The evidence base for CAM using the examples of back pain and anxiety
| Therapy | Back pain | Anxiety |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence based on systematic reviews summarised in Ernst et al.32 | ||
| Acupuncture | Substantial amount of RCTs, overall result tentatively positive | Insufficient data |
| Aromatherapy | Insufficient data | Several RCTs, overall result tentatively positive |
| Autogenic training | Insufficient data | Several RCTs, overall result tentatively positive |
| Biofeedback | Insufficient data | Several RCTs, overall result not clear |
| Herbal medicine | Devil's claw: few RCTs, overall result positive | Kava: satisfactory amount of RCTs, overall result positive |
| Homoeopathy | Insufficient data | Insufficient data |
| Hypnotherapy | Insufficient data | Insufficient data |
| Massage | Few RCTs, overall result tentatively positive | Few RCTs, overall result tentatively positive |
| Meditation | Insufficient data | Several RCTs, overall result positive |
| Relaxation | Insufficient data | Several RCTs, overall result positive |
| Spinal manipulation | Substantial amount of RCTs, overall tentatively positive for acute back pain and less clear for chronic back pain | Few RCTs, overall result negative |
| Spiritual healing | Insufficient data | Insufficient data |