidemiological investigations...

..The aim of this systematic review was to provide a summary of recent data on severe psychiatric and neurological adverse effects of herbal remedies...

..Many of these apparent responses could have been due to other factors including the use of herbal (non-diluted) Arnica, placebo response and natural course of disease...

..Acupuncture is often used and frequently advocated for the symptomatic treatment of fibromyalgia. A systematic review has previously demonstrated encouraging findings. As it is now outdated, we wanted to update it...

..This article is an attempt to explore some of the more obvious or practical ethical aspects of complementary and alternative medicine...

..Complementary medicine has become an important aspect of palliative cancer care. This overview is primarily aimed at providing guidance to clinicians regarding some commonly used complementary therapies...

..It is concluded that the expectations of CAM users are currently not rigorously investigated. Future studies should have a clear focus on specific aspects of this broad question...

..However, the intake of E. sinica and ephedrine is associated with an increased risk of adverse events. Interventions suggesting positive effects in single RCTs require independent replication...

..K., CAM has become a respectable area of scientific investigation only during the last decade. In this article, we review the 10 years of CAM research in Britain...

..Serious adverse effects continue to be reported. Numerous reviews have produced little convincing evidence that acupuncture is effective in reducing pain. Serious adverse events, including deaths, continue to be reported...

..In view of the present popularity of herbal medicine it seems necessary to overcome obstacles to rigorous research and establish which herbal medicines do more good than harm for which conditions...

..Clearly, rigorous testing of complementary treatments is possible, and considering their popularity, should be encouraged...

..There is a need for further research involving randomized controlled trials into the efficacy of complementary and alternative therapies in the treatment of depression...

..To systematically collate and evaluate the evidence from recent systematic reviews of clinical trials of spinal manipulation...