CENTER FOR ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE RESEARCH OF ARTHRITIS

关节炎和相关的肌肉骨骼疾病是残疾的主要原因，补充和替代医学（CAM）干预措施的使用在这些疾病的最严重形式中特别高。虽然在很大程度上未经证实，但这些疗法通常被那些经历最严重疾病的人所寻求，并经常与其他替代或常规治疗相结合。因此，有一个很大的未满足的需要，以评估这些CAM干预措施的安全性，有效性和成本效益的合作环境中，专家在风湿病学，补充医学，流行病学，统计学和卫生服务研究方法，这些问题在科学严谨，多学科的方式。这项申请的主要目的是在巴尔的摩的马里兰州大学建立一个专门的补充和替代医学（CAM）研究中心，重点研究关节炎和相关疾病。替代医学评估和关节炎研究中心（CAMERA）将支持多学科的研究人员团队，并发展机构和区域合作，以开展临床和基础研究，探索针灸治疗膝关节骨关节炎后长期结果的潜在疗效，安全性和成本效益; 2）纤维肌痛的身心疗法的有效性; 3）电针对持续性疼痛和炎症的作用机制和效果;以及4）具有免疫调节特性的草药组合的作用机制。该中心将建立核心资源设施，以支持、监测和评估其研究活动。CAM和关节炎及相关疾病的未来研究将通过以下方式得到鼓励：1）在中心的职业发展和培训计划中培训新的研究人员，2）发展和可行性研究计划，该计划将征求，择优评估和支持创新的试点研究。

Arthritis and related musculoskeletal disorders are a leading cause of disability, and usage of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions i particularly high among those with the severest forms of these conditions. Although largely unproven, these therapies are commonly sought by those experiencing the severest disease and frequently used in combination with other alternative or conventional treatments. There is, thus, a great unmet need to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of these CAM interventions in a collaborative setting in which experts in rheumatology, complementary medicine, epidemiology, statistics and health services research approach these questions in a scientifically rigorous, multi-disciplinary manner. The major objective of this application is the establishment of a specialized center for research in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) focusing on arthritis and related diseases at the University of Maryland Baltimore. The Center for Alternative Medicine Evaluation and Research in Arthritis (CAMERA) will support a multi-disciplinary team of researchers and develop institutional and regional collaborations to conduct clinical and basic research exploring the potential efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of long-term outcomes following acupuncture treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee; 2) the effectiveness of mind/body therapies for fibromyalgia; 3) the mechanism of action and effects of electroacupuncture on persistent pain & inflammation; and 4) the mechanism of action of a herbal combination with immunomodulatory properties. The Center will create core resource facilities to support, monitor and evaluate its research activities. Future investigation of CAM and arthritis and related disorders will be encouraged through: 1) the training of new investigators in the Center's Career Development & Training Program, and 2) the Development and Feasibility Research Program, which will solicit, meritoriously evaluate and support innovative pilot research.