Complementary and alternative medicine: Evaluate claims of treatment success

Complementary and alternative medicine may give you additional treatment options, but while some of those options can help you, others can hurt you. When considering complementary and alternative medicine, steer a middle course between uncritical acceptance and outright rejection. Be open-minded yet skeptical at the same time.

Assess the credentials of anyone who advocates complementary and alternative medicine. Gather information from a variety of sources and evaluate the information carefully. Remember — if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Assess your information source

Take a critical look at the information you have. Scammers have perfected ways to convince you their complementary and alternative medicine products are the best. Here's how to weed out the good products from the bad.

Investigate complementary and alternative medicine Web sites
The Internet offers an ideal way to discover the latest in complementary and alternative medicine. Web sites can be updated at any time to keep up with new products, therapies and advances in the field. But beware — the Internet is also one of the greatest sources of misinformation. According to a study in the Sept. 17, 2003, issue of the "Journal of the American Medical Association," of 433 complementary and alternative medicine Web sites examined, most made misleading or unproven health claims about the herbal remedies they sold.

Investigate carefully each complementary and alternative medicine site you visit. Be sure to:

• Check out the site sponsor. Web sites created by major medical centers, national organizations, universities and government agencies are the most credible.
• Determine the site's objective. Is the sponsor trying to educate you or just sell you something? Stay away from sites that don't clearly distinguish between scientific evidence and advertisements.
• Find out if the information is current. Look for a date. Older material may not include recent findings, such as newly discovered side effects or advances in the field.

Look for words of warning
Certain words and phrases can be warning signs of potentially fraudulent complementary and alternative medicine products. The Food and Drug Administration recommends that you watch out for the following claims or practices:

• Red flag words. The advertisements or promotional materials usually include words such as "satisfaction guaranteed," "miracle cure" or "new discovery." If the product were in fact a cure, it would be widely reported in the media and your doctor would recommend it.
• Pseudomedical jargon. Though terms such as "purify," "detoxify" and "energize" may sound impressive and may even have an element of truth, they're generally used to cover up a lack of scientific proof. Watch out for these words.
• Cure-alls. The manufacturer claims that the product can treat a wide range of symptoms, or cure or prevent a number of diseases. No single product can do all this.
• Anecdotal evidence. Testimonials are no substitute for solid scientific documentation. If the product is scientifically sound, the manufacturer will promote the scientific evidence. If you have to search all over the Web site for this evidence or you can't find any evidence at all to back up the manufacturer's claims, be wary of the information.
• False accusations. The manufacturer of the product accuses the government or a medical profession of suppressing important information about the product's benefits. Neither the government nor any medical profession has any reason to withhold information that could help people.

Understand scientific studies
If you read about studies in journal articles, assess the quality of the research. Look for words such as "double-blind," "controlled" and "randomized." Doctors consider these types of studies to contain the most valuable information. Here are some common terms you'll encounter in research articles:

• Clinical studies. These involve studies on human beings — not animals. They generally come after studies that demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of the treatment in animals and in the lab. Studies done solely in test tubes and petri dishes can't prove benefit to humans.
• Randomized, controlled trials. Participants in these trials usually are divided into groups. One group receives the treatment under investigation. Another group may be a control group — participants receive standard treatment, no treatment or an inactive substance called a placebo. Participants are assigned to these groups on a random basis. This helps ensure that the groups will be similar.
• Double-blind studies. In these studies, neither the researchers nor the human subjects know who will receive the active treatment and who will receive the placebo.

Look for peer-reviewed journals — those that only publish articles reviewed by an independent panel of medical experts. Also look for replicated studies, ones that have been repeated by different investigators with generally the same results.

One or two small studies, whether the results are positive or negative, usually aren't enough to make a definite decision about whether to use or skip a specific treatment. As research continues, many of the answers will become much clearer.

More and more research studies on complementary and alternative medicine are being conducted every year. Much of the funding for these studies comes from the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Evaluate complementary and alternative medicine providers

When selecting a complementary and alternative treatment provider, evaluate your options. Simply choosing a name from a telephone directory is risky if you have no other information about the provider. You might try checking with:

• State regulators. Check your state government listings for agencies that regulate and license health care providers. These agencies may list practitioners in your area and offer a way to check credentials.
• National associations. National associations and their local affiliates can usually provide you with the names of certified practitioners in your area. To find the addresses and phone numbers of these associations, visit your local library or use the Internet to find association Web sites. But be careful — official-sounding organizations aren't always reputable. Talk with your doctor or another trusted health care professional for advice.
• Friends and family. If you know someone who's received the treatment you're considering, he or she can offer advice. Ask about his or her experiences with specific providers. Call the provider to request an interview.

Many treatments, both conventional and unconventional, have risks and side effects. With any treatment you consider, find out if the potential benefits outweigh the risks.

Also find out exactly what the treatment will cost. Whenever possible, get that in writing before you start. Many alternative approaches aren't covered by health insurance.

Don't forgo conventional treatment

Ideally the various forms of treatments you select should work together with the care of your conventional doctor. You may find that certain complementary and alternative medicine treatments help you maintain your health and relieve some of your symptoms. But continue to rely on conventional medicine to diagnose a problem and treat diseases. For your safety, tell your doctor about all complementary and alternative medicine treatments you use.

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