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: Tai chi for breast cancer

    Prof. Ernst tells us the research is compromised by bias.

    First, the details.

    • 7 studies were included in the review.

    And, the results.

    • In 3 studies patients were randomly assigned to a treatment group
      • Tai chi was compared with walking exercise, psychological support therapy, spiritual growth, or standard health care.
      • There was no difference in quality of life or in psychological and physical outcomes.
      • A meta-analysis of the combined data also failed to demonstrate significant effects of tai chi compared with controls.
    • The other 4 studies reported favorable effects of tai chi but were marred by bias.
      • 3 studies suggested effectiveness in psychological and physical outcomes.
      • 1 study was too poorly reported to be evaluated in detail.

    The bottom line?

    Collectively, the existing evidence does not show convincingly that tai chi is effective for supportive breast cancer care.

    Better research is needed.

    2/4/10 21:40 JR

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