A guy goes into the bar and orders a drink. Other than the bartender, there’s no one else in the place. Suddenly he hears a voice that says, “Nice suit.” Later, the same voice says, “Nice tie.” He finally asks the bartender if he just said something.
“No,” replies the bartender, “It was probably the peanuts. They’re complimentary.”
Medical News Today reports on 2 studies about nuts from Penn State University. Continue reading Penn State goes nutty
Lithotripsy is a medical procedure that uses shock waves to break up stones that form in the kidney, bladder, ureters, or gallbladder.
Researchers at Yale School of Medicine studied if the combination of auricular and body acupuncture might reduce the need for sedation during lithotripsy. Continue reading Acupuncture during lithotripsy
A 12-hour course in Ayurveda is being offered to American medical students, residents, faculty, and practicing physicians. Continue reading Going on the road to introduce Ayurveda to American medical students and physicians
A telephone survey of more than 11,000 people revealed that about 3% had used CAM in the past 12 months for the purpose of losing weight.
Here are the most common CAM therapies. Continue reading The rationale for yoga for weight reduction
“Several studies have pointed to vitamin E as possibly protective against … dementia,” according to Dr. Neil Buckholtz who is head of the Dementias of Aging Branch at the National Institute on Aging. “The only way this association can really be tested is through clinical studies and trials.”
Now, one of those studies is published. Continue reading Negative news on vitamin E supplements and memory loss
How might cognitive therapy assist? Continue reading Cognitive therapy and weight reduction
Research reported Dr. Pamela Schultz during the American Physiological Society meeting in Washington, DC shows that the Iyengar method of yoga not only promotes psychological well-being, but seems to offer immune system benefits as well. Continue reading Yoga benefits for breast cancer survivors
Dr. Cathy Wong is a licensed naturopath and certified nutritionist. She writes an upbeat column on the About website.
In one article she discusses Althaea for cough and sore throat, ulcers, and irritated skin. Continue reading Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis): Where’s the data?
According to their website, the International Yoga Therapy Conference “is a forum that explores the specific and profound ways in which yoga can aid in maintaining good health or recovery from illness.”
This year’s meeting will be held at the Peacock Gap Country Club in San Rafael, California (about 30 minutes north of San Francisco) on May 18 to 20. Continue reading Yoga for health
Dr. Jason Jones is the Clinic Director of SpinaCare. In an earlier post he commented that the validity of the outcomes at the end of clinical research depends on asking the appropriate question at the start.
Case in point: Back pain. Continue reading Time to define back pain
Belinda at The Patient Connection is seeking opinions and experiences from people with epilepsy and their parents/caregivers. Topics include medication, ketogenic diets, and surgery.
From what I can tell, this is a company that specializes in conducting focus groups and opinion research for their clients. Ultimately, their work complements clinical trial results. Continue reading Sharing epilepsy treatment experiences
Updated guidelines for managing post-operative nausea and vomiting announced during the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists include using acupuncture.
Here’s some supporting data.
Continue reading Guidelines to prevent nausea and vomiting include acupuncture
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced a nationwide recall of H S Joy of Love dietary supplement because it could interact with prescription drugs. Continue reading Consumer alert: Chinese herbal medicine Joy of Love is recalled
Dr. Laura Podewils from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia says “there is relatively consistent evidence suggesting that older persons who engage in regular or high levels of exercise have a decreased risk for dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease, compared to older persons who are inactive.”
OK, but her research shows that physical activity has no effect on the rate of lesion progression in elderly people with Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment. Continue reading Exercise does not alter lesions in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients
Vascular dementia is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. The condition is preventable. Therefore, early detection and implementation of effective treatment are important.
In order to assess the effect of acupuncture on this condition, a broad search for randomized, placebo-controlled studies testing acupuncture to treat vascular dementia was undertaken. Continue reading Trying to evaluate acupuncture to treat vascular dementia
Here is a website that tells you how many people in your neighborhood are as sick as you. Continue reading Who is sick?
Actually, they reviewed more than CAM, but that’s what will be covered here.
Continue reading British Association for Psychopharmacology rates CAM for dementia
Alcoholics who watch themselves after a bout of delirium tremens (DTs; a potentially fatal form of alcohol withdrawal), have less severe relapses and consume less alcohol.
Here are the details. Continue reading Using videotape to treat alcoholics with delirium tremens
Researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey report that overweight premenopausal women don’t lose bone when they diet if they take the recommended amount of calcium.
Here are the details. Continue reading The value of calcium when premenopausal women diet
Over 3 decades, the potential health benefits of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have been studied, debated, and explained.
If you’ve been looking for a single authoritative and well-documented source on this subject, look no further than this article in the Journal of Nurse Practitioners on Medscape. Continue reading A major review of omega 3 fatty acids