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

    Archive for the 'CAM Cost Effectiveness' Category

    Reducing the rate and risk of falling

    Saturday, September 15th, 2012

    Approximately 30% of people over 65 years of age living in the community fall each year.

    This Cochrane review updates what we know. (more…)

    Smart acupuncture

    Friday, July 20th, 2012

    Fast Company reports that a new system links to a readout and shows how much electrical activity the needles are stimulating in a patient’s muscles. (more…)

    Cost effective Transcendental Meditation

    Sunday, September 18th, 2011

    Dr. Robert Herron, an independent researcher, and director of the Center for Health Systems Analysis in Quebec, Canada, retrospectively assessed government payments to physicians for treating the TM and no-treatment (NT) groups. (more…)

    Physicians rate acupuncture for pain management

    Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

    Researchers at Harvard Medical School, in Boston, collected information from pain physicians and referral physicians who manage the care of patients in pain. (more…)

    Cost-effectiveness of lifestyle changes in diabetes patients

    Saturday, March 12th, 2011

    Lifestyle changes may reduce cardiovascular risk and the risk of diabetes mellitus.

    Researchers at Umea University in Sweden studied the long term cost-effectiveness of a lifestyle educational program. (more…)

    Cost-effectiveness: Falls prevention in high-risk elderly

    Thursday, October 21st, 2010

    Falls prevention programs reduce the risk in older people. But are they cost-effective?

    Researchers in the UK evaluated the fiscal benefits. (more…)

    Cognitive behavioral treatment for low back pain

    Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

    Researchers from University of Warwick, in Coventry, UK estimated the cost effectiveness of a group cognitive behavioral treatment in people with low-back pain treated in primary care. (more…)

    Is it cost-effective to prevent falls in the elderly?

    Monday, March 15th, 2010

    Yes, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, Maryland whose findings are based on a mathematical epidemiological model. (more…)

    Acupuncture: Clinically meaningful and cost-effective?

    Friday, January 15th, 2010

    Researchers from the University of York, in the UK say it’s time to move on from asking if acupuncture is more effective than placebo. (more…)

    Cost-effectiveness of natural supplements

    Monday, August 10th, 2009

      Researchers from the University of Toronto, in Ontario reviewed the evidence. (more…)

    Cost-effective naturopathic care for low back pain

    Wednesday, February 4th, 2009

    In this study by researchers in Canada and the US, combining several treatments under the umbrella of naturopathic care was better than simply giving advice. (more…)

    Cost-effectiveness of acupuncture for headache

    Sunday, January 11th, 2009

    Researchers from Berlin’s Charité University Medical Centre report it’s worth the cost. (more…)

    Prof. Ernst’s negative view of chiropractic

    Friday, December 19th, 2008

    This review by Professor Edzard Ernst from the Universities of Exeter & Plymouth in the UK is an outspoken negative critique. (more…)

    Reviewing acupuncture to treat chronic headache

    Friday, November 21st, 2008

    Reviewers from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina conclude it’s better than sham acupuncture and even drugs. (more…)

    Benefit of chewing gum on recovery from colon surgery

    Monday, August 18th, 2008

    In England, there were more than 31,000 operations to remove a section of the large intestine (colectomy) from 2004 to 2005. These patients average 13 to 26 days in the hospital.

    Might chewing gum help? (more…)

    Cost-effectiveness of music therapy in palliative care

    Thursday, March 6th, 2008

    Reminiscence music reportedly reduces the symptoms of depression in patients with dementia. It’s also effective for agitation and disruptive behavior in patients with dementia, and makes it easier to provide care.

    Now, researchers from the Kaiser Foundation Hospital in Santa Clara, California report that music therapy makes fiscal sense as well. (more…)

    Probiotics reduce diarrhea in children

    Wednesday, February 27th, 2008

    Researchers from Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Australia evaluated a milk product containing probiotics and prebiotics (Cupday Milk) on the incidence of diarrhea in children in daycare centers. (more…)

    Behavioral training and biofeedback to treat temporomandibular dysfunction

    Thursday, October 11th, 2007

    Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction involves face pain, clicking sounds, and limited movement of the jaw. About 33% of the population has it; fewer need treatment.

    This study suggests that cognitive behavioral therapy plus biofeedback is cost-effective treatment.

    (more…)

    Follow-up: Reported cost-savings with CAM-oriented primary care

    Friday, August 17th, 2007

    In a previous entry it was reported that over 7 years, patients visiting chiropractors and other CAM-oriented primary care doctors had 60% fewer hospitalizations, 62% less outpatient surgery, and 85% lower pharmaceutical costs compared with total network HMO (health maintenance organization).

    These findings are important, but there were some questions, which lead researcher, Dr. Richard Sarnat, graciously agreed to address. (more…)

    The next big issue facing dietary supplements — You be the CEO

    Thursday, August 9th, 2007

    Dr. Mark Moyad (photo) is Director of Preventive and Alternative Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor. His thoughts about the FDA’s plan to establish good manufacturing regulations for dietary supplements are published in Urology Times.

    He also looks to the next big issue that will confront the supplement industry.

    Once you know the issues, you can play the role of the pharmaceutical executive and decide if your product “Best Prostate Health” should be withdrawn from the market. (more…)