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

Archive for the 'D. ENERGY THERAPIES' Category

Static magnets and copper fail to improve arthritis

Tuesday, October 1st, 2013

MAGNETIC-BRACELET-150x150Folklore remedies for pain and inflammation support these bracelets to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

Researchers at The University of York, in the UK studied their effects. (more…)

Safety of energy drinks

Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012

Energy drinks are consumed by 30% to 50% of adolescents and young adults. The manufacturers claim they are safe.

Researchers at the University of Miami, in Florida reviewed the evidence and came to a different conclusion. (more…)

Review: Qigong in patients with cancer

Sunday, January 29th, 2012

Qigong is often used by cancer patients to help manage their symptoms.

Researchers at The University of Hong Kong, in China, evaluated the effectiveness of qigong exercise in cancer care. (more…)

Review: CAM options for carpel tunnel syndrome

Sunday, January 22nd, 2012

Aside from surgery, splinting, exercises, and other alternative therapies have been used.

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University reviewed the evidence. (more…)

Noninvasive brain stimulation to treat chronic pain

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011

In this Cochrane review, researchers in Australia and the UK evaluated the evidence for directly altering brain activity with electrical stimulation to reduce chronic pain. (more…)

A well-designed study of qigong in type 2 diabetes

Monday, September 12th, 2011

Past studies have been criticized because of poor study design, according to Prof. Ernst.

Researchers from Bastyr University tighten up the design and report their results. (more…)

Are those using CAM less likely to be immunized?

Friday, May 13th, 2011

CAMThere’s concern that the use of complementary and alternative medications (CAM) may replace recommended preventive health practices.

Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, in Pennsylvania conducted a survey to learn more. (more…)

Qigong for women with breast cancer

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011

Researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston, Texas, looked for evidence that external qigong treatment could shrink breast cancer tumors and improve quality of life in women with breast cancer awaiting surgery. (more…)

Electromagnetic therapy for venous leg ulcers

Tuesday, April 5th, 2011

In this Cochrane review, researchers at the University of Malaya, in Kuala Lumpur, reviewed this common, chronic, recurring condition, which has a prevalence in the UK of 1.5 to 3 per 1000 and is estimated to cost the NHS £400m ($720m; €600m) a year. (more…)

Review: Qigong for healthcare

Sunday, March 13th, 2011

Prof. Ernst and colleagues reviewed the evidence. (more…)

Treating chronic pain with external qigong

Friday, February 11th, 2011

An external qigong healer uses gentle touch or non-contact treatment to reach the client’s life energy (qi) and bring it to balance.

It was used along with pharmacotherapy by researchers at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota. (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…)

Perceived benefit from CAM in people with back pain

Monday, January 10th, 2011

Back pain is the second most common reason patients seek ambulatory medical care in the United States.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School, in Boston surveyed the nation about CAM use for back pain. (more…)

An Ernst review: Qigong for diabetes

Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

Prof. Ernst and colleagues reviewed the evidence and found it insufficient. (more…)

Relaxation therapy to manage hot flushes

Thursday, September 9th, 2010

The Cochrane Library has reviewed allopathic and CAM nonhormonal options. (more…)

CAM for spinal cord injury pain

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

Researchers at the University Medical Centre Utrecht and De Hoogstraat, in The Netherlands surveyed the use of CAM in a large group of Dutch patients with spinal cord injury. (more…)

Kiko exercises to prevent migraine headache

Sunday, May 9th, 2010

Researchers from the State University of New York, at Binghamton studied the response to kiko (video here), to prevent headaches.

Here are the results of the first study of this Japanese practice of qigong that uses repetitive coordinated breathing and movement. (more…)

Review: CAM treatment of depression and anxiety

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

Anxiety and depression are among the most common conditions cited by those seeking treatment with complementary and alternative therapies.

Researchers from The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, in Greenville, North Carolina reviewed the evidence. (more…)

Making the connection between static magnets and TMS

Monday, April 12th, 2010

The Mayo Clinic Health Letter makes the connection between static magnets and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

You’ll have to subscribe to read the whole article, but it’s interesting that Mayo places both treatments in the same category. (more…)

NCCAM reviews reiki and ayurvedic

Friday, April 2nd, 2010

 The National Center for Contemporary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has updated their introductory reviews.

Here’s what’s important. (more…)