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

    Limits of long-term narcotic use to treat back pain and CAM options

    Narcotic drugs (opioids) are commonly prescribed for short-term relief of chronic back pain, but their long-term (greater than 16 weeks) effectiveness has never been proved.

    Also, opioid abuse occurs in 24% of cases.

    What’s this got to do with CAM?

    Those are the conclusions from researchers at Yale Medical School who reviewed the medical literature and published their findings in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

    I’m not aware of a study where CAM totally replaced strong pain medicine in patients with severe chronic back pain. But there are several options to consider as a complement to allopathic treatment.

    There’s nothing worse than unremitting chronic pain. Each option listed above has some level of research support for the treatment of back pain.

    Consider this a first step in developing a personalized program of comprehensive pain management. Speak with your physician. And if you decide to use any of these options, find a qualified professional to help you get started.

    1/21/07 09:39 JR

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