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

Archive for the 'A. ALTERNATIVE MEDICAL SYSTEMS' Category

Acne: Recommendations are easy; data, scarce

Monday, July 11th, 2016

Herbalists recommend more than a dozen herbal remedies for acne and scarring, according to a recent article.

Unfortunately, only 1 of these herbals is supported by the results of a study in patients. (more…)

Herbal treatments for acne vulgaris

Monday, July 11th, 2016

Faculty members from Hamdard University in New Delhi, India have published a review on Medscape of treatment options for acne, with emphasis on herbal treatment options.

Here’s a summary of the herbal section. (more…)

Does anyone use St. John’s wort to treat dental pain?

Tuesday, April 19th, 2016

Its claimed anti-pain and anti-inflammatory properties in homeopathic medicine have led to a number of studies in patients with acute pain.

Researchers at University of Witten/Herdecke, in Germany reviewed the evidence for using St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) for pain conditions in homeopathic dental practice. (more…)

Water and air conditioning help the elderly avoid heatstroke

Thursday, July 16th, 2015

Every year, heatstroke accounts for at least 240 deaths in the United States. In the United States, most people with heatstroke are elderly inner-city residents.

The current heatwave warrants this reposting. (more…)

Remember

Thursday, September 11th, 2014

 

 

 

TENS device FDA-approved for migraine prevention

Wednesday, March 12th, 2014

CEFALY_2_HR_sans les mainsIt’s the first device approved to prevent migraine headaches, and the first transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) device specifically authorized for use prior to the onset of pain.

Here’s what we know about Cefaly. (more…)

Benefits of keyboard playing in people with cerebral palsy

Thursday, January 2nd, 2014

0Cerebral palsy results from injury to or abnormal development of the brain, with various problems in movement, posture, and other behavioral functions.

Researchers at the Graduate School of Education and Ewha Music Rehabilitation Center, in Seoul, Korea, studied the effects of Therapeutic Instrument Music Performance (TIMP) for fine motor exercises in adults with cerebral palsy.

(more…)

Effect of prenatal iron on pregnancy outcomes

Saturday, July 13th, 2013

nude-pregnancyIron deficiency is the most widespread nutritional deficiency in the world.

Researchers form Boston and London reviewed the evidence. (more…)

Review: Acupuncture for women undergoing in vitro fertilization

Wednesday, July 3rd, 2013

nude-pregnancyResearchers at the Center for Integrative Medicine, at the University of Maryland, in Baltimore, reviewed the effects of acupuncture on pregnancy success rates when added to in vitro fertilization. (more…)

Evidence for acupuncture to treat cancer-related fatigue

Monday, June 3rd, 2013

acupunctureMan1111-150x150Researchers at the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea, reviewed the evidence for treatment.

And, researchers from the University of Manchester, in the UK reviewed the response to self-needling maintenance treatments. (more…)

Pain sensitivity as a predictor of response to sham acupuncture

Friday, April 19th, 2013

acupunctureMan111Studies of acupuncture to treat chronic pain have largely failed to demonstrate an advantage of traditional acupuncture over sham acupuncture.

Researchers at the University of Michigan and Harvard Medical School studied whether the degree of enhanced sensitivity to experimental-pressure pain (hyperalgesia) may be a factor in determining whether a patient responds to sham acupuncture treatment. (more…)

Self-acupuncture among people with beast cancer

Monday, February 25th, 2013

acupunctureMan11Maintenance acupuncture is recommended following successful clinic-based acupuncture.

Researchers at the University of Manchester, UK, assessed the effectiveness of self-maintenance acupuncture in the management of cancer-related fatigue (CRF). (more…)

Acupuncture for people with seasonal allergic rhinitis

Saturday, February 23rd, 2013

acupunctureMan1Researchers from the US, Germany, and China studied the proposed benefits.

The results offer an opportunity to compare acupuncture to other treatment options. (more…)

Benefits derived from complementary methods of blood pressure control

Saturday, January 12th, 2013

US News has an article on the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which is aimed at providing nutrients to help reduce blood pressure as well as other benefits. With DASH, the focus is on dietary patterns rather than single nutrients.

For those who think it might be worth the effort, Dr. Barry Materson from the University of Miami says what you can expect in lowered blood pressure. Several years ago another article reported how DASH compares to other treatment options for lowering blood pressure.

(more…)

Results of nonpharmacological approaches to treating pain

Tuesday, January 1st, 2013

Researchers at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, in Chicago evaluated the effectiveness of an inpatient integrative medicine consult service for pain management. (more…)

Acupuncture: Effective to treat chronic pain

Tuesday, September 11th, 2012

Although it’s widely used for chronic pain, there’s controversy as to its value.

Now, researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, in New York City, reviewed the evidence in 4 chronic pain conditions. (more…)

CAM use among people with high blood pressure

Wednesday, September 5th, 2012

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the overall prevalence of hypertension among US adults between 2003 and 2010 was 30%, or about 67 million people. About 36 million (54%) had uncontrolled hypertension.

Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, examined the prevalence of CAM use among older adults with and without diagnosed high blood pressure and the degree to which CAM is used specifically for the treatment of high blood pressure. (more…)

SIT and the co-disciplinary pain clinic

Thursday, August 9th, 2012

Clinicians in California described their clinical practice, which uses the simultaneous interview technique (SIT). (more…)

What’s trending now in visits to homeopaths

Saturday, July 21st, 2012

Two recent studies report marked differences in the use of homeopathy.

First, homeopathy in the US. (more…)

Smart acupuncture

Friday, July 20th, 2012

Fast Company reports that a new system links to a readout and shows how much electrical activity the needles are stimulating in a patient’s muscles. (more…)