Breakthrough pain is a worsening or flare of pain that occurs in patients whose pain is otherwise controlled.
Dr. Neal Slatkin, who is director for the Department of Supportive Care, Pain & Palliative Medicine at the City of Hope has reviewed the treatment options — including CAM. Continue reading Complementary treatments for breakthrough pain
The evidence confirms its antibacterial properties and additional beneficial effects of medical honey on wound healing, according to this article published in Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
The autumn 2007 session of the American College for Advancement in Medicine’s International Educational Conference on Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Medicine (CAIM) took place in November 2007.
Here are some highlights. Continue reading Highlights from CAIM
If someone advocates a complementary or alternative treatment, the first question to ask is not, “Is it effective?”
No, the first question is, “In clinical trials, how did treatment X compare to the ‘placebo effect’ in the same disease?”
To understand why, let’s start by defining terms.
Continue reading Placebo effect: the ultimate complementary medicine
Among 60 variables, only 4 were predictive of adverse effects in patients with neck pain, according to researchers at VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam. Continue reading Predicting adverse events following chiropractic care
Pycnogenol is a scavenger of oxygen free radicals. Here’s the latest in a series of positive studies. Continue reading Treating osteoarthritis with pycnogenol
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera; winter cherry) belongs to the pepper family. The root is used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine as an aphrodisiac, liver tonic, anti-inflammatory agent, and astringent.
People taking digoxin (Lanoxin) should be forewarned that tests to measure digoxin blood levels could be affected by the concurrent use of Ashwagandha, according to a study by researchers from the University of Texas, Houston. Continue reading Ashwagandha causes errors in measured digoxin blood levels
By the end of this study, the massage therapy group showed better results compared to the relaxation group. Continue reading Massage for lower back pain and sleep disturbance
I came across this website and a review that recite the purported benefits of Rhodiola rosea (Sedum roseum; rose root). The story is remarkably similar to the story told at almost all other sites. (Google “Rhodiola rosea” to see what I mean.)
But what does the research really reveal? Continue reading A closer look at Rhodiola rosea: A versatile adaptogen?
Several studies suggest that garlic has beneficial effects on risk factors associated with heart disease. MayoClinic.com even gives it a “B” rating (good scientific evidence for this use) based on studies lasting up to 12 weeks.
Others are not impressed.
Continue reading Don’t rely on garlic to lower high cholesterol
A review published in American Family Physician covers a broad range of herbal and dietary supplements for treating anxiety disorders.
I’ll focus on the best of the lot, kava (Piper methysticum). You can read the rest of the article here. Continue reading Compiling the evidence for kava to treat anxiety
Soy food intake in the amount consumed by Asian populations may have protective effects against breast cancer, according to researchers at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Continue reading Dietary soy and breast cancer risk
The natives of Guam use fadang — the seed of the false sago palm (a cycad) (photo) — as an ingredient in their traditional medicine and food.
According to Marjorie Whiting, a nutritionist/anthropologist who lived with the native Guamanians, “Everybody knows that the fadang is toxic… The people go to a lot of trouble to process it in order to detoxify it.”
Now, we’re learning about the risk factors for toxicity they missed. Continue reading The risk of fadang in dementia
Drs. Kalyanakrishnan Ramakrishnan and Dewey Scheid from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center have published a review of treatment options for sleeplessness.
Melatonin, valerian, and several non-drug treatments are compared to benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepine options. Continue reading Comparing treatments for insomnia
During the First North American Regional Epilepsy Congress, researchers from the University of Texas reported that men with epilepsy who take enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) have lower levels of vitamin D and calcium, plus higher parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels.
The AEDs involved included the following.
Continue reading The need for vitamin D in people with epilepsy
A study of more than 2000 non-demented individuals conducted in 2006 concluded that better adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
Now, the Mediterranean diet appears useful in people already diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Continue reading Mediterranean diet for Alzheimer’s disease?
Not when compared to general practitioners’ care alone, according to researchers from Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Continue reading Is physical therapy cost-effective care for sciatica?
In the ongoing game of catch me if you can, these products have been caught. Continue reading Consumer alert: Blue Steel and Hero products
A published (and widely circulated in the lay press) study by researchers at Lund University in Sweden reported that high folate intake by women 50 years and older was associated with a lower incidence of postmenopausal breast cancer.
Of greater interest is an editorial by Dr. Cornelia Ulrich from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. Continue reading Reconsidering the effect of folate on breast cancer risk
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. Continue reading Stress-management for radical prostatectomy patients