Monthly Archives: February 2008

Black/Blue Cohosh, Cancer, Menopause

Black cohosh has no estrogenic effects on the breast

Black cohosh is an alternative to hormonal therapy to treat hot flashes, mood disturbances, sweating, heart palpitations, and vaginal dryness.

Apparently, this is accomplished in the absence of any “systemic or breast-specific estrogenic effects.” According to researchers from the University of Missouri in Columbia. Continue reading Black cohosh has no estrogenic effects on the breast →

Exercise, Schizophrenia, Yoga

Adding yoga to schizophrenia treatment

Yoga instructor Janette Scott wrote in Yoga Magazine, “Yoga has been shown to give many positive benefits to people with the disease for maintaining balance and harmony in their lives.” She also knew, “there needs to be a lot of further research and verification of the effects and benefits of yoga for this condition.”

Now, 10 years later, here’s a study from the National Institute of Mental Health and NeuroSciences in Bangalore, India. Continue reading Adding yoga to schizophrenia treatment →

Black/Blue Cohosh, Dermatitis, Ginger, Ginseng, Kampo, Licorice

Kampo medicine to treat atopic dermatitis

Hochu-ekki-to (TJ-41) is an herbal medicine that contains a mixture of 10 medicinal plants (listed below). It’s produced by Tsumura Co., Ltd. in Tokyo, which specializes in selling Kampo medicine — the adaptation of traditional Chinese medicine to Japanese culture.

In this study, the use of topical medicines (steroids and/or tacrolimus [Protopic]) decreased when patients with atopic dermatitis took Hochu-ekki-to. Continue reading Kampo medicine to treat atopic dermatitis →

Anxiety (Panic)/Depression, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Obsessive Compulsive

Brain changes in OCD associated with CBT

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an established treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It is equal or perhaps superior to pharmacotherapy.

Now researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles and San Diego have identified changes in the brain that might explain how this happens. Continue reading Brain changes in OCD associated with CBT →

Acupuncture/ pressure, CAM Education

Improved quality of acupuncture studies

First published in 1966, CONSORT (CONsolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) is intended to improve the reporting of medical research. Authors use it as a checklist when they submit articles for publication. By standardizing the information that must appear in a research article, this should help assure that the studies are well designed and the results are useful to readers.

Has it helped improve acupuncture studies? Continue reading Improved quality of acupuncture studies →