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

    A stepwise approach to fibromyalgia therapy

    Dr. Don Goldenberg from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts has a video and print slide program on Medscape that reviews evidence-based treatments for fibromyalgia.

    The emphasis is on drugs, but more interesting is his support for a combined drug/CAM approach to treatment.

    Treatment options are divided into primary and tertiary care.

    Primary care

    • Medications: simple analgesics, antidepressants, anticonvulsants
    • Education
    • Exercise (low impact, such as walking, water exercises)
    • Treatment of mood disturbances

    Tertiary care

    • Medication: combined antidepressants, anticonvulsants, potent pain drugs
    • Cognitive-behavioral therapy, stress management therapy
    • Multidisciplinary pain management

    The bottom line?

    Dr. Goldenberg says all patients should…

    • Receive some education in regard to fibromyalgia.
    • Be encouraged to exercise, including low-impact cardiovascular exercises such as walking or water exercises.
    • Be screened for both mood disturbances and sleep disturbances, and treated appropriately.

    “Most of the time,” he says, “multidisciplinary approaches are encouraged, including formal cognitive-behavioral therapy programs, stress management therapies, and multidisciplinary pain management approaches.”

    10/3/08 18:45 JR

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