The purpose of this survey was to develop suggestions for actions that might foster closer communication between mainstream (MM) and CAM practitioners. (more…)

It took about 2 weeks for this story to unravel. It’s true, Professor Souleymane Mboup of the University of Dakar in Senegal says, “In some samples viral load measures were below the level detectable by the tests.”

However? (more…)

More technology to our rescue.

Bio Mapping is a research project that explores new ways for people to gather and use information about their bodies. (more…)

Bob Unruh writing on WorldNetDaily sounds the alarm over proposed regulatory changes that would give the FDA oversight of functional foods. (more…)

Here are highlights from the 2006 conference of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in New Orleans.

Writing in Medscape, Dr. Peter Kovacs from the Kaali Institute IVF Center in Budapest and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York says, “Increasing numbers of patients ask about and/or turn to alternative medical solutions when traditional medicine fails.”

With respect to 2 studies of acupuncture?

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Health Canada advises consumers not to use this product. It contains the undeclared prescription drug estazolam (Prosom), which can be habit-forming when used for as little as a few months. (more…)

At the Primhe conference at the University of Warwick, UK, iPLATO announced the launch of a mobile stress service. “Triggered through a web-interface or through text message it offers users top 20 tips on dealing with stress.”

iPATO is a UK company that develops programs that use cell phones and the Internet to complement healthcare — among other industries. (more…)

Dr. Cathy Wong is a licensed naturopath and certified nutritionist. She writes an upbeat column on the About website.

In one article she discusses Althaea for cough and sore throat, ulcers, and irritated skin. (more…)

According to their website, the International Yoga Therapy Conference “is a forum that explores the specific and profound ways in which yoga can aid in maintaining good health or recovery from illness.”

This year’s meeting will be held at the Peacock Gap Country Club in San Rafael, California (about 30 minutes north of San Francisco) on May 18 to 20. (more…)

Dr. Jason Jones is the Clinic Director of SpinaCare. In an earlier post he commented that the validity of the outcomes at the end of clinical research depends on asking the appropriate question at the start.

Case in point: Back pain. (more…)

An article by the Canadian AIDS Society says not enough is being done to get Canadians to use legal marijuana.

Apparently legalizing a drug with no credible scientific evidence for its use as primary or secondary treatment for anything is not enough. (more…)

Written by Noel Coward, Brief Encounter is an enjoyable (understated) 60-year-old movie that asks the question, “Is it possible to be faithfully committed to one person, feel inexplicably drawn to love another, yet not be adulterous?”

What’s this got to do with CAM? (more…)

Belinda at The Patient Connection is seeking opinions and experiences from people with epilepsy and their parents/caregivers. Topics include medication, ketogenic diets, and surgery.

From what I can tell, this is a company that specializes in conducting focus groups and opinion research for their clients. Ultimately, their work complements clinical trial results. (more…)

Updated guidelines for managing post-operative nausea and vomiting announced during the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists include using acupuncture.

Here’s some supporting data.

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Get ready, because the May issue of Self has a long and heart-wrenching account of a 43-year-old woman who had been seeing a chiropractor over 20 years to treat headaches and lower-back pain. (more…)

Italian physicians, led by former Health Minister, Prof. Umberto Veronesi from the Istituto Europeo di Oncologia di Milano, claim “these therapies risk depriving patients of effective cures, unlike modern medicine, which is based on centuries of science.”

The doctors are particularly concerned about homeopathy, chiropractic, acupuncture, and herbal medicine as examples of “increasingly popular therapies whose usefulness is not certain.” (more…)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced a nationwide recall of H S Joy of Love dietary supplement because it could interact with prescription drugs. (more…)

Dr. Laura Podewils from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia says “there is relatively consistent evidence suggesting that older persons who engage in regular or high levels of exercise have a decreased risk for dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease, compared to older persons who are inactive.”

OK, but her research shows that physical activity has no effect on the rate of lesion progression in elderly people with Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment. (more…)

Vascular dementia is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. The condition is preventable. Therefore, early detection and implementation of effective treatment are important.

In order to assess the effect of acupuncture on this condition, a broad search for randomized, placebo-controlled studies testing acupuncture to treat vascular dementia was undertaken. (more…)

Here is a website that tells you how many people in your neighborhood are as sick as you. (more…)