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

Archive for October, 2011

Benefits of Pilates in healthy people

Monday, October 31st, 2011

Researchers at the University of Evora, in Portugal, reviewed the evidence. (more…)

Review: Acupuncture for autism spectrum disorders

Monday, October 31st, 2011

Autism spectrum disorders are characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and lack of flexibility of thought and behavior.

In this Cochrane review, researchers at The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, in China, report on the effectiveness of acupuncture to improve autistic features. (more…)

Acupuncture to treat endometriosis pain

Monday, October 31st, 2011

Women with endometriosis may complain of chronic pelvic pain, most notably dysmenorrhea.

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

Improvement in back pain with tai chi

Sunday, October 30th, 2011

Researchers at the University of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia, determined the effect of tai chi exercise on persistent low back pain. (more…)

Is there a role for CAM to treat ADHD?

Sunday, October 30th, 2011

Researchers at Trinity College, in Ireland, reviewed the latest scientific evidence of the effectiveness and safety of CAM treatments in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). (more…)

Is yoga for children a good idea?

Sunday, October 30th, 2011

MayoClinic.com has reviewed the pros and cons. (more…)

Is there benefit from acupuncture in palliative care?

Thursday, October 27th, 2011

Researchers at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, compared acupuncture to nurse-led supportive care in patients with incurable cancer. (more…)

Review: EPA to treat depression

Thursday, October 27th, 2011

Researchers at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, in New York City, used a meta-analysis to test the hypothesis that eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is the effective component in omega-3 fatty acid treatment of major depressive episodes. (more…)

CAM use by Americans

Thursday, October 27th, 2011

Researchers at Harvard Medical School, in Boston conducted a review of the 2007 National Health Interview Survey of non-institutionalized US residents conducted by the National Center of Health Statistics of the Center for Disease Control. (more…)

Side effects from herbals used as laxatives

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

Researchers at the University of Rome, in Italy, report on adverse reactions associated with herbal laxatives reported to the Italian Medicines Agency and the Italian National Institute of Health over 9 years. (more…)

CAM options for treating depression

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

Emily Matthews, a reader of this blog, provides this overview of depression and complementary treatment options.

About 20 million Americans suffer from clinical depression. Low levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter, are thought to contribute to depression. Depression is also associated with diseases like diabetes, heart disease, chronic pain, hormonal imbalance, hypoglycemia, stress, impaired thyroid function, environmental toxins, and unhealthy lifestyles. (more…)

Yoga vs stretching for low back pain

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

Chronic low back pain is a common problem lacking effective treatment options.

Researchers in Oregon and Washington compared yoga and conventional stretching exercises for patients with chronic low back pain. (more…)

Limits of CAM: Dyspnea in patients with COPD

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

Dyspnea (difficulty breathing) is a cardinal symptom of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Its severity and magnitude increase as the disease progresses, leading to significant disability and a negative effect on quality of life.

Here are the Canadian Thoracic Society clinical practice guidelines, with emphasis on CAM. (more…)

Omega-3 fatty acid effect on lipids in hemodialysis patients

Monday, October 24th, 2011

Researchers at Laikon General Hospital, in Athens, Greece, looked for a response. (more…)

Treating Crohn’s disease with cannabis

Monday, October 24th, 2011

Researchers at Tel Aviv University, in Ramat Aviv, Israel, describe the effects of cannabis use in patients suffering from Crohn’s disease. (more…)

The value of breathing training in asthma

Monday, October 24th, 2011

Surveys suggest many people with asthma use it, often without the knowledge of their healthcare providers.

Researchers at the University of Southampton, in the UK, reviewed the evidence. (more…)

The effect of prenatal folic acid on language in children

Sunday, October 23rd, 2011

An international group of researchers examined the association between mothers’ use of prenatal folic acid supplements and the risk of severe language delay in their children at age 3 years. (more…)

Exercise to prevent migraine

Sunday, October 23rd, 2011

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, in Sweden, compared the effects of exercise and topiramate (Topamax) in migraine prevention. (more…)

Tai chi for heart failure patients

Sunday, October 23rd, 2011

Preliminary evidence suggests that meditative exercise may have benefits for patients with chronic systolic heart failure

Researchers in Boston, Massachusetts, investigated whether tai chi, in addition to standard care, improves functional capacity and quality of life in these patients. (more…)

Increasing the legal age for tanning

Thursday, October 20th, 2011

Medical New Today reports that the youngest legal age for using tanning beds has gone up from 14 to 18 years in California now that Governor Jerry Brown signed a new bill into law. (more…)