The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

  • Recent Posts

  • Recent Comments

    CAM for smoking cessation?

    A survey of more than a thousand people trying to quit smoking reveals those treatments most commonly used and most often perceived to be effective.

    I listed them here with a brief comment on the scientific support.

    Most commonly used

    • Hypnosis: limited data; improved rate of cessation at 26 weeks in a pilot study
    • Relaxation: one small study about 15 years ago
    • Acupuncture: doesn’t appear to help
    • Meditation: not really

    Most commonly thought to be effective

    • Yoga: one study in 20 people showed increased desire to quit smoking.
    • Relaxation: see above
    • Meditation: see above
    • Massage: not studied

    Although not listed, individual counseling can help smokers quit.

    A lack of scientific evidence does not mean that these approaches never work. Probably what is most important is to find a way to become motivated to quit. If any of these sound like a way to motivate you, by all means, give it a shot.

    12/4/06 14:59 JR

    Leave a Comment

    You must be logged in to post a comment.