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

    Reviewing acupuncture to treat chronic headache

    Reviewers from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina conclude it’s better than sham acupuncture and even drugs.

    First, the details.

    • 31 studies were included.
    • Data on headache intensity, headache frequency, and response rate were evaluated.

    And, the results.

    • Most studies comparing true acupuncture to sham acupuncture showed a trend in favor of acupuncture.
    • The combined response rate with acupuncture was significantly higher vs sham acupuncture at the early and late follow-up periods.
    • Combined data showed acupuncture was superior to drug therapy for headache intensity, headache frequency, physical function, and response rate.

    The bottom line?
    More detail on the effectiveness of acupuncture vs drugs is presented here.

    Another study concluded, “According to international cost-effectiveness threshold values, acupuncture is a cost-effective treatment in patients with primary headache.”

    11/21/08 20:13 JR

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