The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point

Archive for the 'Prof. Ernst' Category

Contaminated and adulterated herbals

Wednesday, August 1st, 2012

Prof. Ernst and colleagues reviewed the evidence and they aren’t sanguine. (more…)

Review: Ginger to treat pain

Monday, January 16th, 2012

Zingiber officinale, commonly known as ginger, has been used to treat pain, among other things.

Prof. Ernst and colleagues from the University of Exeter, in the UK reviewed the evidence for the use of ginger to treat any type of pain. (more…)

Does acupuncture relieve pain?

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

Acupuncture is commonly used for pain control, but doubts about its effectiveness and safety remain.

Prof. Ernst and colleagues reviewed the evidence. (more…)

Yoga to help ease low back pain

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

It has been suggested that yoga has a positive effect on low back pain and function.

Now, Prof. Ernst and colleagues have reviewed the evidence. (more…)

Reviewing the reviews of tai chi

Sunday, November 20th, 2011

Prof. Ernst and a colleague critically evaluated the systematic reviews of tai chi for any improvement of medical conditions or clinical symptoms. (more…)

CAM Archive: Flawed study designs in acupuncture

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

A couple of years ago Prof. Ernst evaluated the risk of bias in studies of acupuncture that use the A + B versus B study design. (more…)

Review: CAM for arthritis

Monday, October 10th, 2011

Prof. Ernst and colleague evaluated the evidence on CAM treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. (more…)

Review: Acupuncture to treat pain

Monday, October 10th, 2011

Prof. Ernst and a colleague reviewed previous Cochrane reviews. (more…)

Punching holes in the claims for acupuncture

Saturday, October 1st, 2011

Acupuncture is commonly used for pain control, but there are doubts about its effectiveness and safety.

Prof. Ernst and colleagues are critical of acupuncture as a treatment of pain. Here, they summarize reports of serious adverse effects published since 2000. (more…)

Herbal and dietary supplements on cognition in menopause

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

Prof. Ernst and colleagues evaluated the evidence regarding the effects of herbal and dietary supplements on cognition (ability to reason) in menopause. (more…)

A well-designed study of qigong in type 2 diabetes

Monday, September 12th, 2011

Past studies have been criticized because of poor study design, according to Prof. Ernst.

Researchers from Bastyr University tighten up the design and report their results. (more…)

Review: Spinal manipulation to treat migraine

Sunday, May 8th, 2011

Prof. Ernst reviewed the evidence. (more…)

Review: Botanicals to reduce skin aging and wrinkling

Sunday, May 1st, 2011

Prof. Ernst tells us, “Although topical creams and other anti-aging products purport to reduce the appearance of aging and skin wrinkling, there has been no critical analysis in the scientific literature of their effectiveness.”

Get ready. (more…)

An Ernst review: Yoga for menopausal symptoms

Monday, April 11th, 2011

Prof. Ernst and colleagues reviewed the evidence and found it insufficient. (more…)

Massage therapy for children with autism spectrum disorder

Sunday, April 3rd, 2011

Prof. Ernst and colleagues have reviewed the evidence. (more…)

Review: CAM for infantile colic

Monday, March 28th, 2011

Almost all babies go through a fussy period. When crying lasts for longer than about 3 hours a day and is not caused by a medical problem (such as a hernia or infection), it is called colic.

Prof. Ernst and colleagues evaluated nutritional supplements and other complementary and alternative medicines. (more…)

The best evidence on homeopathy

Monday, March 28th, 2011

Prof. Ernst searched the Cochrane review database for the term “homeopathy” in the title, abstract, or keywords. (more…)

Treating impotence with red ginseng

Thursday, March 24th, 2011

Prof. Ernst and researchers from the Korea Food Research Institute in Sungnam reviewed the evidence. (more…)

Review: Qigong for healthcare

Sunday, March 13th, 2011

Prof. Ernst and colleagues reviewed the evidence. (more…)

What do chiropractic students think about evidence-based medicine

Monday, March 7th, 2011

Researchers at Palmer College of Chiropractic, in Davenport, Iowa, conducted an international survey.

Eidence-based medicine (practice) is an approach to healthcare that aims to apply the best available evidence based on the scientific studies to clinical decision making. (more…)