[Complementary medicine--the facts]

The popularity of complementary medicine in the western world continues to grow. Complementary medicine has a wide scope of topics including acupuncture, hypnosis, meditation, chiropractic manipulation, tai chi, yoga, botanical and herbal supplements and many other undefined modalities such as copper bracelets, magnets, holy water etc. For most modalities the mechanism of action is unknown and the evidence of benefit is poor. Some modalities such as acupuncture, hypnosis and tai chi may improve pain and other subjective complains. It seems that most of the beneficial effects of complementary medicine are placebo effects. Complementary treatment may be associated with side effects and should not be an alternative to the conventional medicine. Complementary medicine can be used as an adjunct to the conventional medicine and should be used in full agreement with and under the supervision of the attending physician. Patients should be informed about the existing evidence and what to expect from complementary medicine. Further meticulous research should be conducted to expand our knowledge in complementary medicine.