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

Archive for January, 2011

Cognitive behavioral therapy for ADHD

Saturday, January 29th, 2011

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston, tested cognitive behavioral therapy in adults who were also treated with drugs but still experiencing significant symptoms. (more…)

Black tea, green tea, and the risk of heart disease

Friday, January 28th, 2011

Researchers at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, in China, reviewed the association between tea consumption and the risk of coronary artery disease (narrowing of the small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart). (more…)

Do B vitamins and folic acid affect cognitive function?

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011

Researchers at the University of Western Australia, in Crawley, studied B6, B12, and folic acid. (more…)

Treating head lice, naturally

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011

Researchers at the University of Queensland, in St Lucia, Australia, evaluated tea tree oil + lavender oil. (more…)

Does zinc prevent middle ear infections?

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

Otitis media (inflammation of the middle ear, usually caused by infection) affects people of all ages, but is particularly common in young children.

This Cochrane review evaluated studies of children younger than 5 years. (more…)

Effects of retirement on chronic disease

Monday, January 24th, 2011

An international group of researchers looked for changes in the risk of chronic diseases, depressive symptoms, and fatigue. (more…)

Effects of green tea in obese breast cancer survivors

Monday, January 24th, 2011

Being overweight after breast cancer treatment may increase a woman’s risk for recurrent disease.

Researchers at the University of Arizona, in Tucson found that there are benefits from drinking green tea, but weight loss isn’t one of them. (more…)

Balneotherapy for fibromyalgia

Sunday, January 23rd, 2011

Researchers at the Istanbul Medical Faculty, in Turkey, studied the effects of balneotherapy alone and with physical therapies on the respiratory and other symptoms of fibromyalgia. (more…)

Light therapy for depressed older people

Sunday, January 23rd, 2011

Major depressive disorder in elderly individuals is prevalent and debilitating.

Researchers from the Netherlands measured the response to bright light therapy (BLT) in elderly patients with major depressive disorder. (more…)

Sham acupuncture vs true acupuncture

Sunday, January 23rd, 2011

According to reviewers at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, California, “The theoretical basis for traditional acupuncture practice needs to be re-evaluated.” (more…)

Interaction between aliskiren and fruit juice

Saturday, January 22nd, 2011

Aliskiren (Tekturna) is used to treat high blood pressure. It’s poorly absorbed from the intestines (about 2.5%).

Researchers at Helsinki University Central Hospital, in Finland, report that apple and orange juice further reduce the amount that gets absorbed from the intestines. (more…)

Hospitalizations due to smoking marijuana

Saturday, January 22nd, 2011

Researchers at Universite de Toulouse, in France, assessed cannabis-related adverse events leading to hospitalization, and the corresponding annual risk. (more…)

Kung fu for obese adolescents

Saturday, January 22nd, 2011

Interestingly, the benefits don’t include weight loss, according to researchers at The University of Sydney, in Australia. (more…)

Massage-myofacial release therapy in fibromyalgia

Friday, January 21st, 2011

Fascia is the soft tissue component of connective tissue that supports and protects muscles. Myofascial release is a soft tissue therapy used to treat pain and restricted motion.

Researchers at the University of Almería, in Spain, looked for improvement in pain, anxiety, quality of sleep, depression, and quality of life. (more…)

Which exercise for nonspecific neck pain in office workers?

Friday, January 21st, 2011

Researchers at Chulalongkorn University, in Bangkok, Thailand, reviewed research on exercise options to prevent and cure nonspecific neck pain. (more…)

Is it necessary to take coenzyme Q10 during statin therapy?

Friday, January 21st, 2011

HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) are the main drug category prescribed to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Their action on HMG-CoA lowers LDL cholesterol. But it also lowers coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) production in muscles where it’s needed to maintain muscle respiration and function.

Ms. Jessica Pomaikai Asherin at Pacific University, in Hillsboro, Oregon, reviewed the evidence for supplementing statin therapy with CoQ10 in order to lower the risk of stain-induced muscle pain and tenderness (myopathy). (more…)

Cranberry juice fails to prevent recurrent urinary tract infection

Thursday, January 20th, 2011

Researchers at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, in Ann Arbor, recorded the effects in college women presenting with an acute urinary tract infection (UTI). (more…)

Vitamins C and E and the risk of preterm birth

Thursday, January 20th, 2011

Most pregnancies last about 40 weeks. A premature birth takes place more than 3 weeks before the due date. Although the rate of premature birth seems to be on the rise, a healthy lifestyle helps prevent preterm labor and premature birth.

Researchers in the US collaborated to determine whether pregnant women taking vitamins C and E might lower their risk of spontaneous preterm birth. (more…)

Yoga: More than exercise

Thursday, January 20th, 2011

Yoga increases brain gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) activity, which is reduced in mood and anxiety disorders.

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine studied whether the changes in mood, anxiety, and GABA levels are specific to yoga or simply the result of physical activity. (more…)

Long-term effects of naprapathic therapy on back and neck pain

Wednesday, January 19th, 2011

Researchers at the Karolinska Institutet, in Stockholm, Sweden, evaluated the long-term effects of naprapathic manual therapy on staying active in patients with non-specific back and/or neck pain.

Background on naprapathy is here. (more…)