This is the 2nd time in 2 days I’ve seen “palliative care†applied to the care or patients who are not at the end of life.
“If the relation with pain is causal, palliative care could increase the quality of life and range of activities in which people participate,” say researchers from Princeton University in New Jersey and Stony Brook, New York. Continue reading Applying palliative care to pain management
Traumeel is a homeopathic anti-inflammatory and analgesic preparation containing 12 botanicals and 2 minerals.
Doctors in Germany compared it to conventional treatment for sprains, strains, and bruises. Continue reading Treating minor injuries with Traumeel
Panda Bear is a blog maintained by an emergency department resident physician. His views on CAM make Dr. Wallace Sampson seem like a believer.
Caution: You are about to enter a stomach-wrenching zone. Continue reading Rantings from a burned out resident
“The wolfsbane I should dread;
Nor will I dreary rosemarye,
That always mourns the dead;
But I will woo the dainty rose,
With her cheeks of tender red.” …Thomas Hood
Wolfsbane (Aconitum napellus, aconite, monkshood) is sometimes included in herbal remedies to treat inflammation, pain, musculoskeletal problems (eg arthritis), and heart problems. Continue reading Wolfsbane: Uses, risks, and admonitions
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises not to purchase or consume Total Body Formula in the flavors of Tropical Orange and Peach Nectar, or Total Body Mega Formula in the Orange/Tangerine flavor.
There are 43 reports of people in 9 states who experienced serious adverse reactions. Continue reading Consumer alert: “Total Body Formula” and “Mega Formula”
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 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
Researchers from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada report, that “music is effective in reducing anxiety and pain in children undergoing medical and dental procedures.” Continue reading Music for pain and anxiety in children
Dr. Eric Ruderman, Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Rheumatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago has published a review on Medscape, with lots of space devoted to CAM: exercise, acupuncture, and nutritional supplements. Continue reading An academic allopathic view of CAM options for arthritic pain
There are lots of recommendations to prevent or treat this cause of back pain.
Here’s what the Cochrane Collaboration found.
Continue reading Managing pelvic and back pain during pregnancy
Is it possible that brief hypnosis might decrease anesthesia and pain medicine use, as well as side effects associated with breast cancer surgery? Continue reading The value of hypnosis for breast cancer surgery
Here’s a hint.
The most comprehensive study of aromatherapy failed to show improvement in immune status, wound healing, or pain control. Continue reading Aromatherapy: Feel good or make well?
Dr. Paul White from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas has reviewed the medical literature and published a summary of the state of the art of acupuncture to manage pain. Continue reading Summarizing benefits of acupuncture
 This qualifies for mention here because this product contains menthol. Continue reading Consumer alert: IcyHot
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
Dr. Dan Rudin from Statin Island University Hospital in New York looked at past studies and concluded it’s a “safe and cost-effective measure not to be overlooked.” Continue reading Music therapy in gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures
Researchers from the University of Science in Malaysia report improvement in symptoms lasting up to 24 weeks. Continue reading Acupuncture for chronic prostatitis and chronic pelvic pain
I’m piecing together the results of a study by Brazilian researchers presented at the recent meeting of the American College of Rheumatology. Continue reading Positive results using exercise to treat fibromyalgia