Health Questions and Answers

Archive for November, 2007

Question: Which of these studies show that CAM therapies have some benefit?

Tuesday, November 27th, 2007

Answer:
An extract of Ginkgo biloba (Egb) was used in a 52-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group multicenter study to assess efficacy and safety in the treatment of Alzheimer disease and multiinfarct dementia. It was concluded that Egb was capable of stabilizing and improving cognitive performance and social functioning of these patients.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of [...]

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Question: Is there evidence in the medical literature to support CAM therapies?

Tuesday, November 27th, 2007

Answer:
Yes. The NIH created the Office of Alternative Medicine in 1992 with a $2 million budget. This was upgraded to the NCCAM in 1998. In fiscal year 2000, the NCCAM awarded $68 million to CAM researchers. The NIH is committed to investigating the utility of these therapies and exploring the integration of CAM and traditional [...]

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Question: For what clinical conditions might acupuncture be considered useful?

Tuesday, November 27th, 2007

Answer:
The NIH Consensus Panel on Acupuncture cited clear evidence that acupuncture can treat effectively postoperative and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, hyperemesis gravidarum, and pain from dental procedures. This committee also concluded that acupuncture may be a useful adjunctive therapy for addictions, stroke rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, fibromyalgia, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma.
Reference:

NIH [...]

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Question: How does acupuncture work?

Tuesday, November 27th, 2007

Answer:
According to Chinese philosophy, Qi is the life force. The basis of acupuncture lies in the assumption that Qi courses through channels in the body known as meridians. The acupuncture points represent gates where the channels come closest to the surface. Acupuncture is the practice of influencing the flow of Qi by stimulating these points. [...]

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Question: Is massage therapy efficacious, or does it just feel good?

Tuesday, November 27th, 2007

Answer:
For patients with chronic low back pain, the answer is yes to both. In a randomized trial of 262 patients, massage was superior to acupuncture and self-care/education at 10 weeks. At 52 weeks, massage remained superior to acupuncture and was the least expensive of the three in total costs of medical care.
Reference:  Klepser TB, Klepser [...]

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Question: What are the effects of enteral feedings on the immune system?

Saturday, November 24th, 2007

Answer:
Enteral feeding is the body’s preferred route of nutrition. Compared to TPN, enterally fed patients have a lower number of septic complications, including bacteremia, abdominal abscess, and pneumonia. It is speculated that the beneficial effects are from prevention of mucosal atrophy and decreased bacterial translocation. But there is little proof in humans. It has been [...]

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Question: What effect does nutrition have upon prostaglandin synthesis?

Friday, November 23rd, 2007

Answer:
Several studies have shown that long-chain triglycerides and PUFAs in total parenteral nutrition (TPN) increase TNF-alpha, which can stimulate the fever and hypotension of septic shock. TNF production has also been shown to increase with the duration of TPN. PUFA turnover depends on the activity of phospholipases, whose activities are enhanced in trauma and sepsis. [...]

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