Survey finds drugs work better than alternative therapies for most conditions

By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff

Alternative therapies still play a prominent role in helping us manage our health with three out of four of us relying on them for chronic conditions, according to a Consumer Reports survey of more than 45,000 subscribers released today. But guess what? Prescription drugs usually work better to bring relief from symptoms, the survey respondents reported.

That’s a little surprising to me considering some recent studies by placebo researchers suggesting that sham inhalers and acupuncture bring as much relief from asthma symptoms as steroid inhalers or that those who knowingly take a sugar pill get substantial relief from chronic gastrointestinal pain.

“Despite the hoopla over alternative therapies,” wrote the Consumer Reports authors, “when we asked respondents how well the therapies they used worked for 12 common health problems, results showed that they were usually deemed far less helpful than prescription medicine for most of the conditions.”

Osteoarthritis, for example, was the condition most commonly treated with a combination of prescription drugs, over-the-counter pain relievers, and alternative therapies. A majority of those surveyed said prescription drugs “helped a lot”, though nearly the same percentage reported relief from yoga and deep tissue massage followed by acupuncture and chiropractic treatments.

Interestingly, only 29 percent said they were helped by over-the-counter treatments and only 25 percent from glucosamine/chondroitin -- yet those two treatments were more popularly used that prescription drugs.

Nearly twice as many as those with irritable bowel syndrome who took prescription medications reported that they helped them significantly compared to those who took over-the-counter remedies or probiotics. Ditto for those with other digestive problems.

Prescription antidepressants also fared better than meditation, yoga, and fish-oil supplements for relieving depression. Drugs also worked better for anxiety and insomnia than alternative treatments.

For back pain, chiropractic treatments actually came out ahead of prescription drugs for symptom management: 65 percent reported that getting their back adjusted helped a lot compared to 53 percent who used prescription drugs like muscle relaxers. Yoga, pilates, and various forms of massage were also reported by many to ease discomfort.