Complementary therapies in medicine
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Complement Ther Med · Jun 2010
The use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients attending a UK headache clinic.
This study was undertaken in order to determine the extent of the use of CAM in a UK headache clinic. ⋯ As a matter of desperation, headache clinic patients try CAM therapies. Health care professionals involved in the management of headache should be aware of this. There is a need for evaluation of the benefits and safety of CAM therapies for headache.
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Complement Ther Med · Jun 2010
Randomized Controlled TrialEffectiveness of subcutaneous injections of a cartilage preparation in osteoarthritis of the knee--a randomized, placebo controlled phase II study.
Articulatio Genus D5 (AG5), a cartilage preparation, is widely used within anthroposophic medicine to treat osteoarthritis of the knee (OA). To evaluate its efficacy 91 OA patients were randomized to receive either AG5 (46) or placebo (45) following a fully sequential study design. For a period of 4 weeks AG5 or placebo were injected subcutaneously 3 times a week in the predominantly affected knee. Outcome parameters were the Western Ontario and Mc. Masters University Arthritis Index (WOMAC) scores and the use of concomitant pain medication during a follow up period of 2 months. ⋯ For the primary outcome parameter pain AG5 was not superior to placebo after 4 weeks of treatment but the equal reduction of pain in combination with higher reduction of pain medication suggests an effect of the preparation. The long term effect of AG5 on sparing pain medication should be further investigated.