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

    Does anyone use St. John’s wort to treat dental pain?

    Its claimed anti-pain and anti-inflammatory properties in homeopathic medicine have led to a number of studies in patients with acute pain.

    Researchers at University of Witten/Herdecke, in Germany reviewed the evidence for using St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) for pain conditions in homeopathic dental practice.

    First, the details.

    • 21 relevant articles were found.
      • 4 described general recommendations.
      • 3 were basic research.
      • 6 reported studies in dental care.
      • 8 were expert opinions or case reports.
    • 4 studies were eligible for a meta-analysis.
      • All studies included in the meta-analysis used Arnica montana as well as Hypericum the results are more influenced by Arnica than Hypericum.

    And, the results.

    • Although case reports suggest therapeutic potential of Hypericum for pain conditions in dental care, this effect is not supported by the results of clinical studies.
    • The overall effect failed to achieve statistical significance.

    The bottom line?

    The authors would like to see more research. To a hammer everything looks like a nail.

    If you have dental pain, see a dentist.

    Here is a review of the many pain conditions associated with dental procedures and better-tested pain control options available to your dentist.

    12/23/12 11:35 JR

    Comments are closed.