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.

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  • Recent Comments

    Review of acupuncture to treat alcohol dependence

    Acupuncture has been used in the treatment of substance-related disorders for the past 30 years.

    Researchers at Kyung Hee University Medical Center, in Seoul, Korea, reviewed the evidence.

    First, the details.

    • 11 studies in 1,110 people were systematically reviewed.
    • Only 2 of 11 studies were of high quality.

    And, the results.

    • 4 studies of acupuncture vs sham treatments reported data for alcohol craving.
      • 3 studies reported no significant differences.
    • 4 trials compared acupuncture and no acupuncture to conventional therapies
      • 3 reported significant reductions.
    • No differences between acupuncture and sham treatments were found for completion rates.
      • There were also no differences between acupuncture and no acupuncture.
    • Only 3 studies reported acupuncture-related side effects, which were mostly minimal.

    The bottom line?

    The authors concluded, “The results of the included studies were equivocal.”

    After 30 years we should expect more.

    4/13/10 21:06 JR

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