Uncovering suspected adverse effects of complementary and alternative medicine

Abstract

Reports of adverse effects (AEs) of complementary and alternative medicine are frequently dismissed by proponents as being either vanishingly rare occurrences or mere anecdotes. To investigate this, reports of suspected AEs were solicited (a) from 1521 general practitioners (GPs) in England and (b) from members of the general public. 686 of GPs responded (45%) to a postal survey: 37% of respondents gave a total of 291 reports of non‐serious AEs. Serious suspected AEs were reported by 78 GPs (11% of respondents) in 96 separate reports. Of these, 28 cases were serious direct AEs of the manipulative therapies – mostly manipulation of the spine – and 21 were serious indirect AEs involving misadvice/misdiagnosis by homoeopaths. Analysis of 121 AE reports from the general public revealed that 32 people had consulted a doctor for their AE and that 7 serious cases (6 involving AEs to manipulation and 1 to acupuncture) could be confirmed from the medical records. Thus, there is evidence that serious adverse effects can occur and that their incidence may be higher than previously assumed. Complementary therapies, like other health care interventions, should not be assumed to be risk‐free.