Researchers in Germany performed a systematic review of the evidence. (more…)

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…)

Researchers in the US and Canada evaluated massage, humor therapy, and relaxation/imagery for reducing distress associated with pediatric stem cell transplantation. (more…)

The Integrative Medicine Service, at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, in New York City offers their perspective. (more…)

Researchers reported during the annual meeting of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians that “mind-body interventions may be prudent choices for adjunctive treatment for motivated patients.” (more…)

 Mental imagery and hypnotherapy helped alleviate pain in this study (page 55) by researchers at Bangor University in the UK presented during The British Psychological Society’s Division of Health Psychology Annual Conference. (more…)

You won’t be surprised to learn that pain of longer duration and greater impairment make children more willing to use CAM.

But which CAM options do they choose? (more…)

I was surprised to read it, but “one of the more common chronic pain syndromes in children is recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) — thought to affect 10% to 30% of all school-aged children.”

The results of this study show that “the response to guided imagery in.. children with RAP was rapid, sustained, clinically effective, and not associated with any apparent side effects.”

Let’s learn more.
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Men receiving support before prostate surgery showed improved quality of life following surgery, according to a study presented during the American Society of Clinical Oncology 43rd Annual Meeting and reported on Medscape. (more…)

Not much evidence is available. But here’s what 2 researchers from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania discovered during their review of 20 published studies. (more…)

The Cancer Integrative Medicine Program at Rush University Medical Center focuses on dealing with the emotional, psychological, and spiritual effects of cancer. (more…)

The Oncology Nursing Society has posted a table that summarizes CAM studies on the treatment of nausea and vomiting in cancer patients. The studies were published between 1988 and 2005.

Here’s a summary of their findings.
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Rumination is the voluntary or involuntary regurgitation and rechewing of partially digested food that is either reswallowed or expelled.

Interestingly, in addition to diet, exercise, and possibly surgery, all treatments are complementary.
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Advocates of imagery contend that the imagination is a potent healer that has been overlooked by Western medicine.

Now, a study in 44 patients treated for chronic pain reports that “guided imagery” was an effective supplement to medication therapy.

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