Treating Nerves: From Anecdote to Systematic Review

Moving from anecdote to evidence.

Cupping for Treating Pain: A Systematic Review

The objective of this study was to assess the evidence for or against the effectiveness of cupping as a treatment option for pain. Fourteen databases were searched. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) testing cupping in patients with pain of any origin were considered. Trials using cupping with or without drawing blood were included, while trials comparing cupping with other treatments of unprove...

Cognition and cannabis: from anecdote to advanced technology.

Whether the use of cannabis causes lasting cognitive or behavioural alteration has been controversial for decades. Studies addressing the problem have often been confounded by failure to account for residual acute effects or withdrawal and by failure to measure cognitive function before drug use. Investigative strategies have included neuropsychological testing, brain activation during cognitiv...

Who needs chest physiotherapy? Moving from anecdote to evidence.

At the beginning of this century, paediatrics was an art. Skills were learnt from a mentor, picking up tips and anecdotes while standing at your master’s side. Now, as practitioners of child health in the final years of this same century, life has changed. Anecdote and word of mouth have lost credibility and are replaced by scientific scrutiny and the rigour of evidence from carefully controlle...

Treating lower limb muscle cramps: a Cochrane systematic review

Background Muscle cramps affect approximately 1 in 3 people in the general community each year. Many interventions are available for lower limb cramps, but not all are efficacious or supported by evidence. Many treatments are controversial, no treatment guidelines exist, and many people experience no benefit from the interventions prescribed. In clinical trials, no drug treatment for cramps has...