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

    Art, healing, and public health

    musicThere’s a paucity of supporting data, according to researchers at Penn State University, Hershey Medical Center.

    First, the details.

    • The authors reviewed the relationship between participation in creative arts and health outcomes — specifically the health effects of music engagement, visual arts therapy, movement-based creative expression, and expressive writing.

    And, the results.

    • Yes, there’s evidence that art-based activities reduce adverse physiological and psychological outcomes.
    • However, the extent to which they enhance health status is unknown.

    The bottom line?

    In a time of shrinking budgets for healthcare, this can’t be good news.

    On the other hand, there are many small studies that support the valued of music. Here’s partial list based on posts here for 2009.

    There’s far less scientific support for art therapy. MyOptimumHealth.com makes the case for the “healing benefits of art therapy.” Unfortunately, it lists no supporting studies to back up the assertions.

    12/20/09 16:46 JR

    Leave a Comment

    You must be logged in to post a comment.