complementary and alternative medicine in clinical practice...

Advance Access Publication 20 June 2006 eCAM 2006;3(4)549–550

doi:10.1093/ecam/nel039

Congress Report

Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Clinical Practice.Complementary and Allopathic Medicine: The Hospitalas a Place of Possible Integration

December 2–3, 2005, Conference Room, S. Carlo Borromeo Hospital, Milan

Francesco Marotta

Hepato-Gastroenterology Unit, S. Giuseppe Hospital, Milano, Italy

This congress was organized by the Psycho-Somatic Medicine

outpatient clinic of S. Carlo Borromeo’s Hospital in Milan, and

S.I.R.I.U.M. (International Society for Research, Integration

and Humanization in Medicine) to promote knowledge about

CAM within S. Carlo Borromeo Hospital and other health

centers.

CAM was introduced in Lombardia with a regional council

resolution in 2000. In his opening speech, Dr Umberto

Fazzone (General Manager of Direzione Famiglia e Solidarieta

Sociale, Lombardia’s Regional Council) recounted the stages

of the resolution and reported the progress of the past 5 years.

The first step was the observation and evaluation of CAM

techniques, informing how some projects for observational

trials were drafted through Lombardia’s health and social net,

to arrive at a characterization of all CAM modalities such as

Acupuncture, Phytotherapy, Ayurvedic medicine, Anthropo-

sophic medicine, Homeopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine,

Homotoxicology, Osteopathy and Chiropractic medicine.

At present, after observational trials were approved in 2000

(99, 42 ended), 126 have been deemed eligible to receive

support loans from the Regional Council to conduct clinical

trials as provided in the 2003 resolution.

Next, there was a discussion by the members of the Clinic

of Psycho-Somatic Medicine: Dr Luisa Merati (Chief of the

Centre) explained the kinds of CAM they practiced (Hypno-

sis therapy, Homeopathy, Homotoxicology, Bach Flower

therapy, Acupuncture, Reflex therapy and Reiki); she also

expounded the results of an observational trial: ‘Hypnosis as

a CAM practice for tabagism and obesity’. Dr Flavia

Barbagelata (Hypnotist, Allergologist) introduced hypnosis

in allergology as an integrated therapy at Complementary

Medicine Practice (CMP); at the end Dr Barbara Mantellini

(Psychosomathist, Homeopathy) explained the final results of

an Observational trial about the use of homeopathy to treat

headache.

The speakers from S. Carlo Borromeo’s Hospital are as

follows: Dr Giuseppe Cammarano (Health Chief) discussed

Ethical Committee’s rule toward CAM. Dr Maurizio Poli

(Chief of the Department of Internal Medicine I) discussed

his experience in a department of internal medicine with a

CMP. Dr Damiano Abbate (Acupuncture) put forward his

experience at the Pain Centre; Dr Alberto Vignati (Gynecolo-

gist) showed the trial results using acupuncture in footing

presentation; Dr Antonino Lania (Physiatrist) discussed anal-

gesic homeo-mesotherapy. Dr Donatella Noe (Nutritionist)

introduced the features of personalized nutritional therapy;

Dr Antonino Giordano (Nephrologist, Homeopathy) discussed

about the introduction of homeopathy/homotoxicology in a

department of nephrology. Dr Elena Gandini (Anaesthetist,

Hypnotist, Homeopathy) in her speech proposed an integration

between homotoxicology and Bach Flower therapy;

Dr Manuela Posca (Internist) compared Western semiotics

and Traditional Chinese Medical semiotics; Dr Patrizio

Piacentini (Hospital’s Chemist) examined the cost of CAM’s

drugs; and at the end, Dr Piero Vigorelli (Psychiatrist)

discussed speech therapy for Alzheimer’s disease.

Among the non-resident speakers, Prof. Emilio

Minelli (Homeopathy, Acupuncture, University of Milan,

S.I.R.I.U.M.’s President) discussed acupuncture education at

the University. Dr Leonello Milani (Homotoxicology, Homeo-

pathy, AIOT’s Vice-President, Milan) explored the historical

For reprints and all correspondence: Francesco Marotta, Consultant inGastroenterology, Consulting Professor of Nutraceutics, WHO-Centre for Nat.Med & Biotechnology, University of Milano and of Biogerontology, UrologyDepartment, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy. E-mail: [email protected]

� The Author (2006). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

The online version of this article has been published under an open access model. Users are entitled to use, reproduce, disseminate, or display the open accessversion of this article for non-commercial purposes provided that: the original authorship is properly and fully attributed; the Journal and Oxford University Pressare attributed as the original place of publication with the correct citation details given; if an article is subsequently reproduced or disseminated not in its entiretybut only in part or as a derivative work this must be clearly indicated. For commercial re-use, please contact [email protected]

and methodological pathways of clinical-experimental trials,

underscoring how it was possible to demonstrate the thera-

peutic effects of homeopathic drugs. Dr Alberto Laffranchi

(Radiologist, Homeopathy, National Institute for Research

and Treatment of Cancer, Milan) discussed the results of a

trial employing homeopathic drugs against radiotherapy

complications; Dr Maurizio Italiano (Homeopathy, Dulcamara

School, Genoa, Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital) brought

his experience in one of the most important homeopathic

hospitals, the Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital. Dr Mauro

Saruggia (Homeopathy, S. Gerardo hospital, Monza)

explained a hypothesis about how ultra-high doses work in a

trial on thermo luminescence. Prof. Francesco Marotta

(Gastroenterologist) and Dr Aldo Lorenzetti (Hepatologist)

discussed new promising areas where such biotherapeutic

approaches may be a better way to treat chronic diseases

such as inflammatory bowel diseases, chronic arthritis and

liver disease. This would be true for subclinical disorders,

aggravating factors and for aging itself. Prof. Emilio Del

Giudice (Physicist) introduced the connections between

physics and medicine and possible ultramolecular interactions

of homeopathic drug action.

Dr Mara Ramploud (CAM commission at Ordine dei

Medici, Milan, S.I.R.I.U.M.’s national secretary) ended the

congress with remarks on the integration of complementary

and allopathic medicine. Although the weather conditions

were bad, with snow on Friday evening, the congress enjoyed

much success and the physicians attending it were eagerly

interested in CAM’s diffusion and development. This demon-

strates the necessity of a thorough permeation of CAM at

the hospital level and the possibility of integration with

allopathic care. All the participants agreed that CAM is not in

opposition to allopathic medicine but is an instrument to

empower patients to heal. The meeting concluded with strong

confidence that it would be the first of a series of meetings

to exchange ideas and results of trials.

550 Physician attitudes and knowledge about CAM

Submit your manuscripts athttp://www.hindawi.com

Stem CellsInternational

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttp://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014


MEDIATORSINFLAMMATION

of


Behavioural Neurology

EndocrinologyInternational Journal of



Disease Markers


BioMed Research International

OncologyJournal of



Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity


PPAR Research

The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation http://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014

Immunology ResearchHindawi Publishing Corporationhttp://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014

Journal of

ObesityJournal of



Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine

OphthalmologyJournal of


Diabetes ResearchJournal of



Research and TreatmentAIDS


Gastroenterology Research and Practice


Parkinson’s Disease

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Volume 2014Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttp://www.hindawi.com

complementary and alternative medicine in clinical practice...

Documents