The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point

Archive for June, 2008

Consumer Alert: FDA stops fake cancer cures

Monday, June 30th, 2008

23 American and 2 foreign companies that market phony cancer cures on the Internet have been told to stop this activity by the FDA. (more…)

Regulating CAM in the UK

Monday, June 30th, 2008

Medical News Today reports that the Department of Health Steering Group recommends to regulate acupuncture, herbal medicine and traditional Chinese medicine.

It’s recommended that this happen as soon as possible. (more…)

Misperceptions by a homeopathic physician

Monday, June 30th, 2008

Geoff Woodin, a homeopathic physicians from the UK, has an us-vs-them view of homeopathy and allopathic medicine.

It’s not surprising given the onslaught of criticism targeting his field in the UK. However, his perspective of allopathic medicine is inaccurate, I believe. (more…)

Arsenic toxicity from Ayurvedic

Sunday, June 29th, 2008

Lead, mercury, and (oh yeah) arsenic intoxication have been associated with Ayurvedic herbal medicines.

Here’s an account of one patent’s experience. (more…)

Might mindfulness reduce the severity of hot flashes?

Sunday, June 29th, 2008

Preliminary evidence supports the feasibility of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in women experiencing severe hot flashes, according to researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. (more…)

Tofu associated with worse memory

Saturday, June 28th, 2008

Laboratory studies suggest that phytoestrogens, found in soy products such as tempe and tofu, could protect against cognitive (reasoning) decline. But an earlier study in humans suggested the opposite.

Here’s what researchers from Loughborough University in the UK found. (more…)

Coffee, tea, and the risk of stroke

Saturday, June 28th, 2008

Both beverages have antioxidant properties, and coffee may improve insulin sensitivity.

OK, but is there an association between coffee and tea consumption with the risk of stroke? (more…)

The status of acupuncture to treat fibromyalgia

Saturday, June 28th, 2008

“At this time, the benefits of acupuncture for treating fibromyalgia remain unclear and require well designed controlled trials to identify its potential role,” concludes Dr. Daniel Rooks from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston in a review on Medscape.

Here’s a summary of his review.

(more…)

Simplified tai-chi benefits the elderly in long-term care

Friday, June 27th, 2008

Providing a simplified tai-chi exercise program (STEP) in long-term care facilities can promote physical health in older adults.

That’s the conclusion from a study in Taiwan.
(more…)

Effect of breathing instruction on panic disorder and stress

Friday, June 27th, 2008

Recommendations to modify breathing patterns are commonly given to people with ordinary stress and tension, as well as to patients with anxiety disorders.

This study by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California used physiological measures to document changes in respiration to examine the physiological and psychological effects of breathing instructions. (more…)

Interactions between supplements and drugs used to treat AIDS

Friday, June 27th, 2008

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore have reviewed natural health products (NHPs) and antiretroviral drugs (ARVs). Here are the results

(more…)

A study of cannabis cigarettes for neuropathic pain

Thursday, June 26th, 2008

Researchers from the University of California, Davis Medical Center in Sacramento tell us “Despite [a] lack of scientific validation, many patients routinely use ‘medical marijuana,’ and in many cases this use is for pain related to nerve injury.”

In this study, “no effect on evoked pain was seen.” (more…)

Updating what we know about probiotics and diarrhea

Thursday, June 26th, 2008

Growing evidence suggests that probiotics might serve as a functional food in the treatment of diarrhea.

Here’s what we know.

(more…)

Oral cannabis is not effective for acute pain

Wednesday, June 25th, 2008

There’s some supporting evidence in animals, but what about in humans? (more…)

Negative effects of cannabinoids on human sperm

Tuesday, June 24th, 2008

Delta(9)- and Delta(8)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are potent inhibitors of mitochondrial respiration in human sperm, according to this study by researchers at the State University of New York, Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. (more…)

Pain management during labor: Is there a role for CAM?

Tuesday, June 24th, 2008

Actually, it hasn’t been studied very much.

But here’s what we know so far.

(more…)

CAM for cancer survivors: The Sloan-Kettering view

Monday, June 23rd, 2008

Three members of the Integrative Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City have published their views. (more…)

CAM preferences among children with chronic pain

Monday, June 23rd, 2008

You won’t be surprised to learn that pain of longer duration and greater impairment make children more willing to use CAM.

But which CAM options do they choose? (more…)

Rest periods and resistance exercise performance

Sunday, June 22nd, 2008

Researchers at The University of Tulsa in Oklahoma compared different forms of very short rest periods on subsequent performance. (more…)

Measuring the immune response to Dzherelo

Sunday, June 22nd, 2008

Dzherelo, is made from a combination of medicinal plants and used in Ukraine to treat tuberculosis (TB) and HIV infections.

In this study, Dzherelo had a positive effect on the immune status and viral burden in patients treated for TB. (more…)