Complementary and alternative therapies

Reaching a satisfactory treatment outcome in moderate to severe OCD can be difficult. It is universally acknowledged that current OCD drug and cognitive-behavioural therapies are suboptimal and many have troublesome side effects. Patients often consider less traditional treatment options including complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies. Over the past few decades, CAM treatments have been evaluated using more familiar Western research standards in order to better assess comparative effectiveness. Interventions that have been proposed as possible OCD treatment options, almost exclusively in conjunction with usual therapy, include naturally occurring nutrient supplements, plant-based substances, and acupuncture and related treatments.

 

Understanding that the majority of CAM treatments for OCD still have insufficient proof of effectiveness by Western standards, their generally high safety profiles and lower costs generate continued interest. Below, we will review CAM therapies that are more likely to be encountered in real world OCD management.

NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENTS

Some nutraceuticals have undergone evaluation for OCD, although…

INOSITOL

Inositol is a naturally occurring, vitamin-like compound that is sometimes incorrectly referred to as vitamin B8. Normal diets account for …

N-ACETYLCYSTEINE (N-AC)

Interest in n-AC as a possible treatment for OCD is based on actions that result in reduced glutamate activity. 

GLYCINE

Glycine functions as a neurotransmitter in the spinal cord and brain. In the brain it appears to function at a specific…

OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS (O-3FA)

Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids, more commonly referred to as fish oil, that play critical roles in cellular structure,…

PLANT AND HERBAL PREPARATIONS IN OCD

Plant-based medicines have been tested in anxiety disorders, but only a few have undergone a clinical trial for OCD.

JOHNS WORT (HYPERICUM PERFORATUM)

St. John’s wort (SJW) appears to be useful for mild to moderate depression; in some studies the effect was similar to an SSRI.

MILK THISTLE (SILYBUM MARIANUM)

This plant, a member of the same family as sunflowers and daisies, has been used over several millennia for a wide range of medicinal applications.

BORAGE (ECHIUM AMOENUM)

Borage is another herbal preparation that has been used as a remedy for numerous conditions over a period of time that extends,…

VALERIAN ROOT (VALERIANA OFFICINALIS L)

Valerian is a sweetly scented flowering plant, the root of which is dried and available as an herbal remedy.

NON-CONVENTIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS

Several controlled clinical trials have studied the effectiveness of various acupuncture-based techniques for…

SUMMARY

Alternative medicine is developing a firm foothold in several niches of Western medicine, although skeptics are wary of these treatments…