The Science of Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Dr. Stephen E. Straus, Director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) gives an overview of NCCAM, why scientific study of CAM practice is important, and examples of current research supported by NCCAM including St. John's Wort, PC SPES, dietary supplements and mind-body medicine.

Category:

Education

[Neeboopsh]

its sad that after years of failures in clinical trials, things like homeopathy are still taken seriously by governments and corporations because of their popularity.

[LordSlag]

Oh good, I'm glad I merely misunderstood you. It's a travesty that your nation spends money on that baloney. But hell, it's not like America is all fuckin' super-uber-mega-rational. Faith based initiatives, huge opposition to stems cells and abortion; the list is long and preposterous in both our countries. There are stupid people everywhere, their stupid is powerful and their numbers great. We've only one weapon: The truth requires not energy to maintain itself.

[Lolilol2507]

The problem is that CAM is a term that covers a myriad of things from acupuncture to homoeopathy to vitamin supplements. To say that all CAM treatments are without evidence or scientific basis is stupid and unscientific. Search (1)"The Tomato Effect" and (2) the career of Ignaz Sammelweis (1818-1865). In both cases the prevailing beliefs of the time went against the observable evidence because there had been no scientific trials conducted to prove that which could be easily observed.

[dadominate]

@neeboopsh,

how about you cite some of the evidence of the "years of failures in clinical trials" of homeopathy? don't waste your time, because there is no such convincing body of evidence of homeopathy failure. you have falling hook, line, and sinker for the mainstream propaganda in this regard.

the fact is, most of these modalities have not failed at all, they simply have not received the funding to be adequately tested. this is why nccam is so important. we need them to fund such research.

[Neeboopsh]

nor am i british. i just pulled a british example out because the U.S. is too easy to pick on. its sad that the UK is indulging in the smörgåsbord of magic and superstition, but the worlds leader in science and tech never lets me down :) USA ! U S A!!

[Neeboopsh]

i love you. also i'm not american =)

[Neeboopsh]

Yeah, i did watch the video. I was saying that we as a society waste time discussing things that havent even passed clinical trials. until something can be shown to have a benefit, it shouldnt get funding from medical insurance agencies (NHS in britain covers homeopathy, etc) I am a fan of the research channel, and they did an expert job yet again

[LordSlag]

@Neeboopsh

You should have actually watched the video, he blows St. John's Wart for depression completely out of the water and shows some very impressive research on how one of it's compounds changes the expression of one particular type of cytochrome and it's associated cascade and how this change in gene expression can negatively interfere with modern therapies for various ailments that are known to be effective. The science needs be done.