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.

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  • Recent Comments

    Butterbur for prevention of childhood migraine

    Proponents say butterbur (Petadolex; Petasites hybridus) reduces the frequency of migraines in adults, although it doesn’t treat them once they occur.

    Here are the results of a study in children.

    First, the details.

    • 58 patients were randomly assigned to butterbur root extract, music therapy, or placebo for 12 weeks.
    • All participants received additionally headache education (treatment as usual).

    And, the results based on those who completed the study.

    • Music therapy was significantly better than placebo.
    • During a 6-month follow-up both music therapy and butterbur root extract were significantly better than placebo.
    • All groups showed a reduction of attack frequency already during baseline.

    The bottom line?
    These results support an earlier study in children and adolescents. Although, the reason for confining the analysis to those who completed treatment rather than the entire population of patients (intend-to-treat group) is not addressed in the abstract by the researchers.

    Find Articles has a review that includes the results from 2 earlier studies of butterbur in adults with migraine. It also has safety information and recommendations for use.

    8/3/07 23:02 JR

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