Article type
Year
Abstract
Background: Recently, there is an ongoing discussion about evidencebased medicine in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) including oriental medicine. Following the current trend, systematic reviews with the highest quality of evidence are largely published in CAM field.
Objectives: This study aims to investigate the existing evidence of CAM and research methods by examining systematic reviews of stroke, which is one of the most important issue in the practice of oriental medicine.
Methods: We investigated the previously published systematic reviews of stroke rehabilitation in CAM. We selected articles according to the inclusion/exclusion criteria discussed in advance. Also, we examined the characteristics and analyzed the quality of studies.
Results: Finally, 29 studies with high quality were selected in total. Most studies dealt with randomized controlled trials. There were 13 studies of herbal medicine, and 12 studies of acupuncture/moxibustion. In the most of included studies, the evidence is plagued by important limitations of selected studies such as the poor quality, small size, and lack of data. Also, most studies concluded that a large scale of well designed study is necessary.
Conclusions: Further research using proper methods should be carried out in order to produce high quality of evidence in CAM including oriental medicine. In addition, the result of this study will contribute to set the direction of future research of stroke rehabilitation in the CAM field.
Objectives: This study aims to investigate the existing evidence of CAM and research methods by examining systematic reviews of stroke, which is one of the most important issue in the practice of oriental medicine.
Methods: We investigated the previously published systematic reviews of stroke rehabilitation in CAM. We selected articles according to the inclusion/exclusion criteria discussed in advance. Also, we examined the characteristics and analyzed the quality of studies.
Results: Finally, 29 studies with high quality were selected in total. Most studies dealt with randomized controlled trials. There were 13 studies of herbal medicine, and 12 studies of acupuncture/moxibustion. In the most of included studies, the evidence is plagued by important limitations of selected studies such as the poor quality, small size, and lack of data. Also, most studies concluded that a large scale of well designed study is necessary.
Conclusions: Further research using proper methods should be carried out in order to produce high quality of evidence in CAM including oriental medicine. In addition, the result of this study will contribute to set the direction of future research of stroke rehabilitation in the CAM field.