Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Contents:

Health care practices that are not part of the traditional Western health care system—from acupuncture, yoga, and Tai Chi to vitamin supplements and medical marijuana—are typically labeled complementary or alternative medicines by the mainstream. RAND conducts evidence-based research on alternative approaches to illness prevention and treatment as well as studies aimed at understanding the place of complementary and alternative medicines within the health care system.

Research conducted by: RAND Health; RAND Drug Policy Research Center

All Items (127)

Journal Article

Competing Views of Chiropractic: Health Services Research Versus Ethnographic Observation — Jan 1, 2004

This chapter presents different views of chiropractic and then explores the basis of the differences.

Journal Article

Effect of Supplemental Vitamin E for the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease — Jan 1, 2004

There is good evidence that vitamin E supplementation does not beneficially or adversely affect cardiovascular outcomes.

Journal Article

The Rise and Rise of Complementary and Alternative Medicine: A Sociological Perspective — Jan 1, 2004

CAM is here to stay and will continue to present challenges for conventional medicine on how to respond.

Journal Article

Ephedra and Ephedrine for Weight Loss and Athletic Performance Enhancement: Clinical Efficacy and Side Effects — Feb 1, 2003

This research addresses questions regarding the safety and efficacy of herbal ephedra and ephedrine for weight loss and athletic performance through a comprehensive literature review and synthesis of evidence.

Journal Article

Efficacy and Safety of Ephedra and Ephedrine for Weight Loss and Athletic Performance: A Meta-Analysis — Jan 1, 2003

Ephedra and ephedrine sometimes are used for weight loss or enhanced athletic performance, but efficacy and safety of these compounds are uncertain.

Journal Article

Best-case Series for the Use of Immuno-Augmentation Therapy and Naltrexone for the Treatment of Cancer — Jan 1, 2003

For this study, the researchers used criteria developed by the Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine (OCCAM), a part of the National Cancer Institute.

Journal Article

Spinal Manipulative Therapy for Low Back Pain: A Meta-Analysis of Effectiveness Relative to Other Therapies — Jan 1, 2003

There is no evidence that spinal manipulative therapy is superior to other standard treatments for patients with acute or chronic low back pain.

Journal Article

A Review of the Evidence for the Effectiveness, Safety, and Cost of Acupuncture, Massage Therapy, and Spinal Manipulation for Back Pain — Jan 1, 2003

Few treatments for back pain are supported by strong scientific evidence.

Journal Article

Use of Alternative Therapists Among People in Care for HIV in the United States — Jan 1, 2003

Examined the influence of sociodemographic, clinical, and attitudinal variables on the use of alternative therapists by people in care for HIV.

Journal Article

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use and Substitution for Conventional Therapy By HIV-infected Patients — Jan 1, 2003

HIV-infected patients commonly use CAM, but it is not known how often CAM is used as a complement or as a substitute for conventional HIV therapy.

Journal Article

Effect of Supplemental Antioxidants Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Coenzyme Q10 for the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease — Jan 1, 2003

The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the scientific literature to identify and assess the evidence for the efficacy of a number of antioxidant supplements for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease or modificatio

Journal Article

Effect of the Supplemental Use of Antioxidants Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Coenzyme Q10 for the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer — Jan 1, 2003

Patients with cancer commonly try a variety of nontraditional treatments that fit the broad category known as Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM).

Research Brief

Ephedra: Is It Worth the Risk? — Jan 1, 2003

Products that contain the herb ephedra have been promoted and used in the United States since the 1980s to increase weight loss and enhance athletic performance. Yet despite manufacturers' claims, little research has been done to assess whether the products are safe, and the research studies that have been done have been too small to allow any firm conclusions to be drawn.

Journal Article

Patients Using Chiropractors in North America: Who Are They, and Why Are They in Chiropractic Care? — Jan 1, 2002

These data support the theory that patients seek chiropractic care almost exclusively for musculoskeletal symptoms.

Journal Article

Chiropractic — Jan 1, 2002

Chiropractic services are the most frequently used of the complementary and alternative medicine approaches.

Journal Article

Use of Complementary/alternative Therapies By Women with Advanced-Stage Breast Cancer — Jan 1, 2002

Credible sources of CAM information for patients and physicians are needed.

Journal Article

S-adenosyl-L-methionine for Treatment of Depression, Osteoarthritis, and Liver Disease — Jan 1, 2002

What study reports were available on the use of SAMe for depression, ostheoarthritis, and liver disease?

Journal Article

Increased Risk of Serious Injury Following an Initial Prescription for Diphenhydramine — Jan 1, 2002

This study sought to compare the risk of injury in patients exposed to diphenhydramine with the risk of injury in patients exposed to loratadine.

Journal Article

Biofeedback Interventions for Gastrointestinal Conditions: A Systematic Review — Jan 1, 2002

The objective of this article is to review evidence for the efficacy of biofeedback in the treatment of gastrointestinal problems.

Journal Article

Alternative Treatments for Weight-Loss: Caveat Emptor — Jan 1, 2001

Nontraditional or alternative treatments are extremely popular, especially with respect to obesity and body composition.

My RAND ?

Saved Items

Recommended

View My Profile

Explore

Broader Topics

Narrower Topics

Similar Topics

Explore All Topics »

Researcher Spotlight

Paul G. Shekelle

Director, Southern California Evidence-Based Practice Center, RAND Corporation

Paul G. Shekelle

Paul Shekelle is director of the Southern California Evidence-Based Practice Center site at the RAND Corporation, a consultant in health sciences at RAND, professor of medicine at the UCLA School of Medicine, and a staff physician at the VA Medical Center in West Los Angeles. His research focus…

Ian D. Coulter

RAND/Samueli Chair for Integrative Medicine and Senior Health Policy Researcher

Ian D. Coulter

Ian Coulter is a senior health policy analyst at the RAND Corporation, where he holds the Samueli Institute Chair in Policy for Integrative Medicine. He is a professor in the School of Dentistry, UCLA, in the Division of Public Health and Community Dentistry; a health consultant at RAND; and a…

Explore Our People »