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.

  • Recent Posts

  • Recent Comments

    Using the Internet to help manage fibromyalgia

    Researchers at The University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, developed an Internet-based exercise and behavioral self-management program to complement routine care for fibromyalgia.

    First, the details.

    • 118 people with fibromyalgia were randomly assigned to a treatment group.
      • Standard care
      • Standard care + access to a Web-Enhanced Behavioral Self-Management program based on cognitive and behavioral pain management principles.
    • The patients were evaluated at the start of the study and 6 months later for a reduction in pain and improved physical functioning.
    • Changes in fatigue, sleep, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and each patient’s global impression of improvement were also recorded.

    And, the results.

    • Those given access to the Internet program reported significantly greater improvement in pain, physical functioning, and overall global improvement.
    • Among the options offered by the Internet program, exercise and relaxation techniques were most commonly used.

    The bottom line?

    The authors concluded, “A no-contact, Internet-based, self-management intervention demonstrated efficacy on key outcomes for fibromyalgia.”

    The beauty of program is that it places no demand on the time of healthcare professionals (aside from initial development). Yet, patients who avail themselves of the service appear to benefit.

    9/22/10 21:05 JR

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