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Lunch » Tags » Websites » Reviews » The National Center for Complementary Medicine of the National Institutes of Health- How to Access and The Benefits by Dr. Joseph S. Maresca

The National Center for Complementary Medicine of the National Institutes of Health- How to Access and The Benefits by Dr. Joseph S. Maresca

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How to Access Benefits of the NCCM of the National Institutes of Health

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Access Benefits of the NCCM of the National Institutes of Health

Oct 4, 2011

by JSMaresca
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More

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The National Center for Complementary Medicine (NCCM)
of the National Institutes of Health - How to Access and Benefits
By Dr. Joseph S. Maresca

This article was written to help the public locate the National Center for Complementary
Medicine and understand its purpose, funding and scientific research findings. The NCCM
is a wing of the National Institutes of Health. Their contact number is: Toll Free: 1-888-644-6226

The basic mission is to develop meaningful complementary medicine protocols that have
been subjected to uniform scientific testing in cooperation with the National Institutes of Health.
Some highlights of this article include research centers, scientific research areas and protocols
and actual expert panel members.

Dr. Josephine Briggs MD and Director wrote an article "The Continuing Debate".
The article is reproduced on the NCCM website and excerpts are shown below .

The most common health problem for which people turn to complementary and alternative approaches
is chronic pain. Pharmacological management of chronic pain, while important, has hazards.
Evidence is showing, based on carefully controlled studies, that there is promise in certain complementary
treatments as adjuncts to conventional pain management. For example, the pain of osteoarthritis
may be relieved by acupuncture; tai chi has been found to be helpful in reducing the pain of fibromyalgia;
and massage and manipulative therapies can contribute to the relief of chronic back pain.

Some critics dismiss the benefits from these interventions as placebo effects, but I agree with
Freedman’s Atlantic commentary that the term ‘placebo’ can distract us from more important issues.
As Freedman notes, the time, attention, and reassurance given by alternative medicine practitioners
almost certainly contributes to any benefit from the therapy. The research supports this.
With acupuncture, for example, a number of studies have shown clear benefit for pain management
when compared to conventional care, but only marginal benefit when the control group receives equal
attention from a health care provider and a sham intervention that looks and feels like acupuncture.
Should we dismiss this as a 'placebo' or acknowledge this source of benefit for patients?
A difficult question for which there will not be a single answer.

The goal of NCCAM’s research is to ensure the development of a strong, objective evidence base
that offers patients, providers, and health policymakers with the information they need to make
informed decisions. This knowledge is vital, given the widespread and frequent self-care use of
complementary and alternative medicine.

As Freedman describes, the benefits being observed with complementary and alternative
therapies may yield important lessons for our health care system: the time, attention,
and reassuring touch traditionally provided by caring health care providers is in short
supply and is a highly important commodity .

Key Elements of Future Botanical Research Centers are set forth below.

o High-impact theme
o Studies of basic mechanisms and human health, with a high level of translational interaction between the two
o Innovative technology
o Emphasis on quality assurance/quality control
http://nccam.nih.gov/training/centers/bot_research.htm#summary

The purpose of the Division of Intramural Research is as follows :

o Conducts clinical, translational, and basic research of the efficacy, safety, and mechanisms of action    of diverse complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities

o Facilitates integration of effective CAM and conventional practices into the interdisciplinary health care system at the NIH Clinical Center, located in Bethesda, Maryland

o Fosters development of research and training curricula that include information about safe and effective CAM and conventional practices

Examples of research are:
http://nccam.nih.gov/training/centers/bot_research.htm#summary

Translational research projects in botanical centers should test the relevance of
specific botanicals or mixtures of botanicals for human health or determine the
biological basis of an observation made in the clinic or a population. Whether
"bench to bedside" or "bedside to bench," translational research projects in botanical
research centers should be designed to achieve definitive goals within the five-year period
of the award. Examples of translational research appropriate for botanical research
centers might include:

    o Conducting Phase I-II trials of red clover for menopausal symptoms
    o Studying the mechanism of action for the protective effects of green tea
    o Determining the neuroprotective effects of grape polyphenols
    o Comparing the effects of moderate and high doses of soy isoflavones on prostate cancer
    o Studying the mechanism of action for the anti-inflammatory effects of turmeric
    o Examining the mechanisms of action of Chinese medicine herbs in prostate cancer, administered singly and in combination

Examples of NCCM Research Institutes , their purpose, function and location are set forth below.

Botanical Dietary Supplements for Women's Health    Botanicals    Centers for Dietary Supplements Research: Botanicals     Illinois

Botanical Estrogens: Mechanisms, Dose and Target Tissues    Botanicals    Centers for Dietary Supplements Research:        Illinois

Botanicals and Metabolic Syndrome    Botanicals    Centers for Dietary Supplements Research: Botanicals                       Louisiana

CAM as Countermeasures Against Infectious and Inflammatory Disease    Botanicals    Centers of Research on CAM    Montana

Center for Arthritis and Traditional Chinese Medicine    Traditional Chinese Medicine    Centers of Excellence for Research on CAM    Maryland

Center for Botanical Interaction Studies    Botanicals    Centers for Dietary Supplements Research: Botanicals                      Missouri

Center for CAM Research on Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases    Botanicals    Centers for Research on CAM                   South Carolina

Center for Herbal Research on Colorectal Cancer    Botanicals    Centers of Excellence for Research on CAM                                    Illinois

Center for Mechanisms Underlying Millimeter Wave Therapy    Energy Medicine    Centers of Excellence Research CAM    Pennsylvania

Center for Phytomedicine Research    Botanicals    Centers for Dietary Supplements Research: Botanicals                     Arizona

Center of Excellence for Research on CAM Antioxidant Therapies    Antioxidants    Centers of Excellence for Research on CAM    Oregon

Complementary/Alternative Medicine: Expectancy and Outcome    Mind_Body    Developmental Centers for Research CAM     Oregon

Developmental Center for Clinical and Translational Science    Chiropractic    Developmental Centers for Research on CAM    Iowa

Functional Bowel Disorders in Chinese Medicine    Traditional Chinese Medicine    International Centers for Research on CAM    Massachusetts

Mechanisms and Effects of Chiropractic Manipulation    Chiropractic    Developmental Centers for Research on CAM    Iowa, Kansas, New York

Mechanisms of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine    Osteopathy    Developmental Centers for Research on CAM                    Arizona, Texas

Metabolic and Immunologic Effects of Meditation    Mind_Body    Centers of Excellence for Research on CAM                                    California

Neuroimaging Acupuncture Effects on Human Brain Activity    Acupuncture    Centers of Excellence for Research on CAM       Massachusetts

Protective Roles of Grape-Derived Polyphenols in Alzheimer's Disease    Botanicals    Centers of Excellence for Research on CAM    New York

The International Center for Indigenous Phytotherapy Studies: HIV/AIDS, Secondary Infections and Immune Modulation    Botanicals
International Centers for Research on CAM                                                                                                                                                                    Missouri

The Wake Forest and Harvard Center for Botanical Lipids    Botanicals    Centers for Dietary Supplements Research:        North Carolina

Trametes Versicolor-Induced Immunopotentiation    Botanicals    Developmental Centers Research on CAM                   Minnesota, Washington

UCLA Center for Excellence in Pancreatic Diseases    Botanicals    Centers of Excellence for Research on CAM                        California

Wisconsin Center for the Neuroscience and Psychophysiology of Meditation    Mind_Body    Centers of   Research on CAM    Wisconsin

Expert Panel Members on NCCM Projects include:

Panel Members

Bernard Goldstein, M.D., Chair
Dean
Graduate School of Public Health
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Daniel L. Azarnoff, M.D.
DL Azarnoff Associates
San Francisco, California

Yung-Chi (Tommy) Cheng, Ph.D.
Henry Bronson Professor
Department of Pharmacology
Yale University School of Medicine
New Haven, Connecticut

Shuk-Mei (May) Ho, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Cell Biology and Surgery
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Worcester, Massachusetts

Ted Kaptchuk, O.M.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine
HMS-Osher Institute
Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts

Brian W. Kimes, Ph.D.
Director
Office of Centers, Training, and Resources
National Cancer Institute
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland

Janet C. King, Ph.D.
Scientist
Children's Hospital and Research Center at Oakland
Oakland, California

Steve Kliewer, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Molecular Biology
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, Texas

Kuo-Hsiung Lee, Ph.D.
Kenan Professor
Director, Natural Products Laboratory
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, School of Pharmacy
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Martin Philbert, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Environmental Health Sciences
University of Michigan School of Public Health
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Guests

Connie M. Weaver, Ph.D.
Director
Purdue-UAB Botanical Research Center
Distinguished Professor and Head
Department of Foods and Nutrition
Purdue University
West Lafayette, Indiana
ODS Staff

Joseph Betz, Ph.D.
Program Director for Dietary Supplements Methods and Reference Materials
Office of Dietary Supplements
Office of the Director
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland

Paul Coates, Ph.D.
Director
Office of Dietary Supplements
Office of the Director
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland

Mary Frances Picciano, Ph.D.
Senior Nutrition Research Scientist
Program Director for Training and Career Development
Office of Dietary Supplements
Office of the Director
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland

Christine Swanson, Ph.D.
Program Director for Dietary Supplement Research Centers
Office of Dietary Supplements
Office of the Director
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland
NCCAM Staff

Margaret Chesney, Ph.D.
Deputy Director
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland

Martin Goldrosen, Ph.D.
Director
Office of Scientific Review
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland

Marguerite Klein, M.S., R.D.
Program Officer
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland

Richard Nahin, Ph.D, M.P.H.
Senior Advisor for Scientific
Coordination and Outreach
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland

Stephen Straus, M.D.
Director
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland

Jennifer Sutton, M.S.
Evaluation Officer
Office of Science Policy and Operations
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland
NIEHS Staff

Michael E. McClure, Ph.D.
Chief
Organs and Systems Toxicology Branch
Division of Extramural Research and Training
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
National Institutes of Health
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina