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Articles on CAM

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Appeals to popularity and ancient traditions are insufficient to establish vocational courses. Michael Flick

What CAM courses at universities should look like

While drizzling treacle on your porridge or spreading it on your toast, you might consider the time when the calorie-laden condiment was an antidote for poison. Of course, these days the crushed vipers…
Gawler claims to have cured himself of advanced cancer by a series of unorthodox treatments including herbal remedies, meditation, coffee enemas and diets. Nick Olejniczak

Coffee enemas don’t cure cancer: reviewing the remarkable claims of Ian Gawler

It’s not often that a scientific article in a learned medical journal becomes front page news but that was the case recently when a paper I co-authored with Dr Ian Haines of Melbourne’s Cabrini Hospital…
Linking research and teaching, universities are best placed to teach evidence-based CAM. Tulane Publications

Why universities should teach alternative medicine

Most readers would know of the current debate about universities teaching complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). A core question not being addressed in this debate is what other institution is better…
Science writer Simon Singh and Observer journalist Nick Cohen, at the Royal Courts of Justice, 23rd February 2010. Robert Sharp/English PEN

Pointing the bone at chiropractic quackery – lessons from the UK

Marcello Costa is a co-founder of “Friends of Science in Medicine”, an organisation established to campaign against university health-care courses that are not adequately supported by scientific evidence…
All health-care providers should give patients evidence-based information – this includes chiropractors. Planetc

Modern chiropractic therapy is based on evidence – and here it is

Chiropractic has copped some criticism this week, with a group of prominent Australian doctors and scientists urging Central Queensland University to reverse its decision to offer a chiropractic degree…
Vitamins, minerals and herbal therapies should live up to the claims on their packaging. Peter Sunna

Consumers need the facts about complementary medicines

Two out of three Australians use complementary medicines to boost their nutrition, alleviate various symptoms and improve their overall health and well-being. There are around 10,000 products to choose…
Diet pill manufacturers take advantage of consumers’ desire to look and feel better. Flickr/jypsygen

Want to set up a weight loss scam? Here’s how …

Welcome to part two of The science behind weight loss, a new Conversation series in which we separate the myths about dieting from the realities of exercise and nutrition. Here, Michael Vagg, Clinical…
It’s even possible to get relief from symptoms when knowingly taking a placebo. Flickr/JLA Kliche

Monday’s medical myth: the placebo effect only works on the gullible

If you took a pill that had been prescribed to treat your illness and it alleviated your symptoms, that means the medicine worked – right? What if you took a complementary medicine from a health food store…
The placebo effect may be making people feel better but it should never be substituted for real medicine. vitasamb2001/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Doctors’ orders: debunking homeopathy once and for all

Homeopathy’s got a bit of a run in the media in recent months and the stories are by no means positive. It all started in April when the medical press highlighted the National Health and Research Council’s…
Patients achieve real outcomes with homeopathic therapy – we more research to work out why. Flickr/Missy the universe

Question homeopathy’s remedies but not its approach

It seems the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is likely to follow the lead of the UK and denounce homeopathy as an ineffective and unethical therapy that shouldn’t attract scarce government…
The lack of a strong evidence base is not unique to complementary medicines. Jenny O'Donnell/Wikimedia Commons

Doctors should focus on providing the best care, alternative or otherwise

Read the argument against the use of complementary medicines. Over half of Australians use complementary therapies, at a cost of about $AUD1.8 billion a year, to either prevent or treat health problems…
Naturopathic teachers, practitioners and companies should ensure that better evidence becomes available. b dd b/Flickr

Lay out the welcome mat: naturopathy has come in from the cold

Use of complementary medicine (CAM) is widespread but often condemned by medical practitioners as being baseless or quackery. But some practices that fall under the umbrella of CAM do have a basis in evidence…
Cancer patients need to think twice before adding vitamins to their treatment. shannonkringen/flickr

A helping hand? Vitamins may be dangerous for cancer patients

Previously unthinkable questions about vitamin use by cancer patients are being asked following a series of recent clinical studies. Is it time for cancer patients’ love affair with vitamins to end? Might…

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