Evidence - based CAM: Where does it stand?

Abstract

In the past 10 years evidence - based medicine (EBM) has developed well in all aspects of allopathic medicine giving a new dimension to patient care including cost reduction and attention to medical ethics. With the public and medical community return to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the last two decades there has been a call for evidence - based CAM … in the same way that allopathic medicine has handled EBM … but is this approach easily applicable to CAM noting the different CAM therapies and some of its practices which do not lend them selves to known scientific concepts. Few CAM therapies can be incorporated into EBM in the same way that allopathic medicine can this includes herbal medicine nutritional health and to some extent puncture. Furthermore, while many CAM practices can not be easily digested by what we call (EBCAM) yet this is requested by consumers. In this paper we will present and discuss all aspects that are rejected by modern medicine so that consumers can find a care in both directions giving priority to safety and effectiveness.