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

Archive for August, 2010

TENS for cancer pain

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) devices produce electrical currents to stimulate nerves through unbroken skin.

Here’s the Cochrane review. (more…)

NCCAM-sponsored study of tai chi to treat fibromyalgia

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Researchers at Tufts Medical Center, in Boston reported their findings in that bastion of allopathic medicine, The New England Journal of Medicine. (more…)

Consumer Alert: TimeOut

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

It’s labeled as “100% natural” and consumers may mistakenly assume the product is harmless and poses no health risk.

The FDA says, Not so fast, all you erectilely challenged people out there. (more…)

Consumer Alert: Mr. Magic

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

According to the distributor, it will awaken your magical power.

But he FDA says Mr. Magic contains hydroxythiohomosildenafil and sulfoaildenafil, an analogue of sildenafil (Viagra), the FDA-approved drug  for male erectile dysfunction (ED), making this product an unapproved drug. (more…)

Nonpharmacologic management of osteoporosis

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

This Medscape review covers orthoses, exercise, calcium and vitamin D therapy, and kyphoplasty from an academic perspective. (more…)

Preventing prostate cancer progression with green tea

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

Men with prostate cancer who consumed the active compounds in green tea demonstrated a reduction in test results that predict prostate cancer progression, according to researchers at LSU Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, in Louisiana. (more…)

Acupuncture for chronic sinusitis. Worth the cost?

Saturday, August 21st, 2010

It’s commonly used to treat chronic sinusitis, though there’s little documentation for any effect.

Researchers from Norway looked for evidence of improved quality of life. (more…)

Wash your hands

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

Done properly, it’s “one of the best ways to avoid getting sick,” according to MayoClinic.com.

(more…)

Vitamin D supplementation and hip fracture risk

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

Researchers from Australia and the UK reviewed the evidence. (more…)

Changes in memory afer drinking blueberry juice

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

Blueberries contain anthocyanins, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Researchers at Tufts University, in Boston studied the effects of drinking wild blueberry juice in older adults with early memory changes. (more…)

Effects of recreational drugs on sleep

Monday, August 16th, 2010

This article by researchers at Freiburg University Medical Center in Germany reviews cocaine, ecstasy, and marijuana.

Let’s focus on the one purported CAM, marijuana. (more…)

Is napping “bad” for nighttime sleep?

Monday, August 16th, 2010

Two published studies conclude it is not. (more…)

Cannabis and the risk for developing psychosis

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

Researchers at the University of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, hypothesized that cannabis use (or a cannabis use disorder) at a younger age relates to a high-risk symptoms at a younger age.

And a second study comes to rather odd conclusions about marijuana and schizophrenia severity. (more…)

Hypnosis to help manage children in the dentist’s chair

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

It’s a challenge.

In this Cochrane review, researchers at the Military Dental Centre in Seeb, Oman, reviewed the evidence for hypnosis (with or without sedation). (more…)

Acupuncture treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome

Saturday, August 14th, 2010

It’s the most common hormonal disorder among women of reproductive age. The cause is unknown, but afflicted women have difficulty becoming pregnant.

Researchers at the University of New South Wales, in Sydney, Australia reviewed the evidence for acupuncture. (more…)

Consumer Alert: Prolatis

Friday, August 13th, 2010

The distributor of this product recommends to, “Be ready when the time is right!”

The FDA says not so fast. Prolatis contains “sulfoaildenafil, an analogue of sildenafil [Viagra],… making Prolatis an unapproved drug.” (more…)

Prevalence of CAM use in England

Friday, August 13th, 2010

The English commonly combine CAM with prescription drugs.

Let’s compare these findings by Prof. Ernst and colleagues to CAM use in other countries. (more…)

CAM for spinal cord injury pain

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

Researchers at the University Medical Centre Utrecht and De Hoogstraat, in The Netherlands surveyed the use of CAM in a large group of Dutch patients with spinal cord injury. (more…)

Review of aromatherapy to treat high blood pressure

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

Prof. Ernst reviewed the evidence and finds that more is needed. (more…)

Placebo effect with homeopathic vs conventional drugs

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

Wikipedia states, “Claims of homeopathy’s efficacy beyond the placebo effect are unsupported by the collective weight of scientific and clinical evidence.”

But this study from Germany concludes that the evidence doesn’t support this belief. (more…)