Professional societies of doctors, surgeons or physiotherapists are more likely to recommend against treatments provided by others, our new research shows.
Physiotherapists sometimes use acupuncture to treat knee osteoarthritis and low back pain, but it’s not recommended.
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New international research shows one in four physiotherapists provide treatments that aren’t based on evidence. These treatments aren’t likely to cause harm, but they might waste patients’ time.
Pharmacies are trusted medical professionals, so people trust their products.
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Greg Kyle, Queensland University of Technology dan Katherine Browne, Queensland University of Technology
A review has recommended separating pharmacists from complementary and homeopathic products.
Doctors with special training in acupuncture and practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine worked together in emergency departments.
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Some emergency doctors are already using acupuncture to relieve patients’ pain. Now a new study shows when it works, when it doesn’t and how emergency departments of the future might use it.
General anaesthesia has come a long way since its first public demonstration in the 19th century, depicted here.
Wellcome Library, London/Wikimedia
Terrifying accounts of surgery 200 years ago remind us how far general anaesthesia has come. Yet we still know little about how anaesthetics alter consciousness.
About half of studies of some types of brain stimulation cannot be reproduced. So, how do we know if these work?
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Guidelines galore suggest how we can take care of ourselves in concert with our doctors. Here’s why it’s not as easy as it may seem (and how those guidelines get written)
How can we help the one in three people in hospital end-of-life care who suffer from delirium?
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Holistic dentistry claims to promote overall wellness rather than simply treating disease. But the lack of evidence for the alternative therapies underpinning it are cause for concern.
After a long period of expansion in the number of children living in out-of-home care, most modern child protection systems around the world have been labouring to prevent such placements. Instead, they’re…
Homeopathic medicines are not drugs and homeopathy involves much more than the use of a particular therapy.
Oonagh Taeger/Flickr
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recently completed a review of the evidence for homeopathy’s effectiveness and, after analysing systematic reviews of clinical trials, concluded…
Mindfulness essentially involves the passive observation of internal and external stimuli without mental reaction.
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Ever been unable to sleep because you can’t switch off that stream of thoughts that seems to flow incessantly, mercilessly through your head? When your mental noise distracts you from the task at hand…
There’s a conflict between the need for pharmacists to maintain a profitable business and their ethical obligations to the community.
Andrew Dubber
If you look at the shelves of most Australian community pharmacies or browse the pages of local internet pharmacies, you’ll see numerous examples of products making claims that can’t be supported by scientific…
The aim of CER is to assess the effectiveness and worth of medical interventions in real-life scenarios.
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The evidence gleaned from medical research directly affects the decisions made about health care in Australia, driving everything from clinical practice guidelines, to which health interventions will and…
There is no convincing evidence that the therapy works.
Cafemama
PANACEA OR PLACEBO – A weekly series assessing the evidence behind complementary and alternative medicines. Aromatherapy is based on the idea that aromatic substances, usually the essential oils of plants…
One in four Australians take fish oil but the latest evidence shows it won’t improve the health of your heart.
Flickr/wine me up
Did you hold your nose and take your daily dose of fish oil this morning? Or perhaps you opted for an odour-free capsule? Well, you’re not alone. Around one in four Australians take fish oil supplements…
Professor of Bioethics & Medicine, Sydney Health Ethics, Haematologist/BMT Physician, Royal North Shore Hospital and Director, Praxis Australia, University of Sydney
Monika Merkes
Honorary Associate, Australian Institute for Primary Care and Ageing, La Trobe University
Director, Evidence and Methods, National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce; Associate Professor (Research), Cochrane Australia, School of Population Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University