Archive for February, 2011
Saturday, February 26th, 2011
It’s very good, according to researchers at the University of Washington Department of Family Medicine, in Tacoma.
Here’s what we know. (more…)
Anxiety (Panic)/Depression, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Exercise, Light Therapy, Tai Chi, Yoga | Comments Off on So, just how good is exercise to treat depression?
Friday, February 25th, 2011
Not according to this study of patients with neck pain, reported by researchers in Italy. (more…)
Acupuncture/ pressure, Pain-Neck | Comments Off on Acupuncture: Does the number of needles matter?
Thursday, February 24th, 2011
Workplace computer use has been linked to musculoskeletal disorders, a leading cause of work disability and productivity losses in industrialized nations.
Researchers from York University, in Toronto, Ontario studied tai chi as a workplace physical exercise for health promotion. (more…)
Pain, Pain-Neck, Pain-Shoulder, Tai Chi | Comments Off on Tai chi in female computer users
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center, in New York City examined the association between positive affect and cardiovascular events. (more…)
Heart Disease, Stroke | Comments Off on Are happy people at lower risk of heart disease?
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
Neuropathic pain is a complex, chronic pain state that usually is accompanied by tissue injury.
Researchers at McGill University, in Montreal, Quebec, report that inhaled medical marijuana is better than no treatment… but not by much. (more…)
Marijuana (Cannabinoids), Pain-Neuropathic | Comments Off on Smoking cannabis to treat neuropathic pain
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
Oops. Topically applied Arnica montana is reputed to decrease bruising and muscle pain.
But in this study, researchers at the Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program, in Sugar Land, Texas, found an opposite effect. (more…)
Arnica, Exercise, Pain | Comments Off on Topical arnica increases muscle pain
Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011
Researchers at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, studied elderly men. (more…)
Elderly, Vitamin D | Comments Off on Looking for an association between vitamin D and frailty
Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011
Almost everyone is deficient in vitamin D, and this deficiency is implicated in several diseases.
Now, researchers at the National Institute for Health and Welfare, in Helsinki, Finland, look for an association with Parkinson’s disease. (more…)
Parkinson's, Vitamin D | Comments Off on Vitamin D and the risk of Parkinson’s disease
Monday, February 21st, 2011
Researchers at Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, in Brazil, reviewed the evidence. (more…)
Art, Music, Dance, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Relaxation, Sleep (Insomnia), Tai Chi, Yoga | Comments Off on Review: Mind-body treatments for insomnia
Monday, February 21st, 2011
Researchers at Rush University Medical Center, in Chicago tell us, “Motivating patients with heart failure to adhere to medical advice has not translated into clinical benefit.”
They think past studies were flawed. So, in this study, they studied the value of self-management counseling + heart failure education, compared with heart failure education alone. (more…)
Electronic Media, Heart Disease | Comments Off on Failure of self-managment couseling in heart failure patients
Sunday, February 20th, 2011
Orthostatic hypotension is an excessive decrease in blood pressure that occurs when a person stands up. It results in reduced blood flow to the brain and dizziness or fainting.
Researchers in Ireland studied the effects of sleeping on a bed where the head is raised 6 inches. (more…)
Heart Disease | Comments Off on Raising the head of the bed to treat orthostatic hypotension
Saturday, February 19th, 2011
Moxibustion, an acupuncture-like treatment, is increasingly used in the management of rheumatic conditions.
Prof. Ernst and colleagues reviewed the evidence. (more…)
Moxibustion, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Diseases | Comments Off on Review: Moxibustion for rheumatic conditions
Saturday, February 19th, 2011
Medscape reports from the 50th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy that researchers at the University of Minneapolis, in Minnesota, studied high school wrestlers who used skin wipes after each match during a marathon day of wrestling.
The objective was to compare soap and water to alcohol swabs. (more…)
Alcohol Sanitizers, Infection | Comments Off on Soap and water wipes reduce infections in wrestlers
Saturday, February 19th, 2011
Vegetarian diets exclude fish, the major dietary source of fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are critical regulators of brain cell structure and function.
Researchers at Arizona State University, in Mesa, examined associations between mood and polyunsaturated fatty acid intake in vegetarian and omnivorous diets. (more…)
Anxiety (Panic)/Depression, Diet-Vegan, E. DIETARY, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Omega-6 Fatty Acids | Comments Off on Effect of vegetarian diets on mood
Saturday, February 19th, 2011
Researchers at Orebro University Hospital, in Sweden, evaluated the effect of bed rest + music on the first day after surgery in order to decrease stress. (more…)
Art, Music, Dance, Heart Disease, Stress, Surgery | Comments Off on Benefits of music on stress after surgery
Friday, February 18th, 2011
This Cochrane review covers osteoarthritis of the knee, hip, or hand. (more…)
Acupuncture/ pressure, Cochrane Library, Osteoarthritis, Pain | Comments Off on Review: Acupuncture to treat peripheral joint osteoarthritis
Friday, February 18th, 2011
Here’s the rationale supporting this study by researchers at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota.
St. John’s wort treats mild-to-moderate depression. Antidepressants are often used to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). But no one has studied the effects of St. John’s wort in patients with IBS. (more…)
Irritable Bowel Syndrome, St. John's Wort | Comments Off on St. John’s wort to treat IBS?
Friday, February 18th, 2011
Researchers from the US and Israel studied the effects of dairy calcium and vitamin D for weight loss. (more…)
Calcium, E. DIETARY, Obesity, Vitamin D | Comments Off on Should you drink milk to lose weight?
Thursday, February 17th, 2011
Researchers at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, examined the effects of Feldenkrais exercises to improve balance, mobility, and balance confidence. (more…)
Bone Fracture, Elderly, Feldenkrais | Comments Off on Feldenkrais exercises in older community-dwelling adults
Thursday, February 17th, 2011
Alternate-day fasting as a diet strategy
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago examined the effects of alternate-day fasting under controlled conditions on body weight and coronary artery disease risk in obese adults. (more…)
Diet-Nutrition, Obesity | Comments Off on Alternate-day fasting as a diet strategy