Researchers at Merck in Germany tell us, “Comfrey (Symphytum officinale L.) is a medicinal plant with anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and tissue regenerating properties.”

Here are the results of a study in people with acute back pain. (more…)

It’s a rare condition in which urination occurs during laughing. Researchers from North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, in New York studied the value of biofeedback in a small group of children. (more…)

During the American College of Cardiology meeting, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham reported there was no link between blood levels of vitamin D and the incidence of myalgias in patients treated with the statin drug, atorvastatin (Lipitor). (more…)

There’s an ingredient in rice that may help control blood pressure and explain the lower risk of cardiovascular disease in Japan.

Researchers at Temple University, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, presented the results of their laboratory study during the annual 2010 Experimental Biology conference. (more…)

In the British Medical Journal, Prof. Patrick Woo from the University of Hong Kong describes what might be “the tip of the iceberg.”

He calls for more rigorous infection control guidelines. And the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine responds. (more…)

It might not be sufficient on its own to prevent heart disease, but Dr. Desiree Lie, writing on Medscape, discusses the benefits. (more…)

It’s widely believed that cancer can be prevented by eating lots of fruits and vegetables.

Here’s what we really know. (more…)

MedPage reports, “8 weeks of hand-grip exercises, begun more than 6 months after a stroke, resulted in significantly increased activity in the cortex — the area of the brain that corresponds with hand use.” (more…)

Prof. Ernst and colleagues report, “Several studies have reported that moxibustion is effective in ulcerative colitis.”

But, is that enough? (more…)

Prof. Ernst and colleagues report, “All studies [of moxibustion] have a high risk of bias.”

And that’s the good news. (more…)