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

    CAM for major depressive therapy

    The American Psychiatric Association’s Task Force on Complementary and Alternative Medicine reviewed the evidence and report their findings.

    Here are their findings.

    First, the details.

    • The task force reviewed the medical literature on individual CAM treatments for major depressive disorder.
    • CAM treatments were reviewed with regard to efficacy, as well as risks and benefits.
    • Literature searches were limited to English-language publications from 1965 to January 2010.

    And, the results.

    • Consensus was reached by group conferences.
    • Commonly used CAM treatments revealed promising results.
      • Omega-3 fatty acids
      • St John’s wort (Hypericum),
      • Folate
      • S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAMe)
      • Acupuncture
      • Light therapy
      • Exercise
      • Mindfulness psychotherapies

    The bottom line?

    The authors concluded, “At this time, several CAM treatments appear promising and deserve further study. The greatest risk of pursuing a CAM therapy is the possible delay of other well-established treatments.”

    6/29/10 20:13 JR

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