Complementary and alternative medicine for pain management in rheumatic disease


Author: Ernst E

Affiliation: Department of Complementary Medicine, School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom. E. Ernst @exeter.ac.uk
Conference/Journal: Current Opinion in Rheumatology
Date published: 2002
Other:
 Volume ID: 14   ,  Issue ID: 1   ,  Pages: 58-62   ,  Special Notes: Review 28 references.   ,  Word Count: 81  
    Complementary and alternative medicine has become immensely popular. This review summarizes the recent literature on complementary and alternative medicine for rheumatic conditions. Research has emerged in the following areas: acupuncture, herbal remedies, homeopathy, magnetic fields, massage therapy , spiritual healing, and supplements. Positive evidence was found in relation to glucosamine, chondroitin, some herbal remedies, and acupuncture. Generally speaking, complementary and alternative medicine is grossly underresearched. Because of the popularity of complementary and alternative medicine, adequately defining risk-benefit relationships is an urgent matter.