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

    Predicting IBS responders to hynotherapy

    Approximately two-thirds of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) respond well to hypnotherapy.

    Researchers at the University of Manchester, in the UK, assessed whether a therapeutic response to hypnosis could be predicted by relating mood to a positive, neutral or negative color.

    First, the details.

    • 156 consecutive IBS patients were studied.
    • Before and after treatment, patients were asked to relate their mood to a color on the Manchester Color Wheel (MCW), as well as completing a battery of other measures including the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) Scale, and the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS) which is a measure of the responsiveness to hypnosis.

    And, the results.

    • For patients with a positive mood color the odds of responding to hypnotherapy were 9 times higher than for those choosing either a neutral or negative color or no color at all — a significant difference.
    • A high TAS score and the presence of HAD anxiety also had good predictive value with these markers and a positive mood color being independent of each other — significant differences.
      • These factors combined gave a stronger prediction of outcome.
    • Twice as many responders (78%) had a positive mood color or were anxious or had a high TAS score compared with 43%) without these factors — a significant difference.

    The bottom line?

    The authors concluded, “A positive mood color, especially when combined with HAD anxiety and a high TAS score, predict a good response to hypnotherapy.”

    In an earlier article, Prof. Whorwell, also a researcher in this study, reported that with a “success-rate of about 70%” hypnotherapy, although labor-intensive, could be a medically and cost effect treatment compared to new drugs.

    12/8/10 21:37 JR

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