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

    Implanting gold beads to treat knee osteoarthritis

    Despite negative results, researchers from Denmark think another, larger study is needed.

    First, the details.

    • 43 adults with pain and stiffness from non-specific osteoarthritis of the knee for more than a year were studied.
    • In some patients, gold beads were implanted at 5 acupuncture points around the affected knee through a hypodermic needle.
    • In other patients only the needle was inserted (placebo).
    • Neither the doctors nor the patients knew the treatment they received (double-blinded).

    And, the results.

    • Both groups of patients “generally improved.”
    • There was no statistically significant difference between the groups’ responses in self-assessment scores, stiffness, or function.
    • The surgeon’s scores also generally improved, but there was no difference in knee score or function.
    • The treatment was well-tolerated.

    The bottom line?
    An earlier study in animals with abnormal formation of the hip joint (dysplasia) reported a significant placebo effect with this procedure.

    5/29/08 19:59 JR

    Leave a Comment

    You must be logged in to post a comment.