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.

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  • Recent Comments

    Feldenkrais method improves balance in older adults

    Researchers from The University of Melbourne, in Victoria, Australia report “Feldenkrais Method balance classes may improve mobility and balance in older adults.”

    First, the details.

    • 63 elderly people participated in the study for 10 weeks.
      • 26 community-dwelling adults attending Feldenkrais Method balance classes
      • 37 elderly volunteers (control)
    • The Feldenkrais Method group attended balance classes (the “Getting Grounded Gracefully” series) twice weekly.
    • Activities-Specific Balance Confidence questionnaire, Four Square Step Test, and self-selected gait speed (using GAITRite instrumented gait mat) were used to measure changes at the end of the classes.

    And, the results.

    • Compared to before classes…
      • The Feldenkrais group showed significant improvement on all of the tests.
      • The Control group improved significantly in the Four Square Step Test only.
    • When the 2 groups were compared, the Feldenkrais group showed a significant improvements in all of the tests compared to the control group.

    The bottom line?
    The authors concluded, “Feldenkrais Method balance classes may improve mobility and balance in older adults.”

    More about the Feldenkrais Method and results of another study of Feldenkrais to reduce the risk of falls in the elderly is summarized here.

    6/27/09 19:24 JR

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