alternative medicine

Crowdfunding campaigns have raised millions of dollars for treatments of questionable efficacy, two studies published recently say.

Health & Safety

Crowdfunding Drives Funds And Attention Toward Questionable Medical Treatments

3:42pm January 02, 2019

by Rachel D. Cohen

Many Americans turn to crowdfunding to pay for medical care. But sometimes the money covers unproven treatments. Should crowdfunding companies be held accountable for spreading false hopes?

The Food and Drug Administration plans to take action against risky homeopathic remedies under a policy unveiled Monday.

Food And Drug Administration Plans Crackdown On Risky Homeopathic Remedies

11:26pm December 18, 2017

by Rob Stein

FDA says homeopathy has grown into a $3 billion industry with treatments being sold for conditions ranging from the common cold to cancer. The agency will prioritize action against unsafe products.

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Author Susannah Meadows sought alternative treatments for her son when traditional treatments failed.

A Child's Suffering Drives A Mother To Seek Untested Treatments

2:48pm May 02, 2017

by Heather Won Tesoriero

When medication wasn't relieving her 3-year-old son's juvenile arthritis, Susannah Meadows started investigating non-medical treatments like diet and supplements.

Drugstore shelves carry medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration as well as unregulated supplements and homeopathic remedies.

Time For Homeopathic Remedies To Prove That They Work?

10:49am December 02, 2016

by Erin Ross

The Federal Trade Commission told purveyors of homeopathic remedies that they have to say there's no scientific evidence that these nostrums actually work. The question is, will fans care?

Michael Phelps shows signs of cupping on his way to another gold medal in Rio de Janeiro.

Athletes Go For Gold With Red Spots Blazing

6:11pm August 08, 2016

by Carolyn Beans

There's scant science to support the ancient Eastern therapy of cupping. But that hasn't stopped Olympians from trying it to ease pain and speed recovery.

Pastoral Medicine Credentials Raise Questions In Texas

8:22am April 25, 2016

by Lauren Silverman

They're called doctors of pastoral medicine and tout certificates to prove it. But they don't have real medical degrees, and critics worry that patients don't understand what those titles really mean.

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Dr. Alexis LaPietra (left) and Dr. Mark Rosenberg have developed a program that tries to treat emergency room patients' pain without using opioids, which pose fatal risks.

Health & Safety

No Joke: N.J. Hospital Uses Laughing Gas To Cut Down On Opioid Use

6:06am April 02, 2016

by Hansi Lo Wang

Physicians at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center say they hope treating ER patients with alternatives to opioid painkillers will serve as a model for cutting down on opioid abuse nationwide.

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Better keep that window open, lady. There aren't many effective options for reducing hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause.

Sad To Say, Most Remedies For Hot Flashes Fizzle

3:22pm September 24, 2015

by Patti Neighmond

Women have precious few choices when it comes to treating menopause symptoms, an expert panel says. Cognitive behavioral therapy and hypnosis top the list.

Pills are made from dehydrated placenta.

Placenta Pills Gain Fans Among New Moms, But Benefits Are Elusive

4:13pm June 05, 2015

by Tara Haelle

If Kourtney Kardashian and Mayim Bialik do it, is it good for you? Pills made from a woman's placenta are being promoted for postpartum depression. But there's no evidence they help, a review finds.

A December celebration launching a partnership between members of the Garifuna community and a doctor in New York. The collaboration is aimed at reducing the HIV infection rate among the Garifuna.

An Unlikely Alliance Fights HIV In The Bronx's Afro-Honduran Diaspora

3:15pm February 06, 2015

by Alexandra Starr

Thousands of Garifuna people — Hondurans of African descent — live in New York City. A doctor there is reaching out to Garifuna faith healers to test and treat members of that community who have HIV.

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