Category Archives: complementary medicine

Government Survey, Who Uses Complementary and Alternative Medicine?

Posted on December 11, 2008 by continuum wellness| 2 Comments

Government survey shows 38 percent of adults and 12 percent of children use complementary and alternative medicine

Approximately 38 percent of adults in the United States aged 18 years and over and nearly 12 percent of U.S. children aged 17 years and under use some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), according to a new nationwide government survey.* This survey marks the first time questions were included on children’s use of CAM, which is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products such as herbal supplements, meditation, chiropractic, and acupuncture that are not generally considered to be part of conventional medicine.

The survey, conducted as part of the 2007 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), an annual study in which tens of thousands of Americans are interviewed about their health- and illness-related experiences, was developed by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The survey included questions on 36 types of CAM therapies commonly used in the United States—10 types of provider-based therapies, such as acupuncture and chiropractic, and 26 other therapies that do not require a provider, such as herbal supplements and meditation.

“The 2007 NHIS provides the most current, comprehensive, and reliable source of information on Americans’ use of CAM,” said Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., director of NCCAM. “These statistics confirm that CAM practices are a frequently used component of Americans’ health care regimens, and reinforce the need for rigorous research to study the safety and effectiveness of these therapies. The data also point out the need for patients and health care providers to openly discuss CAM use to ensure safe and coordinated care.”

The 2007 survey results, released in a National Health Statistics Report by NCHS, are based on data from more than 23,300 interviews with American adults and more than 9,400 interviews with adults on behalf a child in their household. The 2007 survey is the second conducted by NCCAM and NCHS—the first was done as part of the 2002 NHIS.**

CAM Use Among Adults

Comparison of the data from the 2002 and 2007 surveys suggests that overall use of CAM among adults has remained relatively steady—36 percent in 2002 and 38 percent in 2007. However, there has been substantial variation in the use of some specific CAM therapies, such as deep breathing, meditation, massage therapy, and yoga, which all showed significant increases.

The most commonly used CAM therapies among U.S. adults were

* Nonvitamin, nonmineral, natural products (17.7 percent) Most common: fish oil/omega 3/DHA, glucosamine, echinacea, flaxseed oil or pills, and ginseng***

* Deep breathing exercises (12.7 percent)

* Meditation (9.4 percent)

* Chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation (8.6 percent)

* Massage (8.3 percent)

* Yoga (6.1 percent).

Adults used CAM most often to treat pain including back pain or problems, neck pain or problems, joint pain or stiffness/other joint condition, arthritis, and other musculoskeletal conditions. Adult use of CAM therapies for head or chest colds showed a marked decrease from 2002 to 2007 (9.5 percent in 2002 to 2.0 percent in 2007).

Consistent with results from the 2002 data, in 2007 CAM use among adults was greater among:.

* Women (42.8 percent, compared to men 33.5 percent)

* Those aged 30-69 (30-39 years: 39.6 percent, 40-49 years: 40.1 percent, 50-59 years: 44.1 percent, 60-69 years: 41.0 percent)

* Those with higher levels of education (Masters, doctorate or professional: 55.4 percent)

* Those who were not poor (poor: 28.9 percent, near poor: 30.9 percent, not poor: 43.3 percent)

* Those living in the West (44.6 percent)

* Those who have quit smoking (48.1 percent)

CAM Use Among Children

Overall, CAM use among children is nearly 12 percent, or about 1 in 9 children. Children are five times more likely to use CAM if a parent or other relative uses CAM. Other characteristics of adult and child CAM users are similar—factors such as socioeconomic status, geographic region, the number of health conditions, the number of doctor visits in the last 12 months, and delaying or not receiving conventional care because of cost are all associated with CAM use.

Among children who used CAM in the past 12 months, CAM therapies were used most often for back or neck pain, head or chest colds, anxiety or stress, other musculoskeletal problems, and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD).

The most commonly used CAM therapies among children were

* Nonvitamin, nonmineral, natural products (3.9 percent) Most common: echinacea, fish oil/omega 3/DHA, combination herb pill, flaxseed oil or pills, and prebiotics or probiotics

* Chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation (2.8 percent)

* Deep breathing exercises (2.2 percent)

* Yoga (2.1 percent).

“The survey results provide information on trends and a rich set of data for investigating who in America is using CAM, the practices they use, and why,” said Richard L. Nahin, Ph.D., MPH, acting director of NCCAM’s Division of Extramural Research and co-author of the National Health Statistics Report. “Future analyses of these data may help explain some of the observed variation in the use of individual CAM therapies and provide greater insights into CAM use patterns among Americans.”

Posted in alternative medicine, baby boomers, complementary medicine, healing, Health, health beliefs, health care, healthy body, holistic medicine, medicine, women, women's health

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Times are tough, the choice between food and medication

Posted on October 23, 2008 by continuum wellness| 1 Comment

A poll by Macmillan Cancer Support suggests nearly half of cancer patients in England are being forced to cut back on basic necessities in order to pay for their prescriptions.

(rest of the story)

Benefits of Homeopathy

One of the benefits of homeopathy is that the remedies work to arouse your vital force to help your body to heal itself. The care itself is less expensive comparatively, so are the medicines, known as “remedies.” The amount of time the remedy is taken is generally much shorter than allopathic medications, with homeopathy less is more. As the body resets itself and healing is taking place the remedy is not taken.

The homeopathic model doesn’t induce additional financial pressures on someone when their energy is best used to heal.

Posted in alternative medicine, complementary medicine, drugs, healing, healing philosophy, Health, health care, holistic medicine, Homeopathy, medications, wellness, women, women's health

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Homeopathy in Ireland

Posted on October 20, 2008 by continuum wellness| 1 Comment

SMART IRISH party-goers are familiar with the powers of Nux Vomica as a hangover cure. Arnica has also become a household word in many homes across the country and each year a growing number of people grasp the concept of homeopathy as a system of medicine.

While the general public has moved away from confusing Homeopathy with massage and essential oils, it will still take some time and effort to have it accepted as a common form of treatment and integrated into the healthcare system. Nonetheless homeopathy is becoming more and more popular. (more)

Posted in alternative medicine, complementary medicine, Health, holistic medicine, Homeopathy

Acupuncture Reduces Side Effects of Breast Cancer Treatment

Posted on September 22, 2008 by continuum wellness| 1 Comment

BOSTON – Acupuncture is as effective and longer-lasting in managing the common debilitating side effects of hot flashes, night sweats, and excessive sweating (vasomotor symptoms) associated with breast cancer treatment and has no treatment side effects compared to conventional drug therapy, according to a first-of-its-kind study to be presented Wednesday, Sept. 24 at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology’s 50th Annual Meeting in Boston.

Findings also show there were additional benefits to acupuncture treatment for breast cancer patients, such as an increased sense of well being, more energy, and in some cases, a higher sex drive, that were not experienced in those patients who underwent drug treatment for their hot flashes.

“Our study shows that physicians and patients have an additional therapy for something that affects the majority of breast cancer survivors and actually has benefits, as opposed to more side effects. The effect is more durable than a drug commonly used to treat these vasomotor symptoms and, ultimately, is more cost-effective for insurance companies,” Eleanor Walker, M.D., lead author of the study and a radiation oncologist at the Henry Ford Hospital Department of Radiation Oncology in Detroit, said.

The reduction in hot flashes lasted longer for those breast cancer patients after completing their acupuncture treatment, compared to patients after stopping their drug therapy plan.

Eighty percent of women treated for breast cancer suffer from hot flashes after being treated with chemotherapy and/or anti-estrogen hormones, such as Tamoxifen and Arimidex. Although hormone replacement therapy is typically used to relieve these symptoms, breast cancer patients cannot use this therapy because it may increase the risk of the cancer coming back. As a treatment alternative, patients are generally treated with steroids and/or antidepressant drugs.

These drugs, however, have additional side effects, such as weight gain, nausea, constipation and fatigue. The antidepressant, venlafaxine (Effexor), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, is one of the most common drugs used to treat these hot flashes. However, many women decide against this treatment choice because of potential side effects, including decreased libido, insomnia, dizziness and nausea, or because they simply do not want to take any more medications.

The randomized clinical trial compared acupuncture treatment to venlafixine for 12 weeks to find out if acupuncture reduced vasomotor symptoms in breast cancer patients receiving hormonal therapy and produced fewer side effects than venlafaxine. The study involved 47 breast cancer patients who received either Tamoxifen or Arimidex and had at least 14 hot flashes per week. Results show that acupuncture reduces hot flashes as effectively as venlafaxine, with no side effects, and also provides additional health benefits to patients.

Posted in alternative medicine, breast cancer, cancer, complementary medicine, drugs, health beliefs, health care, side effects, women, women's health

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Help for Sunburn

Posted on August 7, 2008 by continuum wellness| Leave a comment

Distressed at her daughter’s sun burnt skin, one mom reached for an aloe ointment as a remedy. It didn’t help. The best solution for the reddened child? A cool washcloth. The story was reported by NPR and is here.

If you want a little more additional relief beyond a cool washcloth, here are a few more solutions.

  • Instead of aloe ointment, use aloe leaf. I love this plant! Every home should have one. It is very easy to grow. Basically just sit it in a sunny window, don’t over water. That is nature’s pharmacy on your windowsill. Gently ask the plant for permission to use it for healing and thank it for its help. For sunburn just pull off the amount of leaf you need for the affected area. Use the edge, juice should be coming out, or slice the leaf open along the edge and smear the juice over the ailing area. Repeat as needed.
  • Calendula, another powerful healing herb. Make an infusion ( a weak tea) with the flowers. Apply with cotton balls to the affected area. Calendula tincture also can be used.
    Homeopathic Remedies
  • Arnica can be given for the pain, especially if there is a lot of soreness present. Use the 30c or if the discomfort is more intense the 200th (200c). The dose may be repeated as needed every 20 minutes – 2 hours. Discontinue as the pain is relieved.
  • Apis if the burn is painful with redness and swelling.
  • Arsenicum if the burn is accompanied by marked pain, anxiety and restlessness. The person prefers warmth, rather than cold compresses.
  • Homeopathic care works best when the remedy selected is correlated to the complaint. As with any health complaint if the situation worsens seek medical care.

Monitor the condition and if it worsens seek medical care.

Posted in alternative medicine, complementary medicine, herbs, Homeopathy, Uncategorized

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Cancer Patients and Survivors Turn to Complementary Medicine

Posted on August 6, 2008 by continuum wellness| 1 Comment

A paper by American Cancer Society researchers published this week in Cancer, one of the Society’s peer-reviewed journals, offers one of the largest and most detailed portraits of complementary and alternative therapy use among cancer survivors in the United States.

Complementary therapy refers to treatments, techniques, or methods that are used along with standard or mainstream medicine. Some complementary therapies may help relieve certain symptoms of cancer or its treatment. An alternative therapy refers to an unproven therapy that is used instead of conventional medicine. Some alternative therapies are bogus, and some have dangerous or even life-threatening side effects. Still others scientists don’t know enough about.

To date, information on just how many patients actually use complementary and alternative methods and on which patient characteristics influence that use has been limited.
Popular Therapies

ACS researchers surveyed more than more than 4,000 survivors who were participants in the American Cancer Society’s Study of Cancer Survivors-I (SCS-I) and found that more than half used some type of alternative or complementary therapy.

“Many complementary methods are extremely popular among cancer survivors, who are spending a lot of their time, money, and attention on them,” said Ted Gansler, MD, Director of Medical Content at the American Cancer Society and co-author of the study. “For this reason, it’s important to determine which are helpful, not only for shrinking tumors and extending survival, but also for relieving symptoms and improving quality-of-life.”

The researchers looked at 19 different complementary methods — from acupuncture to Tai Chi. Survivors listed the following practices most frequently: prayer/spiritual practice (61.4%), relaxation (44.3%), faith/spiritual healing (42.4%), nutritional supplements/vitamins (40.1%), meditation (15%), religious counseling (11.3%), massage (11.2%), and support groups (9.7%). Hypnosis (0.4%), biofeedback (1.0%), and acupuncture/acupressure (1.2%) were among the least cited.

A Detailed Picture

Of the group, younger, more affluent, and more educated cancer survivors were more likely to use the therapies. Women were more likely than men to use energy techniques such as Tai Chi and yoga (10.1 vs. 1.9%) and manipulative body practices such as massage (16.9 vs. 3.9%), though both men and women were only somewhat less likely to use non-spiritual mind-body methods such as aromatherapy, hypnosis, and meditation (58.6% vs. 42.8%).

Breast and ovarian cancer survivors were more likely to use alternative and complementary therapies than survivors of other cancer types, even when the researchers controlled for factors such as gender, stage of disease, and other characteristics. More research is needed into why these groups are more likely to embrace the methods.

This is the first of several reports that will tap American Cancer Society’s Study of Cancer Survivors-I (SCS-I) data to further investigate the topic of complementary and alternative medicine use among cancer survivors.

“We need to learn more about why some people use certain complementary methods, why other don’t, what benefits users expect, and how effective various complementary methods are in improving survivors’ length and quality of life,” said Gansler.

For more information on this topic and to learn more about some of the therapies mentioned in this story, see the American Cancer Society’s guide to Complementary and Alternative Therapies. *CW note: Homeopathy is not listed in the ACS review of therapies, yet it has helped many people who turn to its use. In every therapy one should work with a qualified therapist.

Posted in alternative medicine, breast cancer, cancer, cervical cancer, complementary medicine, healing, Health, holistic medicine, medicine, men, women, women's health

Patients “misled” by contrasting views on complementary medicine

Posted on July 18, 2008 by continuum wellness| Leave a comment

Patients are being continuously and seriously misled by both sides of the debate on complementary medicine, according to a leading clinical expert.

One of the most important questions about complementary medicine — does it generate more harm than good? — remains unanswered because two alternative and antagonistic attitudes are influencing the evidence, says Professor Edzard Ernst in the journal BMJ Clinical Evidence.

According to Professor Ernst, the sceptics often ignore the evidence for complementary medicine.

He says that, despite thousands of clinical trials and hundreds of systematic reviews, mainstream journals rarely publish positive findings, giving the impression that little serious research is being done in this field, or that the findings show complementary medicine to be useless or even dangerous.

In contrast, he argues, the proponents claim that “scientific evidence cannot be applied to complementary medicine” when data fail to show what they had hoped for.

But the real loser in these ongoing disputes is the patient, warns Professor Ernst.

He points out that complementary medicine has become important not because of the eagerness of doctors, the interests of scientists or the attention of politicians, but because of the “almost insatiable hunger of patients.”

In Britain, £1.6bn is spent each year on complementary medicine —therapies rarely available on the NHS — yet there is little evidence available to patients about what really works.

To remedy the situation, reliable information intended specifically for lay people must be produced as a matter of urgency, Professor Ernst concludes.

BMJ Clinical Evidence

Posted in alternative medicine, complementary medicine, healing, Health, health beliefs, holistic medicine, medical news

Prince of Wales Supports Complementary Therapies

Posted on May 16, 2008 by continuum wellness| 2 Comments

There really is more than one way to look at something. In the process of learning some prefer the tactile touch of books, some like the ease of an audio tape or CD, someone else may want a one on one with a tutor but the point is learning took place. Perhaps it is not the best example but I hope you see the conclusion that I am reaching. Herbal medicine, Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, Homeopathic medicine, Flower essences, body work, massage, sweats, fasting, even leeching is staging a come back. There are many ways to tap into healing. Remember that laughter cured Norman Cousins when the doctors told him that he was incurable. Why are some so close-minded?

The article below is from the BBC. Click on the link to read the article.

Complementary therapies should be given a greater role in the NHS, a report commissioned by the Prince of Wales has said.

The report, by economist Christopher Smallwood, said patients with conditions such as back pain and stress can benefit from some of the therapies.

However, there is a shortage of treatments such as acupuncture and osteopathy in poorer areas.

The report does not say wider use would bring huge NHS savings.

The report covers the ‘Big Five’ complementary and alternative therapies – osteopathy and chiropractic, acupuncture, homeopathy and herbal medicine.

Millions of people use complementary therapies in the UK, and demand is growing. About half of GPs now provide some kind of access to such treatments.
(more)

Be Well

Posted in Ayurveda, complementary medicine, healing, Health, health beliefs, health care, healthy mind, holistic medicine, Homeopathy, medicine, self-healing, thoughts, Uncategorized

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A Double-Blind Trial of a Homeopathic Proving

Posted on March 7, 2008 by continuum wellness| Leave a comment

A double-blind, randomized, homeopathic pathogenetic trial with healthy persons: comparing two high potencies.

Möllinger H, Schneider R, Löffel M, Walach H.

Health Center Sokrates, Güttingen, Switzerland.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: According to homeopathic theory, symptoms provoked by the homeopathic remedy in a pathogenetic trial (PT) make up the remedy picture serving as the basis for the homeopathic treatment. Little is known whether the symptoms produced by the remedy differ from symptoms produced by placebo. This is because both homeopathic remedy and placebo also produce so-called unspecific effects due to psychological reasons. We therefore explore the distinctiveness of homeopathic symptoms and placebo symptoms. DESIGN: A three-armed, randomized PT pilot study. SETTING: A blinded materia medica expert identifies symptoms with regard to their number and specificity. PARTICIPANTS: 21 healthy homeopathic practitioners note symptoms produced after remedy intake. INTERVENTIONS: Patients are randomly assigned to receive either (1) Calendula officinalis, (2) Ferrum muriaticum, or (3) placebo. After a seven-day baseline symptoms recording period, proving substances are taken until symptoms occur. In daily supervision phone calls, symptoms are verified by the supervisor. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Total number of symptoms produced and number of specific symptoms produced. OUTLOOK: The results showed that both remedies ‘produced’ significantly more symptoms than placebo. With regard to the specificity, the Calendula officinalis group displayed more remedy-specific symptoms than placebo. However, in the Ferrum muriaticum group more Calendula symptoms than placebo were also recorded.

Posted in alternative medicine, calendula, complementary medicine, healing philosophy, homeopathic proving, Homeopathy, placebo, Uncategorized

The BBC Abandons Its Complementary Medicine Website Due to Pressure

Posted on March 1, 2008 by continuum wellness| 2 Comments

Natural and holistic methods of health care are viable and valuable approaches to health care. Read the full story.

(NaturalNews) The BBC, Britain’s venerable TV station known and respected worldwide for its impartiality and integrity, has suddenly closed down the Complementary Medicine section on its Health website (www.bbc.co.uk/health) .

This is believed to be in response to a curious and abnormal amount of letters and e-mails demanding that information on such therapies as homeopathy and cranial osteopathy be removed.

The BBC Health website is one of the most widely accessed websites in the world and has been online for almost 15 years. Its Complementary Medicine section had in excess of 40 pages on “alternative” therapies, objective evaluations, a practitioner ‘search’ facility, and other useful information. But the controllers of BBC Health have now decided to abandon all coverage of Complementary Medicine.

Recently, in the UK, there has been a concerted attack on “alternative” medicine from people like University College London Professor David Colquhoun who described 61 university complementary medicine courses (45 of them science degrees) as “gobbledygook”. Professor Colquhoun went on to say that, “the teaching of complementary medicine under a science banner was worse than ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees in golf management and baking…”

Another critic of “complementary” medicine is Michael Baum, Emeritus Professor of Surgery at University College London, who caused a storm by criticizing Prince Charles’s support for the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital (RLHH). “Homeopathy,” says Professor Baum, “is no better than witchcraft.” Criticising a £20 million refurbishment of the RLHH Professor Baum says that that money would have been better spent on drugs like Herceptin.

In May 2006, Prince Charles had addressed the World Health Assembly in Geneva to argue for homeopathy and its kindred therapies. The Prince urged a return to remedies “rooted in ancient traditions that intuitively understood the need to maintain balance and harmony with our minds, bodies and the natural world.”

The decision by BBC controllers is a curious one, especially at a time when more than 40% of Britons use some form of “complementary” medicine and spend £1.6 billion pounds annually (Ernst). In Britain, the BBC is a public service broadcaster and its remit is to broadcast for the benefit of the public – not for commercial concerns. As public outrage begins to grow, we are sure to hear a lot more about this sinister development in the days and weeks ahead.

The BBC, in response to criticism of their action, says that the “complementary health section was incomplete and, therefore, not of a satisfactory editorial standard.” They go on to say, “The BBC will continue to cover complementary health in other areas of its output, such as TV, radio and news programmes, and may reassess its complementary health content in future.”

If you have ever accessed the BBC’s “Complementary Medicine” site or believe that it should be restored, please take just a minute to complain or express your views using their online comment form at: (www.bbc.co.uk/feedback/)

http://www.naturalnews.com/022734.html

Posted in alternative medicine, complementary medicine, Health, health care, holistic medicine, Homeopathy

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