National Institutes of Health (U.S.)

BACKGROUND: The authors compiled information on the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM, use, as well as on reports of randomized clinical trials of CAM modalities used to treat chronic facial pain. TYPES OF STUDIES REVIEWED: The authors searched several databases for reports of clinical trials randomizing patients who had facial pain to a CAM intervention or to a control or comparison group.

BACKGROUND: The authors compiled information on the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM, use, as well as on reports of randomized clinical trials of CAM modalities used to treat chronic facial pain. TYPES OF STUDIES REVIEWED: The authors searched several databases for reports of clinical trials randomizing patients who had facial pain to a CAM intervention or to a control or comparison group.

BACKGROUND: The authors compiled information on the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM, use, as well as on reports of randomized clinical trials of CAM modalities used to treat chronic facial pain. TYPES OF STUDIES REVIEWED: The authors searched several databases for reports of clinical trials randomizing patients who had facial pain to a CAM intervention or to a control or comparison group.

BACKGROUND: Behavior change is integral to the prevention and treatment of many disorders associated with deleterious lifestyles. Rigorous scientific testing of behavior change interventions is an important goal for nursing research. APPROACH: The stage model for behavioral therapy development is recommended as a useful framework for evaluating behavior change strategies. The NIH model specifies three stages from initial testing of novel behavioral therapies to their dissemination in community settings.

Prompted by the open letter by 13 prominent British scientists to National Health Science (NHS) trusts questioning the use of homeopathy, Vinjar Fønnebø, M.D., Ph.D., and Michael Baum, M.B., Ch.M., F.R.C.S., M.D.(Hon) entered into an e-mail exchange about the issues of research and documentation of practices in "complementary," "alternative," and "integrated" medicine. The paper presents the whole exchange unedited.

An estimated 1 of 3 Americans uses some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), such as acupuncture, homeopathy, or herbal medicine. In 1995, the National Institutes of Health Office of Alternative Medicine convened an expert panel to examine the role of clinical practice guidelines in CAM. The panel concluded that CAM practices currently are unsuitable for the development of evidence-based practice guidelines, in part because of the lack of relevant outcomes data from well-designed clinical trials.

BACKGROUND: The authors compiled information on the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM, use, as well as on reports of randomized clinical trials of CAM modalities used to treat chronic facial pain. TYPES OF STUDIES REVIEWED: The authors searched several databases for reports of clinical trials randomizing patients who had facial pain to a CAM intervention or to a control or comparison group.

An estimated 1 of 3 Americans uses some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), such as acupuncture, homeopathy, or herbal medicine. In 1995, the National Institutes of Health Office of Alternative Medicine convened an expert panel to examine the role of clinical practice guidelines in CAM. The panel concluded that CAM practices currently are unsuitable for the development of evidence-based practice guidelines, in part because of the lack of relevant outcomes data from well-designed clinical trials.

BACKGROUND: The authors compiled information on the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM, use, as well as on reports of randomized clinical trials of CAM modalities used to treat chronic facial pain. TYPES OF STUDIES REVIEWED: The authors searched several databases for reports of clinical trials randomizing patients who had facial pain to a CAM intervention or to a control or comparison group.

Identifying the factors that contribute to long and healthy life can lead to improved interventions that can help delay or prevent the onset of major aging-related diseases and disabilities and increase the time that older persons spend in good health. Studies on longevity and other exceptional survival outcomes can contribute to this knowledge.