There’s an online newsletter, CAM at the NIH, posted by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) that you might want to check out.
This issue lists priorities for future acupuncture research. Continue reading Future directions for acupuncture research
Despite negative results, researchers from Denmark think another, larger study is needed. Continue reading Implanting gold beads to treat knee osteoarthritis
 NIHSeniorHealth is a website that features health and wellness information for older adults from the National Institutes of Health.
Now, it’s added a CAM link. Continue reading NIH starts CAM for seniors website
 Researchers from Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital in Hualien, Taiwan report that long-term administration of Lactobacillus rhamnosus T cell-1 decreased the incidence of bacterial infection in children.
Well, maybe it did… but maybe it didn’t. Continue reading Using probiotics to protect kids from infection
 Yes, it’s effective short term, according to researchers at Southern California University of Health Sciences at Whittier.
It’s the latest in a series of reviews (here, here, and here) on this topic in the past few years. Continue reading Another review of acupuncture for neck pain
This study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill compared the response to each activity in high-risk women who were sedentary and had experienced pre-eclampsia previously. Continue reading Walking vs stretching in high-risk pregnancy
 There were significant gains in strength, according to researchers at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Continue reading Resistance-training for Special Olympics athletes
Back in 2004, Dr. John Chang from the David Geffen School of Medicine in Los Angeles reported, “Interventions to prevent falls significantly reduce the proportion of older people who fall at least once.”
Reviewers since then have disagreed. Continue reading Preventing falls in the elderly
The American Heart Association (AHA) advisory on the benefits of omega-6 fatty acids is summarized here. Considering all the press about omega-6 and the negative effects of the typical US diet on the omega-3:-6 ratio it was surprising to see.
Ms. Evelyn Tribole (photo), a registered dietitian from Newport Beach, California, emailed her thoughts about the AHA advisory. They’re reprinted below. Continue reading Rebuttal to the AHA omega-6 advisory
When a second antidepressant drug is added to an existing antidepressant, it’s called “combination pharmacotherapy.”
When a non-antidepressant agent is added, it’s “augmentation treatment.”
Examples of augmentation therapy… Continue reading Augmentation therapy for resistant depression
 “What’s really compelling is that we see the association between exercise and lower colon cancer risk regardless of how physical activity was measured in the studies,” say researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Continue reading Physical activity lowers colon cancer risk
 Yoga of Awareness is an 8-week program that includes gentle yoga poses, meditation, and breathing exercises.
Researchers from Oregon Health & Science University in Portland studied its effects on menopausal symptoms in breast cancer survivors. Continue reading Yoga of Awareness in breast cancer survivors
 ApoC-III is a risk factor for heart disease. The increased levels observed in marijuana users might explain, in part, the heart and cerebral abnormalities seen in tokers. Continue reading Heavy marijuana use leads to high triglyceride levels
 Protection from prostate cancer may be associated with the type of soy foods consumed, according to this review by researchers at the Washington University in St Louis, Missouri. Continue reading Soy and prostate cancer risk
 For non-specific low back pain, what is the appropriate number of acupoints and how many acupuncture sessions are needed?
Researchers from the University of Ulster in the UK have documented wide variability. Continue reading Lack of uniformity in acupuncture for back pain
 Researchers from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis have reviewed the literature.
There’s good news and a challenge to future researchers. Continue reading Effects of acupuncture on cardiac arrhythmias
 Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine in Columbia reviewed the evidence. Continue reading Music during colonoscopy
 There are those who recommend substantial reductions in omega-6 fatty acid intake. Now, the American Heart Association (AHA) says, “enough already.” Continue reading Benefits of omega-6 fatty acids
This is the latest study to compare the frequency of upper respiratory tract symptoms in people receiving E. purpurea capsules vs placebo. Continue reading Echinacea, placebo and upper respiratory tract symptoms
Last year, Prof. Ernst reviewed CAM for neuropathic and neurologic pain and reported that topically applied capsaicin was more effective than placebo.
Now, study results presented during the American Academy of Pain Medicine meeting support its safety during long-term use for post-herpetic neuralgia and HIV-related neuropathy. Continue reading Capsaicin reported safe in a long-term study