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How can I get reliable information about a complementary therapy?
It is important to learn what scientific studies have discovered about the therapy you are considering. Making a decision based on the facts is a better idea than using a therapy simply because of something you have seen in an advertisement or on a Web site or because someone has told you that it worked for them.
Understanding a therapy’s potential benefits, risks, and scientific evidence is critical to your health and safety. Scientific research on many complementary therapies is relatively new, so this kind of information may not be available for every therapy. However, many studies are under way, including those that NCCAM supports, and knowledge and understanding of complementary therapies are increasing all the time. Here are some ways to find reliable information:
Talk with your health care providers. Tell them about the product or practice you are considering and ask any questions you may have about safety, effectiveness, or interactions with medications (prescription or nonprescription) or dietary supplements.
Visit the NCCAM Web site (nccam.nih.gov). The “Health Information” page has information on specific complementary therapies and links to other online sources of information. The Web site also has contact information for the NCCAM Clearinghouse, where information specialists are available to assist you in searching the scientific literature and to suggest useful NCCAM publications. You can also find information from NCCAM on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube
Visit your local library or a medical library. Ask the reference librarian to help you find scientific journals and trustworthy books with information on the therapy that interests you.
About Scientific Evidence on Complementary Medicine
Scientific evidence on complementary medicine includes results from laboratory research (e.g., animal studies) as well as clinical trials (studies in people). It encompasses both “positive” findings (evidence that an approach may work) and “negative” findings (evidence that it probably does not work or that it may be unsafe). Scientific journals publish study results as well as review articles that evaluate the evidence as it accumulates. NCCAM fact sheets on specific health conditions or complementary approaches base information about research findings primarily on the most rigorous review articles, known as systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Authors of such reviews often conclude that more research and/or better designed studies are needed.
Are complementary therapies safe? How can I minimize risks in using these therapies? As with any medical product or treatment, there can be risks with complementary therapies. These risks depend on the specific therapy. Each therapy needs to be considered on its own. However, if you are considering a specific therapy, the following general suggestions can help you think about safety and minimize risks.
It is important to learn what scientific studies have discovered about the therapy you are considering. Making a decision based on the facts is a better idea than using a therapy simply because of something you have seen in an advertisement or on a Web site or because someone has told you that it worked for them.
Understanding a therapy’s potential benefits, risks, and scientific evidence is critical to your health and safety. Scientific research on many complementary therapies is relatively new, so this kind of information may not be available for every therapy. However, many studies are under way, including those that NCCAM supports, and knowledge and understanding of complementary therapies are increasing all the time. Here are some ways to find reliable information:
Talk with your health care providers. Tell them about the product or practice you are considering and ask any questions you may have about safety, effectiveness, or interactions with medications (prescription or nonprescription) or dietary supplements.
Visit the NCCAM Web site (nccam.nih.gov). The “Health Information” page has information on specific complementary therapies and links to other online sources of information. The Web site also has contact information for the NCCAM Clearinghouse, where information specialists are available to assist you in searching the scientific literature and to suggest useful NCCAM publications. You can also find information from NCCAM on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube
Visit your local library or a medical library. Ask the reference librarian to help you find scientific journals and trustworthy books with information on the therapy that interests you.
About Scientific Evidence on Complementary Medicine
Scientific evidence on complementary medicine includes results from laboratory research (e.g., animal studies) as well as clinical trials (studies in people). It encompasses both “positive” findings (evidence that an approach may work) and “negative” findings (evidence that it probably does not work or that it may be unsafe). Scientific journals publish study results as well as review articles that evaluate the evidence as it accumulates. NCCAM fact sheets on specific health conditions or complementary approaches base information about research findings primarily on the most rigorous review articles, known as systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Authors of such reviews often conclude that more research and/or better designed studies are needed.
Are complementary therapies safe? How can I minimize risks in using these therapies? As with any medical product or treatment, there can be risks with complementary therapies. These risks depend on the specific therapy. Each therapy needs to be considered on its own. However, if you are considering a specific therapy, the following general suggestions can help you think about safety and minimize risks.
- Take charge of your health by being an informed consumer. Find out what the scientific evidence is about any therapy’s safety and whether it works.
- Be aware that individuals respond differently to treatments, whether conventional or complementary. How a person might respond to a therapy depends on many things, including the person’s state of health, how the therapy is used, or the person’s belief in the therapy.
- Keep in mind that “natural” does not necessarily mean “safe.” (Think of mushrooms that grow in the wild: some are safe to eat, while others are not.)
- Learn about factors that affect safety. For a therapy that is administered by a practitioner, these factors include the training, skill, and experience of the practitioner. For a product such as a dietary supplement, the specific ingredients and the quality of the manufacturing process are important factors.
- If you decide to use a therapy that would be given by a complementary medicine practitioner, such as naturopathy, a whole medical system that originated in Europe. Naturopathy aims to support the body's ability to heal itself through the use of dietary and lifestyle changes together with CAM therapies such as herbs, massage, and joint manipulation. or acupuncture, choose the practitioner carefully.
- If you decide to use a dietary supplement, such as an herbal product, be aware that some products may interact with medications (prescription or over-the-counter) or other dietary supplements, and some may have side effects on their own.
