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

    Review: Qigong to treat pain

    Qigong is an internal martial art in which one learns to sense the Qi (the circulating life energy) moving in their body.

    Prof. Ernst reviewed the research on qigong to treat pain.

    First, the details.

    • 7 studies met all inclusion criteria for the review.

    And, the results.

    • Among the rigorously designed studies…
      • 1 study suggested no significant difference for low back pain vs electromyographic biofeedback.
      • 2 studies failed to show benefit qigong in neck pain vs exercise therapy and waiting list control.
      • 1 study suggested that qigong is inferior to aerobic exercise in patients with fibromyalgia.

    The bottom line?
    There are few studies in this field.

    Prof. Ernst and his colleagues concluded, “Collectively, the existing trial evidence is not convincing enough to suggest that internal qigong is an effective modality for pain management.”

    6/30/09 19:17 JR

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