Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

E Ernst

Publications and source records attributed to E Ernst.

At least 361 records · Page 20Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

The effectiveness of acupuncture in treating acute dental pain: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Acupuncture is frequently advocated as an effective treatment of dental pain. The question whether or not it is effective for this indication remains controversial. The aim of this systematic review therefore was to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture in dental pain. DATA SOURCES: Four electronic databases were searched: Medline, Embase, CISCOM, and the Cochrane Library. Only controlled trials were included in this review. DATA EXTRACTION: Information was extracted from included studies and entered on standard forms independently by both authors. Methodological quality was assessed using the Jadad score. MAIN RESULTS: 16 such studies were located. The majority of these trials imply that acupuncture is effective in dental analgesia. However, important questions remain unanswered. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that acupuncture can alleviate dental pain and that future investigations should define the optimal acupuncture technique and its relative efficacy compared with conventional methods of analgesia.

Acupuncture Analgesia↗
PubMed1998

[How effective is spa treatment? A systematic review of randomized studies].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In the context of general financial constraints within many national health services spa treatment is being looked at ever more critically in various European countries. An important argument against spa treatment has been the supposed lack of evidence for its efficacy. This analysis was undertaken to gather firm data bearing on this problem. METHODS: Several data bases were searched systematically for randomized studies of spa treatment. Only those were included in which one patient cohort had received spa treatment, while the control cohort had been treated for the same ailment on an ambulant basis at home. Nonrandomized studies were excluded. RESULTS: Only three randomized studies were found in which two patient cohorts, one with and one without spa treatment, were compared (postsalpingitis, back pain and osteoarthritis, respectively). In all three the evidence indicated some additional benefit from spa treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The data are not sufficient to prove the benefit of spa treatment, nor are they adequate to disprove it. More evidence-based studies are necessary to arrive at rationally based decisions relating to the efficacy of spa treatment.

Back Pain↗
PubMed1998

[Acupuncture--how effective is it really?].

Since acupuncture is now being used more and more in routine healthcare, the question as to its efficacy is certainly justified. The present article is an attempt to provide an answer by tabulating the results of controlled clinical trials relating to pain in general, osteoarthritis, back pain, asthma, giving up smoking, weight reduction, nausea and stroke rehabilitation. Although some studies have shown promising results, the efficacy of acupuncture has not been proven beyond reasonable doubt, except in the case of nausea, for which the evidence is unequivocally positive. It follows that the efficacy of acupuncture requires further clarification by suitable clinical trials.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1998

[The risks of complementary therapy methods].

Complementary treatments are currently more popular than ever-not least because they are perceived to be innocuous. This perception is, however, almost certainly wrong. Serious complications are being reported with worrying regularity, as is shown by the present article using acupuncture and herbal remedies as examples. The true incidence of such complications is, for the most part, unknown. Only when reliable figures have been provided by systematic investigation will it be possible to undertake a risk-benefit analysis. It follows that a study of this problem is now a matter of urgency.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1998

Horse-chestnut seed extract for chronic venous insufficiency. A criteria-based systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the evidence for or against horse-chestnut seed extract (HCSE) as a symptomatic treatment of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). DATA SOURCES: Computerized literature searches were performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, BIOSIS, CISCOM, and the Cochrane Library (all from their respective institution to December 1996). The search terms were "horse chestnut," "Aesculus hippocastanum," "escin," and "Rosskastanie" (German for "horse chestnut"). There were no restrictions on the language of publication. STUDY SELECTION: Double-blind, randomized controlled trials of oral HCSE for patients with CVI were included. Identifiers were removed from all publications before assessment. DATA EXTRACTION: Data were extracted in a standardized, predefined manner. Trial outcomes and the methodological quality of each trial were independently assessed by the 2 reviewers. DATA SYNTHESIS: The superiority of HCSE is suggested by all placebo-controlled studies. The use of HCSE is associated with a decrease of the lower-leg volume and a reduction in leg circumference at the calf and ankle. Symptoms such as leg pain, pruritus, and a feeling of fatigue and tenseness are reduced. Five comparative trials against the reference medication indicate that HCSE and O-(beta-hydroxyethyl)-rutosides are equally effective. One trial suggests a therapeutic equivalence of HCSE and compression therapy. Adverse effects are usually mild and infrequent. CONCLUSIONS: These data imply that HCSE is superior to placebo and as effective as reference medications in alleviating the objective signs and subjective symptoms of CVI. Thus, HCSE represents a treatment option for CVI that is worth considering.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1998

Complementary therapies for depression: an overview.

Depression is one of the most common reasons for using complementary and alternative therapies. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the evidence available on the treatment of depression with complementary therapies. Systematic literature searches were performed using several databases, reference list searching, and inquiry to colleagues. Data extraction followed a predefined protocol. The amount of rigorous scientific data to support the efficacy of complementary therapies in the treatment of depression is extremely limited. The areas with the most evidence for beneficial effects are exercise, herbal therapy (Hypericum perforatum), and, to a lesser extent, acupuncture and relaxation therapies. There is a need for further research involving randomized controlled trials into the efficacy of complementary and alternative therapies in the treatment of depression.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1998

Efficacy of homeopathic arnica: a systematic review of placebo-controlled clinical trials.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of homeopathic remedies has remained controversial. The homeopathic remedy most frequently studied in placebo-controlled clinical trials is Arnica montana. OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the clinical efficacy of homeopathic arnica. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Computerized literature searches were performed to retrieve all placebo-controlled studies on the subject. The following databases were searched: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CISCOM, and the Cochrane Library. Data were extracted in a predefined, standardized fashion independently by both authors. There were no restrictions on the language of publications. RESULTS: Eight trials fulfilled all inclusion criteria. Most related to conditions associated with tissue trauma. Most of these studies were burdened with severe methodological flaws. On balance, they do not suggest that homeopathic arnica is more efficacious than placebo. CONCLUSION: The claim that homeopathic arnica is efficacious beyond a placebo effect is not supported by rigorous clinical trials.

Arnica↗
PubMed1998

Usage of complementary therapies in rheumatology: a systematic review.

Complementary medicine (CM) is more popular than ever before. Rheumatology patients seem particularly keen to try CM. In this paper, surveys on rheumatology patients' use of CM are reviewed. The issues of perceived effectiveness, safety and costs are also addressed. In addition surveys of doctors' attitudes towards CM in rheumatology are summarised. Fourteen surveys on patients' use of CM and three on patients' attitudes towards CM were found and analysed. The results imply that the prevalence of CM varies between 30% and nearly 100%. Overall, patients perceive CM as being moderately effective. The survey contains only few data on adverse events of CM as perceived by these patients; collectively they suggest that adverse events are uncommon. Data on costs are similarly sparse; they imply that expenditure for CM is rarely high. Physicians seem to be more sceptical about CM than are their patients. It is concluded that, on average, CM is frequently used by rheumatology patients. The patients' level of satisfaction with CM is often considerable and few adverse effects are being reported. On the basis of these findings, a rigorous investigation of the effectiveness, safety and costs of CM in rheumatology seems desirable.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗