Document Detail


Complementary and alternative medicine: between evidence and absurdity.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  19395826     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) has become important, particularly because it is widely used. This article outlines CAM's position between evidence and absurdity. It discusses misconceptions that often mislead the public and shows how CAM can and should be submitted to the principles of evidence- based medicine (EBM). Employing the example of acupuncture, the evidence as it currently stands is described. But there are numerous obstacles to applying EBM to CAM. EBM is defenseless against absurdity. We should, therefore, demarcate the absurd in order to avoid wasting time and resources. The new fad of "integrated" medicine has been proposed as a potential replacement for EBM.
Authors:
Edzard Ernst
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Perspectives in biology and medicine     Volume:  52     ISSN:  0031-5982     ISO Abbreviation:  Perspect. Biol. Med.     Publication Date:  2009  
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2009-04-27     Completed Date:  2009-07-21     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0401132     Medline TA:  Perspect Biol Med     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  289-303     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exter and Plymouth, Exter, United Kingdom. Edzard.Ernst@pms.ac.uk
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Biomedical Research
Complementary Therapies*
Evidence-Based Medicine*
Humans
Observation
Reproducibility of Results

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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