Allergists Need More Familiarity with Complementary and Alternative Medicine, CAM

Study Says Allergists Need More Familiarity with Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) methods utilized by patients with allergic rhinitis has shown some clinical efficacy, but researchers have yet to determine how to incorporate CAM treatment into general methods, according to a study conducted by Dr. Leonard Bielory, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School.

Homeopathy, acupuncture, and holistic and behavioral techniques are some of the more common CAM practices that Bielory, director of the Asthma and Allergy Research Center, mentions as providing a complementary intervention to the standard therapy for allergic rhinitis. Those techniques, however, have not demonstrated the ability to replace existing standard therapy.

The study, titled Complementary Therapy in Allergic Rhinitis, was published in the April 2008 edition of the Current Allergy and Asthma Reports. The study was co-authored by Dr. Elena Resnick and Brett P. Bielory. 

Bielory’s report emphasized the need for medical professionals to become more familiar with the scientific literature related to CAM methods and allergic rhinitis as more patients look to these alternatives for their healing benefits. 

“The popularity of CAM therapies is widely used and only increasing as more of the population is confronted with allergies and its associated symptoms,” said Bielory. “While there is no scientific evidence proving CAM treatment options are more effective, physicians must familiarize themselves with the CAM literature to make appropriate treatment recommendations and establish appropriate guidelines for their use.”

The researchers emphasized that herbal remedies are not regulated in the same manner as other pharmaceutical products in the United States. Herbal mixtures and other substances produced in combination could result in allergic reactions and toxicity, which further indicates the need for oversight.

Dr. Bielory will be speaking at the National Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in March 2009 in Washington DC. He will be joining Dr. Josephine P. Briggs, Director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health.

Source: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ ), 24 July 2008

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