If the only standard we apply is evidence-based medicine, or standard-of-practice medicine, or FDA-approved medicine, not only will we fall short of fulfilling our charge, but we will miss clinical opportunities which could well transform how we

manage disease. And perhaps more importantly, we do a disservice to our patients when we do not explore every avenue open to them. Every one of the medicines (for want of a better word) that AG is taking has some basis in the treatment of headache in one or another medical system.[4] Some have an evidence-based rationale, PLX4032 while others have a historical rationale dating back thousands of years. Some are based on a Western diagnosis such as migraine without aura, while others are based on a classical Chinese medicine diagnosis of cool, damp headache, or an Ayurvedic diagnosis headache due to too much pitta dosha (see Dr. Gokani’s accompanying explanation). A couple trace back to traditional American folk treatments. It is not reasonable, practical, or perhaps even appropriate for Western physicians to be skilled in classical Chinese, Ayurvedic

and homeopathic medicine. But an awareness of the reality that other medical systems exist, check details and perhaps more importantly, are practiced by our patients, is critical to our ability to properly care for patients. When these differing approaches conflict or complement each other, shouldn’t we broaden our knowledge base to allow for 上海皓元医药股份有限公司 interaction? That this is not

the current practice is evidenced by the fact that more than 50% of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) users do not discuss their CAM activities with their health care provider.[2] Contrast this with data indicating that less than 20% of headache specialists routinely use CAM in their practice, while more than 90% ask their patients if they presently or in the past have tried CAM approaches for their headaches.[3] What we have here is a failure to communicate. If we are to find a common ground for treating patients utilizing varied and disparate medical systems, a common vocabulary must be established. The National Institutes of Health have proposed, through the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, some definitions. CAM is defined as a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products not generally considered part of conventional medicine.