National Center For Complementary And Alternative Medicine

Dr. Stephen E. Straus has never tried acupuncture. He has never gone to a chiropractor, nor has he ever swallowed a Chinese herb. Millions of Americans have used complementary medical approaches, but Straus is not one of them. Some might find this unusual, since it is Straus who leads the federal government's research effort aimed at finding out what works and what doesn't in this controversial medical field.

Dr. Stephen E. Straus has never tried acupuncture. He has never gone to a chiropractor, nor has he ever swallowed a Chinese herb. Millions of Americans have used complementary medical approaches, but Straus is not one of them. Some might find this unusual, since it is Straus who leads the federal government's research effort aimed at finding out what works and what doesn't in this controversial medical field.

More than 2 million American men have turned to saw palmetto extract to help alleviate the uncomfortable symptoms of having an enlarged prostate. It remains a popular herbal remedy despite the fact that a spate of clinical trials in the past 10 years have found its benefits to be limited at best. That may change once men learn about the results of a new trial published in Wednesday's edition of the Journal of the American Medical Assn. First, a primer on enlarged prostates.

For millions of people, the quietest room is never quiet enough. Even when surrounded by silence, they can hear a ringing or buzzing in their ears that drives them to distraction. The sound is called tinnitus, and sufferers — often people with hearing trouble thanks to advanced age or loud sounds — are willing to go to great lengths to stop the noise. Some plead with their doctors to cut their hearing nerves completely, but even this drastic measure won't help. The few patients who have had the procedure could still hear their tinnitus — and nothing else.

Silymarin, an extract of milk thistle widely used around the world for treating liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus, provides no more benefit than a placebo, researchers reported this week. Some estimates are that as many as a third of the estimated 3.2 million Americans with hepatitis C -- as well as many more millions around the world -- are consuming the drug in an effort to alleviate their symptoms. The new research by a team headed by Dr. Michael W. Fried of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine suggests that they are simply wasting their money.

An analysis of 10 studies involving more than 3,800 people has found that glucosamine and chondroitin supplements for joint pain are ineffective either alone or in combination. Glucosamine and chondroitin supplements have been popular for years among people with arthritic knees or hips. According to the authors of the study, worldwide sales of the supplements reached almost $2 billion in 2008. Previous studies on whether the drugs work to relieve arthritis pain, however, have been conflicting.

The ancient Chinese therapy of acupuncture can help ease pain and improve movement for people with arthritis of the knee, a study concludes. "For the first time, a clinical trial with sufficient rigor, size and duration has shown that acupuncture reduces the pain and functional impairment of osteoarthritis of the knee," said Dr. Stephen E. Straus, director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

I was in shock when I read "Finally, Science Weighs In" (March 18). The new head of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine indicates that he plans to study unconventional medicine using scientific methods. The center, which he heads, has already been in existence for 10 years and has spent millions of dollars doing this but to date has not proven the efficacy or value of even one alternative treatment. When a treatment that appears to be of value does surface, medical scientists study it using scientific methods and, if it proves to be of value, it's added to the physicians' medical armament.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine recommends asking the following questions of your insurance provider before seeking alternative or complementary treatments: Is this treatment covered for my specific health condition? Does this treatment need to be preauthorized, preapproved or ordered by a prescription? Do I need a referral from my primary care provider? Do I have to see a practitioner that is part of my network for the service to be covered?

As if Dr. Paul Offit hasn't made enough enemies  already by insisting (correctly) that parents put their kids' health at risk when they refuse to get them vaccinated, now the infectious disease expert appears to be picking a fight with those who believe in alternative therapies like prayer healing and acupuncture. In an essay to be published in Wednesday's edition of the Journal of the American Medical Assn., Offit questions the way the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine doles out its $130-million annual budget.

Despite all of the cold remedies that have been proposed through the years, people still somehow manage to sniffle and sneeze. The truth is, modern medicine has yet to conquer the common cold. Sure, you could take NyQuil Multi-Symptom or Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Cough to clear up your head, but such medications can cause drowsiness, nervousness, sleep problems and other side effects. And they won't necessarily help your cold go away any faster, either. Children's colds are especially hard to treat, says Dr. James Taylor, professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington in Seattle.