Periodontal disease is a gum disease (such as periodontitis or gingivitis) that, if untreated, inflames and eventually destroys the bone and tissues that support and anchor the teeth.
Cannabis smoking is a risk factor for periodontal disease, according to this study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Continue reading Periodontal disease in kids who smoke pot
Researchers at Wonkwang University in Iksan, South Korea report it’s not better than placebo.
But they’re still optimistic. Continue reading Acupuncture to reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms
Suxiao jiuxin wan is a mixture of herbs that is used in China along with western medicine to treat angina.
This Cochrane review concluded that the evidence does not support its use. Continue reading A review of suxiao jiuxin wan as treatment for angina pectoris
Research from Emory University in Atlanta indicates that patients with HIV/AIDS might be using CAM as an alternative to highly active anti-retroviral (HAART) HIV/AIDS treatment regimens.
At least among Black women in Alabama and Georgia. Continue reading CAM: Complementary or alternative treatment for HIV/AIDS?
The journal Postgraduate Medicine has a good review article on whiplash. Although it is dated (published in 2001), healthcare professionals and other humans should find it informative.
The most interesting statement in light of an earlier post on this site regarding the intensity of care and recovery is the following.
Continue reading Whiplash and a factor that might affect treatment outcomes
Danshen (Radix Salviae Miltiorrhiza Bge, Salvia Root P.E.) extract is used to treat and prevent heart disease and senility in Asia, according to researchers from China. In some cases, patients might take danshen combined with theophylline (used to treat asthma).
Since they are both metabolized by the same liver enzyme system (CYP1A2), this study was conducted to determine the risk of a drug interaction. Continue reading No interaction between danshen and theophylline
Researchers at the University Medical Center Utrecht in The Netherlands, reported more deaths when patients suffering from severe acute pancreatitis were treated with probiotics compared to placebo. Continue reading Bad results with probiotics reported during treatment of pancreatitis
Here’s the latest information from 2 studies from Dartmouth University in New Hampshire and Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Continue reading Clarifying the effects of caffeine on insulin and diabetes
Ten years ago, the late Dr. William Fair, a surgeon at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and CAM advocate wrote, “epidemiologic and laboratory evidence increasingly demonstrate that nutritional factors, especially reduced fat intake, soy proteins, vitamin E derivatives, and selenium, may have a protective effect against prostate cancer.”
Now, Steffen Theobald, a nutritional consultant and manager at the Scientific Association for the Improvement of Patient Competence in Germany updates the role of nutrition in the development, prevention, and treatment of prostate cancer.
Continue reading A ten-year perspective: The influence of nutrition on prostate cancer
Its effectiveness is controversial, but vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is often used as an option before committing to surgery, according to Drs. Milly Ryan-Harshman and Walid Aldoori in a recent review. Continue reading Reviewing the value of vitamin B6 to treat carpal tunnel syndrome
A few years ago, a review of 30 studies of healing touch concluded, “no generalizable results were found.” In plain English that means there was no disease nor any group of patients with a disease where healing touch was a reliable treatment alternative.
A new study of healing touch in 12 veterans with neuropathic pain and the associated psychological distress from post spinal cord injury comes to the same conclusion.
Continue reading Healing touch: 31 unsuccessful studies and counting
Professor Michel Tournaire and Dr. Anne Theau-Yonneau have reviewed the literature.
Few publications report a statistically significant reduction in labor pain? Here’s what we know about pain relief and other outcomes. I’ll summarize the more familiar options. Continue reading The value of CAM for pain relief during labor
During a cruise last spring I took some classes in Pilates. We used blue spongy yoga mats, and I remember thinking to myself each time I picked one from the pile in the corner, “Are these things ever cleaned?
In general, past entries on this topic were positive, although peppermint oil gets a “C” rating (inconsistent or limited-quality patient-oriented evidence) for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Maybe so, but here is another supportive study that tested the effectiveness of enteric-coated peppermint oil in a well-defined group of patients. Continue reading Positive results with peppermint oil to treat irritable bowel syndrome
Here’s a CBS video on the subject.
It saddens me, but it’s instructive regarding the bias at CBS. Notice there’s no attempt to balance the report with any of the risks of marijuana or the lack of science on its “benefits.”
Go here for balance. Continue reading Marijuana available from vending machines in California
NORML, the medical marijuana advocacy group, thinks this is a positive study.
I don’t see it that way. Continue reading Spinning the effect of marijuana abuse in schizophrenics
Here are the results of a study of Ayurvedic herbal treatment for health problems caused by exposure to the toxic chemicals at Ground Zero and in lower Manhattan following the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center.
Improvement during Ayurvedic herbal treatment was reported. Continue reading Response to Ayurvedic herbal supplements among 9/11 survivors
Researchers from Oregon Health and Science University in Portland have published an article on the evidence supporting treatment guidelines from the American Pain Society and American College of Physicians. Continue reading Allopathic recommendations for non-drug treatment of low back pain
Researchers are studying the potential of snacks as vehicles to deliver more eicosapentaenoic acid, (EPA) plus docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in snacks. Continue reading Trying to make cookies and potato chips healthier
Researchers from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago have reported, “no relation between statin use and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease or a decline in thinking ability.”
In the absence of an allopathic silver bullet, it’s worthwhile to review what we know about complementary options to ease what author Eileen Shamy refers to as “the frightening and weary stages of Alzheimer’s disease.” Continue reading Negative results with statins; so let’s review CAM for Alzheimer’s disease