Is naturopathy as effective as conventional therapy for treatment of menopausal symptoms?
GROUND: Although the use of alternative medicine in the United States is increasing, no published studies have documented the effectiveness of naturopathy for treatment of menopausal symptoms compared to women receiving conventional therapy in the clinical setting. OBJECTIVE: To compare naturopathic therapy with conventional medical therapy for treatment of selected menopausal symptoms. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study, using abstracted data from medical charts. SETTING: One natural medicine and six conventional medical clinics at Community Health Centers of King County, Washington, from November 1, 1996, through July 31, 1998. PATIENTS: Women aged 40 years of age or more with a diagnosis of menopausal symptoms documented by a naturopathic or conventional physician. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Improvement in selected menopausal symptoms. RESULTS: In univariate analyses, patients treated with naturopathy for menopausal symptoms reported higher monthly incomes ($1848.00 versus $853.60), w
