Complementary and alternative medical
practices are flourishing despite the current fast pace of
scientific research and discovery. Traditional practices
combine with newer philosophies to make up the vast
spectrum that constitute this phenomenon. To describe homeopathy and acupuncture,
proposed mechanisms of action, present scientific
research to prove or disprove their efficacy and discuss
safety issues. Studies, reviews and meta-analyses
dealing with this subject were researched from various
publications to present evidence for or against the efficacy
of complementary and alternative medicine. Recent rigorous studies on acupuncture and
homeopathy show no results beyond what is attributable
to placebo effect. Complementary and alternative medical
practices should be researched for efficacy and safety
by the same standards used in conventional medicine.peer-reviewe
