Objective. To determine the prevalence of herbal treatment of allergic rhinitis. Methods. In this prospective study, patients who were diagnosed with perennial allergic rhinitis were questioned about their use of natural products/herbal therapies for their symptoms. Results. In total, 230 patients were enrolled. Overall, 37.3% of the patients stated that they had used natural products/herbal th...

IN 1992, WITH AN INITIAL BUDGET OF $2 MILLION, Congress created the Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM). Based on legislation sponsored by Iowa politicians Tom Harkin and Berkeley Bedell, OAM’s mission was “to explore complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science.” Senator Harkin reportedly believed that bee pollen had cured his hay fever, and Representativ...

BACKGROUND The use of complementary and alternative therapies by children with cancer is common. Up to 84% of children have used complementary therapies along with conventional medical treatment for cancer. METHODS We reviewed the PubMed and CINAHL databases for studies published between 1994 and 2004 on the use of complementary and alternative therapies by children with cancer and reports fr...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Complementary and alternative medical therapies include herbs, acupuncture, and mind-body therapies. This review highlights the findings of recently published studies of complementary and alternative medical therapies and epilepsy, and provides an update of the US Food and Drug Administration's role in regulating herbal products. RECENT FINDINGS Complementary and alternative...