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

Archive for the 'CAM Education' Category

Does water really improve health?

Thursday, September 12th, 2013

indexFirst lady, Michelle Obama tells us that drinking more water will improve the health of kids and all Americans.

Really? Here’s what we know. (more…)

Consumers’ thoughts on pharmacists regarding complementary meds

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013

little-guy2Researchers at the University of South Australia, in Adelaide, explored consumer expectations, perceptions, and satisfaction of their pharmacist. (more…)

Natural Products Foundation announces the NPF Scholarship Fund.

Friday, January 6th, 2012

The NPF Scholarship Fund provides financial assistance to students committed to a career in the natural products industry.

The winner will demonstrate leadership potential and be enrolled in academic programs to enhance their leadership skills and knowledge of the industry. (more…)

Relationship between functional foods and adherence to statins

Monday, December 12th, 2011

It’s thought that people using functional foods with approved health claims may be less likely to adhere to prescribed drug therapy.

Researchers in The Netherlands assessed the influence of the use of phytosterol/-stanol-enriched functional foods on adherence to statin (cholesterol-lowering) therapy among patients initiating treatment. (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…)

Failure of a written action plan for children with asthma

Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

Guidelines from the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program stipulate that self-management for asthma should include a written action plan.

Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine, in Seattle, measured the association between a written action plan and asthma outcomes in inner-city children. (more…)

Herbals for weight loss: Counseling by pharmacists and nonpharmacists

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

Researchers at Midwestern University, in Glendale, Arizona, assessed the extent of appropriate counseling provided by pharmacists and nonpharmacists in retail settings. (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…)

Use of herbal supplements by people taking blood thinners

Friday, May 6th, 2011

During the American Heart Association meeting, Dr. Jennifer Strohecker, at the Intermountain Medical Center, in Salt Lake City, Utah, reported that documentation of supplement use in the medical chart is poor. (more…)

A checklist for higher quality CAM studies

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

Researchers from Taiwan observed inconsistencies in the results of massage therapy studies. In this article, they list the issues in study design that have plagued past studies.

No CAM researchers should be permitted to conduct research until they memorize this list and apply it to their studies. (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…)

The value of the consultation in treating cardiovascular disease

Monday, February 7th, 2011

Research from California and Iowa support the value of added time with a qualified healthcare professional. (more…)

New recommendations for salt intake for Americans

Friday, December 17th, 2010

Here’s the Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. It tells us, “Americans consume excessive amounts of sodium and insufficient amounts of potassium.”

Their latest recommendations follow. (more…)

Do you trust advice from your local supplements sales clerk?

Sunday, November 7th, 2010

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) presented to congress the results of a “secret shopper” investigation, which found that in some stores, salespeople made inappropriate or illegal claims about dietary supplements.

What to do? (more…)

Survey of American medical students about CAM

Saturday, September 18th, 2010

Researchers from several US medical schools surveyed the students. (more…)

Acupuncturists treating cancer patients need extra education

Friday, September 17th, 2010

That’s the recommendation from Dr. Barrie Cassileth, who is chief of the integrative medicine service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

Highlights from the Medscape interview are listed below. (more…)

Effectiveness of patient education on pain and anxiety

Monday, August 9th, 2010

Researchers at The University of Hong Kong, in China, studied the effectiveness of pain management education in people with musculoskeletal trauma that required orthopedic surgery. (more…)

Sad state of CAM education in Wales’ medical schools

Sunday, May 9th, 2010

Despite recommendations that CAM be offered to medical students in Wales, little is offered.

Here’s what we know. (more…)

UK doctors rate their knowledge of herbal medicines

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

Here are the results of the British Medical Journal survey.

88% of respondents came from the UK, with the rest coming from 10 countries. (more…)

Nutracon coming to Anaheim

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

Nutracon is an education and networking conference for the health and nutrition industry. I attended a meeting several years ago and found it worthwhile.

The next meeting is scheduled for March 10 and 11 in Anaheim, California.

Here’s a sample of the agenda. (more…)