CAMLAW : Complementary And Alternative Medicine Law Blog

Diet and nutrition affect health in ways scientific is only beginning to discover.

A BMJ study of pediatrician referral patterns for complementary and alternative therapies suggests a positive attitude toward CAM.

A review in the Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development has found mixed efficacy for complementary and alternative medicine therapies for back and chronic pain.

An international research team – including investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the Broad Institute of Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology – has identified several novel genetic variations associated with the risk of Crohn's disease.

Tai Chi may help prevent Shingles, according to a study in the April issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

Meditation studies show positive neurochemical brain changes.

A new study, published in The Journal of Physiology, shows that acute oral intake of largely accepted antioxidants Vitamin C and E prior to a scuba dive can reduce alterations in cardiovascular function, particularly acute endothelial dysfunction, that are caused by a single field air dive.

Exocell/Glycadia, a biotechnology company located in Philadelphia, has developed a number of tests for early markers of diabetes and diabetic complications, as well as tools for clinical testing of diabetes drugs.

Australia will invest $5 million to test alternative medicine, focusing particularly on herbal therapies.

Use of tiny balloons and metal stents for heart attack patients has been questioned by a major study.

Tom Cruise spends a lot of time in the film, "Minority Report," using his eyes to open locked doors, trigger police scanners, and incite talking advertisements.

Recombinant DNA was to the 1970s what animal-human hybrids are to this age, argues one Australian source.

In Greek mythology, the Minotaur was a hybrid monster: half-man, half-bull; now, UK scientists have applied for a license to create hybrid embryos using human cells and animal eggs for stem cell research to develop new disease treatments.

Massage may help agitation and depression among dementia patients, according to a review in the Cochrane Library.

A study published in the November 2006 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism examined the use of acupuncture as an extension of routine medical care and whether the effects of treatment last after therapy is discontinued.

Two NIH-funded funded studies published this week indicated that glucosamine and chondroitin, did no better than placebo in relieving mild arthritis pain.

"Pediatric Use of Complementary Therapies: Ethical and Policy Choices" by Cohen et al. appeared in the October issue of Pediatrics electronic pages.

The American College of Cardiology Foundation has issued a Complementary Medicine Expert Consensus Document entitled, Integrating Medicine into Cardviovascular Medicine.

Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease just came out with an entire issue devoted to alternative therapies.

According to psychologist Margaret Chesney, deputy director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the effect of positive attitudes on health deserves further study.

New anecdotal reports shed light on existing hard evidence that pet therapy has significant medical effects as an adjunct to conventional medical care.

A recent study by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, showed that laughter can help expand blood flow.

Acupuncture effectively relieves chronic low back pain, concluded a newly published study in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Acupuncture combined with electronic stimulation can lower rates by as much as 50 percent, according to a new study.

The Institute of Medicine Report on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use showcased the best available evidence regarding CAM therapies in its chapter entitled, "State of Emerging Evidence on CAM."

The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester in New Hampshire (MHGCM) was awarded a $40,000 grant to develop a program model that uses complementary and alternative medical therapies for the treatment of mental health disorders.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) announces the release of its new 5-year strategic plan.

A new collaboration between U. Penn. School of Medicine and Tai Sophia Institute of the Healing Arts aims to collaborate on education, research and clinical activities in complementary and alternative medicine.

Here are some brief throughts about clinical research, the FDA< and the NIH from Cohen, MH. Complementary and integrative medical therapies, the FDA, and the NIH: definitions and regulation. Derm Ther 2003;16:77-84. The abstract provides a summary of some of the major issues involved in research and clinical practice, and appeared in an issued devoted to review of safety and efficacy of CAM therapies in dermatology.

So far I've submitted to IRBs that seem to understand clinical research involving complementary and alternative medical (CAM) therapies and apply the same rigorous standards (not higher ones) as they do to studies involving conventional care. But this sense of efficiency and fairness apparently has evolved over time--not without stops and starts. I've heard horror stories at other institutions about IRB's taking a year or more to review a protocol simply because it involves chiropractic, acupuncture, or homeopathy.