During a cruise last spring I took some classes in Pilates. We used blue spongy yoga mats, and I remember thinking to myself each time I picked one from the pile in the corner, “Are these things ever cleaned?

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Over the past decade, several British universities have offered bachelor of science (BSc) degrees in alternative medicine, including 6 that offer BSc degrees in homeopathy.

Many scientists and advocates of evidence-based medicine claim that giving homeopathy scientific status is unjustified.

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In an earlier entry the growing list of studies supporting the role of acupuncture in pregnancy clinics was summarized.

Now, there’s a study showing benefits of acupuncture for augmentation of labor after spontaneous rupture of membranes at term.

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In a previous post I quoted from a Chinese medicine website that proclaimed “after sifting through more than 1,000 plants for 13 years, the researchers found 150 herbs with medicinal properties that appeared active in fighting HIV … From there, they selected the bark from white mulberry roots and four other Chinese plants as basic elements of their compound drug.” (more…)

A special issue of Integrative Cancer Therapies questions the validity of evidence-based medicine (EBM) for evaluating CAM.

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In general, past entries on this topic were positive, although peppermint oil gets a “C” rating (inconsistent or limited-quality patient-oriented evidence) for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Maybe so, but here is another supportive study that tested the effectiveness of enteric-coated peppermint oil in a well-defined group of patients. (more…)

To encourage discussions about CAM, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is offering free materials for doctors and consumers.

The rationale for the “Time to Talk” campaign is that physicians who discuss CAM with their patients are more likely to know which patients might try such supplements. (more…)

Here’s a CBS video on the subject.

It saddens me, but it’s instructive regarding the bias at CBS. Notice there’s no attempt to balance the report with any of the risks of marijuana or the lack of science on its “benefits.”

Go here for balance. (more…)

NORML, the medical marijuana advocacy group, thinks this is a positive study.

I don’t see it that way. (more…)

Here are the results of a study of Ayurvedic herbal treatment for health problems caused by exposure to the toxic chemicals at Ground Zero and in lower Manhattan following the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center.

Improvement during Ayurvedic herbal treatment was reported. (more…)