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

Archive for the 'Massage' Category

Hopelessness and the value of CAM in ovarian cancer

Tuesday, April 30th, 2013

ovarian-cancer-wristbands_normalIt’s reported that 55% of patients with ovarian cancer acknowledge a fear of dying, and 32% experience loss of hope in their fight against this illness.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School, in Boston, examined CAM and its influence on hopelessness in these patients. (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…)

CAM use in the Manitoba IBD Cohort Study

Monday, February 27th, 2012

Researchers in Winnipeg, Manitoba surveyed the prevalence of CAM use in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. (more…)

Complementary treatments for osteoarthritis

Sunday, February 5th, 2012

Former Medical Director, of the Rosenthal Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine, at Columbia University Medical Center, in New York City, Dr. James Dillard, reviewed the evidence.

Here’s what we know. (more…)

Review of CAM for fibromyalgia

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

Most people suffering from fibromyalgia use a variety of complementary or alternative medicine treatments to manage their symptoms.

Prof. Ernst has updated his review of the CAM options from a year ago. (more…)

Using the Internet to treat migraine

Thursday, October 13th, 2011

The value of the Internet has been demonstrated for behavioral treatment of headache disorders, but not specifically for migraine.

In this study, researchers at the University of Gavle, in Sweden, developed and evaluated Internet-based behavior treatment. (more…)

CAM for insomnia?

Sunday, October 2nd, 2011

It’s probably one of the most popular uses of CAM.

Researchers in Australia reviewed the evidence. (more…)

Foot massage for patients with dementia

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

Researchers at Griffith University, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, studied the effects of foot massage on agitated behaviors. (more…)

Comparing 2 massage techniques to treat chronic back pain

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011

Researchers in the US compared 2 types of massage and usual care. (more…)

Benefits of massage to treat burn patients

Wednesday, June 15th, 2011

Thermal injury can cause severe physical and psychologic trauma. And, these patients commonly have severe itching and pain.

Researchers at Atatürk University, in Erzurum, Turkey, examined the effects of massage therapy on burned adolescents with pain, itching, and anxiety. (more…)

Tactile massage in elderly patients with severe dementia

Thursday, June 9th, 2011

Tactile massage is a soft massage that improves physical relaxation and psychological well-being.

Researchers at Hamamatsu University, in Shizuoka, Japan, studied the response to tactile massage among elderly patients with dementia. (more…)

CAM in the US: Patterns of use

Thursday, May 19th, 2011

I’ve largely ignored these studies in the past, but perhaps it’s worth a second look.

To start, this 1993 study by Dr. David Eisenberg, who is now the director of Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies at Harvard University, is considered a landmark in the field of “unconventional medicine.” (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…)

Massage vs music therapy to relieve labor pain

Sunday, May 1st, 2011

During labor, women experience intense, stressful, and steady pain.

Researchers at Ilam University of Medical Sciences, in Iran compared 2 nonpharmacologic treatment options. (more…)

Massage therapy for children with autism spectrum disorder

Sunday, April 3rd, 2011

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

Cochrane Library reviews real world chiropractic for early low back pain

Saturday, March 26th, 2011

It’s one of the most common and costly musculoskeletal problems.

The authors evaluated the effects of combined chiropractic interventions on pain, disability, back-related function, overall improvement, and patient satisfaction in adults with low back pain. (more…)

A checklist for higher quality CAM studies

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

Researchers from Taiwan observed inconsistencies in the results of massage therapy studies. In this article, they list the issues in study design that have plagued past studies.

No CAM researchers should be permitted to conduct research until they memorize this list and apply it to their studies. (more…)

Massage after heart surgery

Monday, March 21st, 2011

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota, studied role of massage therapy following surgery. (more…)

Aromatherapy massage for breast cancer patients

Thursday, March 10th, 2011

Researchers at the Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, in Japan measured immunological and psychological effects. (more…)

Massage-myofacial release therapy in fibromyalgia

Friday, January 21st, 2011

Fascia is the soft tissue component of connective tissue that supports and protects muscles. Myofascial release is a soft tissue therapy used to treat pain and restricted motion.

Researchers at the University of Almería, in Spain, looked for improvement in pain, anxiety, quality of sleep, depression, and quality of life. (more…)