Which Alternative Treatments Work? Consumer Reports' Survey of 34,000 Readers Finds Hands-on Treatments Most Successful

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Which Alternative Treatments Work? Consumer Reports' Survey of 34,000

Readers Finds Hands-on Treatments Most Successful

Distribution Source : U.S. Newswire

Date : Thursday - June 30, 2005

National Desk, Consumer and Health Reporters

YONKERS, N.Y., June 30 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Alternative medicine is no

longer truly alternative. A Consumer Reports survey of more than 34,000

readers reveals that many people have tried it, and more and more

doctors are recommending it.

Readers gave the highest marks to hands-on treatments, which worked

better than conventional treatments for conditions such as back pain

and arthritis. Chiropractic was ranked ahead of all conventional

treatments, including prescription drugs, by readers with back pain.

(Readers said it also provided relief for neck pain, but neck

manipulation can be risky and is not recommended by CR.) Deep-tissue

massage was found to be especially effective in treating osteoarthritis

and fibromyalgia. While readers suffering from back pain deemed

acupuncture and acupressure less effective than chiropractic and

massage, one-fourth of readers who had tried these therapies said they

helped them feel much better. Of all the hands-on alternative

therapies, acupuncture has the most scientific support.

Readers also reported good results for exercise, not only for

conditions such as back pain, but also for allergies and other

respiratory ills, anxiety, rheumatoid arthritis, high blood pressure,

high cholesterol, depression, insomnia, and prostate problems. Those

results are consistent with a broad range of clinical studies of

treatments for all of these conditions except allergies and respiratory

ailments.

On the other hand, well-known, heavily promoted herbal treatments such

as echinacea, St. 's wort, saw palmetto, melatonin, and glucosamine

and chondroitin didn't work as well for readers. Readers reported that

alternative treatments were far less effective than prescription drugs

for eight conditions: anxiety, rheumatoid arthritis, depression, high

blood pressure, high cholesterol, insomnia, prostate problems, and

respiratory problems. Interpreting these results of the reader survey

is somewhat difficult because the U.S. regulates alternative and

conventional medicines differently. Federal laws ensure that a bottle

of prescription or over-the-counter pills contains the amount and kind

of medicine stated on the label, and dosages are standardized, but no

such standards apply to dietary supplements. Moreover, there are no

standard recommended dosages.

Treating symptoms of menopause

A separate Consumer Reports survey of 10,042 women who had gone through

menopause or were experiencing it found that a large minority of women

have turned from hormone replacement, which can be risky, to black

cohosh, soy supplements, and vitamin E for relief from hot flashes.

However, those alternatives were far less effective. Sixty percent of

respondents who took estrogen plus progestin said it helped them feel

much better, as did 53 percent of those who took estrogen by itself.

The botanicals scored far lower. Black cohosh was typical. It helped 17

percent of women feel much better, but 51 percent said it did nothing

at all. Some, but not all, studies have found that black cohosh is

modestly helpful against hot flashes and night sweats. However, its

long-term safety has not been studied. Most studies of soy supplements

have suggested that they're not very helpful, and breast-cancer

patients should talk with their doctor before taking large amounts of

soy. For other supplements, studies show little or no evidence of

benefit.

For specific, free advice on how to choose an alternative treatment,

visit ConsumerReports.org during the month of July. In general, CR

recommends the following:

-- Ask your doctor. Many doctors will refer patients to preferred

alternative practitioners. And your doctor may be able to steer you

away from potentially hazardous alternative treatments.

-- Do your own research. Objective online references include the

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

(nccam.nih.gov), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health;

Medline Plus (medlineplus.gov), for plain-language medical information;

and Consumer Reports Medical Guide (ConsumerReportsMedicalGuide.org),

which rates treatments, including alternative treatments, for several

dozen common conditions. It costs $24 per year or $4.95 per month; the

others are free.

-- Consult other reliable sources. If your doctor doesn't have a

referral list of practitioners, check with a local hospital or medical

school. You can also turn to national professional organizations, many

of which have geographic search functions on their Web sites.

-- Check your health plan. Many cover some alternative therapies.

-- Check the practitioner's credentials. Make sure your practitioner

has the proper license, if applicable, or check for membership in

professional associations, which require minimum levels of education

and experience. Some also make practitioners pass an exam.

The August 2005 issue of Consumer Reports is on sale now wherever

magazines are sold. To subscribe, call 1-800-765-1845.