PubMed · 11527021
The source did not provide an abstract. Follow the original record for more information.
Explore connections, maps & timelines
L D Lutter. 2001. Arbor marking.. https://doi.org/10.1177/107110070102200801
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.
KEEP EXPLORING
BACKGROUND: Complementary therapies are widespread but controversial. We aim to provide a comprehensive collection and a summary of systematic reviews of clinical trials in three major complementary therapies (acupuncture, herbal medicine, homeopathy). This article is dealing with herbal medicine. Potentially relevant reviews were searched through the register of the Cochrane Complementary Medicine Field, the Cochrane Library, Medline, and bibliographies of articles and books. To be included articles had to review prospective clinical trials of herbal medicines; had to describe review methods explicitly; had to be published; and had to focus on treatment effects. Information on conditions, interventions, methods, results and conclusions was extracted using a pre-tested form and summarized descriptively. RESULTS: From a total of 79 potentially relevant reviews pre-selected in the screening process 58 met the inclusion criteria. Thirty of the reports reviewed ginkgo (for dementia, intermittent claudication, tinnitus, and macular degeneration), hypericum (for depression) or garlic preparations (for cardiovascular risk factors and lower limb atherosclerosis). The quality of primary studies was criticized in the majority of the reviews. Most reviews judged the available evidence as promising but definitive conclusions were rarely possible. CONCLUSIONS: Systematic reviews are available on a broad range of herbal preparations prescribed for defined conditions. There is very little evidence on the effectiveness of herbalism as practised by specialist herbalists who combine herbs and use unconventional diagnosis.
This ninth article in the series looks at the management of respiratory conditions, a traditional indication for herbs. Many symptomatic managements remain part of our treatment today, sometimes with remarkably little evidence of effect. The explosion in incidence of asthma has, as in any chronic condition, provided a new area where alternative treatment is increasingly considered by patients. Treatments have been even less well researched than in other areas of herbal medicine, and the potential for abuse and toxicity remains a concern.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.