The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

  • Recent Posts

  • Recent Comments

    Giving equal time to CAM options to manage stress

    An article published on Medscape discusses the impact of stress on insomnia. In addition to a brief mention of mindfulness, the author limits the discussion to benzodiazepines or ramelteon (Rozerem), which acts on melatonin receptors.

    There are so many other options that the author fails to even mention. So, I’ll mention them here.

    If you are stressed out and having trouble sleeping, consider these treatment options.

    • Qigong [chee-kung] exercise may reduce stress associated with computerized work.
    • Massage therapy reduced psychological stress levels in nurses.
    • Gotta include Bach Original Flower Essence (BFE) Rescue Remedy.
    • Get a pet.
    • Tai chi can have positive effects in people with tension-type headache.
    • Yoga, here and here
    • For $16 get the book called Stress Management: Techniques for Preventing and Easing Stress published by Harvard Health Publications.
    • And don’t forget ylang-ylang oil.

    Other options are discussed by reviewers at the Mayo Clinic website.

    It’s annoying when Medscape, whose mission is “to provide clinicians and other healthcare professionals with the most timely comprehensive and relevant clinical information to improve patient care,” takes money from a pharmaceutical company to publish an article that limits itself to promoting their particular drug, with brief mention of other drug options.

    Medscape could easily have insisted on a more objective and comprehensive review — but they didn’t.

    6/17/07 15:50 JR

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