Alternative medicine

Chapter 1. Does alternative medicine work?

Homeopathic medicine is effective / Dana Ullman

Homeopathic medicine is ineffective / Edzard Ernst

Sham acupuncture's effectiveness casts doubt on the efficacy of real acupuncture / Ted Burnham

Acupuncture is effective despite research showing that sham acupuncture is helpful / John Amaro

Chelation therapy is a safe and effective treatment for many conditions / Elmer M. Cranton

Chelation therapy is dangerous and ineffective for treating most health problems / Saul Green

Chapter 2. Why is alternative medicine popular?

Politics and culture contribute to alternative medicine's popularity / Rahul Parikh

The popularity of alternative medicine is exaggerated / Brennen McKenzie

The prevalence of complementary treatments reflects frustration with traditional medicine / Lauren Cox

Celebrities influence public interest in alternative treatments that can be detrimental / Liz Szabo

Chapter 3. Can alternative and conventional medicine work together?

The need for improvements in health care highlights the advantages of integrative medicine / Donald Berwick (and Andrea M. Schultz, Samantha M. Chao, J. Michael McGinnis)

A complementary medical treatment approach can lower health care costs / Kathleen Koster

A complementary approach to medicine helps patients and is scientifically sound / David Katz

Complementary medicine is scientifically unsound and only increases provider profits / Ben Kavoussi

Doctors can and should regularly use ethically prescribed placebo treatments / Steve Silberman

Placebo treatment can have harmful as well as beneficial effects / Eliezer Sobel

Chapter 4. How should government research and regulate alternative medicine?

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine should be funded / National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine should not be funded / David Gorski

The value of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is unclear / David Brown

Expanding labeling requirements would better inform consumers about safe supplement use / The Office of Senator Dick Durbin

Expanding labeling requirements for dietary supplements would punish consumers and manufacturers / Hank Schultz and Todd Runestad.