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oa Editorial
- Source: Current Rheumatology Reviews, Volume 5, Issue 4, Nov 2009, p. 186 - 186
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- 01 Nov 2009
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Abstract
Not a day goes by, in my practice, without a patient asking me about a nutritional supplement or an alternative medical therapy in the treatment of their rheumatic diseases. Several published studies have shown that a majority of rheumatic disease patients use alternative therapies in their treatment regimen. As rheumatologists, we deal with patients who have chronic conditions, often painful, and our therapies seldom completely address their pain completely or sometimes even cause significant side effects. Additionally, as sufferers of chronic diseases, our patients live with a reality that something could go wrong at any time. They seek solace and comfort from their physicians in helping them deal with their problems. Unfortunately, due to the immense pressures of time, economy and academic commitments, we as physicians are not able to provide this comfort to the patients in a meaningful or consistent way. It is in this space that a whole industry of alternative therapies has been established and currently flourishes. However, as advocates for our patients, it is important for us to be able to guide our patients to those therapies that work and steer them away from those that may harm them. As our patients have become more sophisticated in their use of the internet, so has their exposure to a wide variety of claims, often times dubious, about great cures for their chronic conditions. Thus, it is important for our field to investigate those alternative therapies and non-pharmacologic treatments that have merit. It is also important for us to acknowledge those therapies which have some merit when examined scientifically. In this current issue of the journal, we have two outstanding guest editors who have helped synthesize the current state of knowledge in specific topics that fall under the purview of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Dr. Jiman He and colleagues provide evidence based systematic reviews and meta-analysis of exercise and complementary and alternative therapies for rheumatic conditions. Dr. Masuko and his colleagues present reviews of the current state of knowledge about nutritional substances and their relationship to arthritis. These articles are important reading for rheumatologists as they give us a sense of the current state of the field and allow us to answer the questions our patients have in a meaningful manner that is based on science.