Reprinted from the Health District's quarterly publication mailed to district residents (Fall 2002)
TOPIC: Research alternative medicine carefully
 
by polly anderson

Do garlic supplements really help lower cholesterol? Can acupuncture help an aching back? Find out the answers to these and other questions by visiting the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) web site at http://nccam.nih.gov/health/

Just what makes a medical treatment alternative or complementary? According to NCCAM, these terms are used to describe treatments that are not part of a culture’s conventional medicine. Acupuncture, for example, is considered traditional in China, but alternative or complementary in the United States. “Alternative” is used to describe treatments that are used instead of traditional — in this case Western — medicine; “complementary” describes treatments that are used in conjunction with traditional medicine.
The NCCAM is one of 27 National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the Department of Health and Human Services. At the NCCAM web site, you’ll find definitions, fact sheets and the clinical studies that NIH centers are known for.
featured links
• http://nccam.nih.gov/health/
• www.nih.gov
• http://ods.od.nih.gov/
• www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/ds-warn.html
 

The agency’s mission is to support “rigorous research on complementary medicine … and to disseminate information … on which complementary and alternative modalities work, which do not, and why.”

And that is just what you’ll find on their web site.

Click on the “Health Information” section of the site to find complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) definitions, warnings about dietary supplements and drug interactions and tips on selecting a CAM provider.

The most informative section of the web site (also under “Health Information”) allows users to look up CAM information by disease/condition and by type of therapy. Most topics in this section include:
• Key facts about the treatment, including the theory behind it
• Summaries of studies about the efficacy of a particular treatment
• Warnings or cautions (if appropriate)

If you’re considering — or already taking advantage of a CAM treatment — take control of your health and your healthcare decisions by visiting this web site for more information.

The more you know, the better you’ll feel!

For information about NIH, visit www.nih.gov To learn more about dietary supplements, visit the NIH Clinical Center at www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/supplements/ and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration at www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/ds-warn.html