Americans turning to Chinese Medicine

Chinese medicine is the oldest contiguously practiced form of healthcare in the world, dating to at least 3000 and maybe more than 5000 years ago. The first book written on Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine is between 2000 and 3000 years old. Modern western medicine is less than 500 years old. Daily we read of drugs harming or hurting people because short term laboratory, controlled studies could not show what long term use by a human would do. Allopathic or “scientific” medicine and its “scientific standard” have many flaws that are serious to life threatening.

Americans are turning to Chinese Medicine because allopathy and western science have their own flaws and inadequacies. Ultimately, western “science” has to learn that nothing is absolute and knowable beyond doubt, that life is fluid, ever changing and that each human being and each body, while very similar, all have a unique experience and a unique reaction to all things encountered. Chinese medicine has understood this for millennia. And people are finding the proof in the pudding.

Alternative Healing Degrees

Today, one can choose to enroll in a healing arts school to attain one or more alternative healing degrees in a variety of natural health modalities. While most individuals are familiar with conventional associates, bachelors and even doctorate degrees, opportunities exist to earn not only certification, but alternative healing degrees that are equivalent to traditional college degrees.

More common forms of alternative healing degrees may be earned through acupuncture and Oriental Medicine schools, chiropractic schools and naturopathic schools. For example, students seeking alternative healing degrees in Oriental Medicine may achieve "D.O.M." or "O.M.D." status, also known as "Doctor of Oriental Medicine" and "Oriental Medical Doctor," upon successful completion of a Chinese medicine course. In the same course of study, candidates may choose to enroll in a Master of Acupuncture program, and earn the title of "M.Ac."

Among many interesting alternative healing degrees that a number of natural health schools offer prospective students is the Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (B.A.M.S.), which is often equivalent to an M.D. degree program. However, numerous practitioners will sometimes participate in the B.A.M.S. as a supplementary course to their degree in naturopathic medicine or conventional Medical Doctor degree. Another alternative healing degree program option is the "N.D." course. The Doctor of Naturopathy degree may be earned after the student has completed over 4,000 hours of educational training, in addition to postsecondary education. The Doctor of Chiropractic Degree is another fine inclusion within the alternative healing degrees group of studies one may choose to pursue; however, bare in mind that most chiropractic schools frequently require a bachelor's degree or other prerequisite courses prior to enrollment.

In general, alternative healing degrees are unique substitutes for, or welcome additions to, traditional academic degrees, which offer an array of educational options instrumental in beginning an entrepreneurial healthcare career in healing arts. Furthermore, they can also be an essential asset for conventional medical professionals desiring to integrate complementary medicine into an established medical practice.

To learn more about alternative healing degrees and additional learning programs, search our site for more in-depth information and resources.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com.

Copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved
Michael Bustamante, in association with Media Positive Communications, Inc. for SchoolsGalore.com

Notice to Publishers: Please feel free to use this article in your Ezine or on your Website; however, ALL links must remain intact and active.

Michael Bustamante is a staff writer for Media Positive Communications, Inc. in association with SchoolsGalore.com. Find Natural Healing Schools, Colleges, Universities, Vocational Schools and Natural Healing Online Schools at SchoolsGalore.com; your educational resource to locate schools.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Bustamante

Aromatherapy - Using Essential Oils for Good Health

Even before the term alternative medicine was formally used, aromatherapy was already being practiced 5000 years ago by Egyptians. At that time, oil was extracted from aromatic plants through infusion and used for embalming, cosmetics and medicinal purposes. This knowledge was passed on to the Greeks and served as the basis for more discoveries, including the relaxing and stimulating effects of the fragrance of some flowers. Going back further, ancient man's dependence on the environment for all his basic needs and survival led him to discover natural ways of food preservation and the treatment of various conditions using herbs and aromatics.

1. Eastern Roots

The use of aromatics is also reflected in a Chinese herbal book by Shen Nung dated 2700 BC, showing specific details on more than 300 plants and their various applications. Ancient Chinese also burned incense and wood as part of religious practices that a good number of their modern counterparts still observe today. Aromatics was also a part of acupressure, massage and other therapies identified with the Chinese.

2. Modern Health Treatment

Today, many individuals place a high premium on health and well-being. The cost of traditional or conventional medicine such as surgery and medicare, however, has made a high number of people turn to aromatherapy, or essential oils therapy, and other forms of alternative medicine.

3. Basics

- Facilitates an equilibrium of physical, mental and spiritual health through natural means
- In some cases, these alternative treatments are now considered as strong and effective complements to regular medicine
- The main component of aromatherapy is essential oils
- Essential Oils are highly concentrated essences known for their healing effects

4. Essential Oils

These aroma-producing oils come from the flower, as in the case of a rose; leaves (basil is an example); twig; bark; fruit rind and other plant parts. Experts say that the extraction process can be time-consuming, complex and require much patience. Recognition and acceptance of these factors is important: getting about 5 teaspoonsful of oil could entail the use more than 220 pounds of rose petals. This process is what makes pure essential oils costly, although their effectiveness is not compromised because a treatment can entail the use of only a few drops to generate the target effect. An option is the less-expensive synthetic oils, although they do not offer the healing properties of their natural counterparts.

5. How It Works

Essential oils work by stimulating the olfactory system and later the brain or limbic system. The fragrance, other properties and effects of the oil determine how these body systems and their parts are stimulated. During a massage, these oils are inhaled and absorbed by the body at the same time, penetrating the skin and eventually reaching the organs and body systems. The absorption can be as short as 20 minutes and possibly extend to 2 hours or more, making some experts advise to avoid a shower or bathing immediately after the massage to maximize the desired effect.

6. Effects Last Days, Not Hours

The longevity of a fragrance also varies from 3-24 hours to 2-3 days and even longer to about a week. Eucalyptus, peppermint
thyme, and bergamot are among oils with a short-lived scent, while the scent of hyssop, lavender, balm, and other oils last between 2-3 days. Jasmine, sandalwood, ginger and cedarwood are among the oils that take as long as one week before completely evaporating.

7. Achieve A Sense Of Calm

The desired health balance of an individual also requires the creation of a balanced perfume, or a combination of the three types of oils based on longevity. These various combinations or aromatherapy blends can be mixed into a warm bath to relax and calm an individual, eliminate stress and depression, energize and sooth the body or aching part. The healing or calming effect of a massage can be enhanced by applying essential oils. However, this would require the use of carrier oils to prevent irritation or any other negative skin reaction. Some of these carrier oils, which help dilute essential oils, include avocado oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, wheatgerm oil, almond oil, soya oil and hazelnut oil.

For more great aromatherapy related articles and resources check out http://aromatherapy.naturaltherapieshq.com

Alternative Cancer Cure Teatment Options are Gaining Popularity and Trust

Medical science has taken great strides forward. However, the vulnerability to many diseases like cancer, remain. Thus, billions of dollars are spent on researching alternative cancer cure treatments every year through out the world. Alternative cancer cure encompasses methods, natural and otherwise, that go beyond the traditional realm of surgery, radiation or chemotherapy. Some of them are:

Physical Touch method
Amidst the varied alternative cancer cure methods, Manual Healing or the Physical Touch method is widely known. In its arsenal, you have the age-old Chinese practice of Acupuncture. Here needles are put in the skin into specific energy flow ways in order to balance it. Though it is a debatable point whether Acupuncture can actually cure cancer, it has been to be a definite pain alleviator.

Reiki
The Japanese observation of Reiki is another alternative cancer cure methodology, which also works along similar lines. A Reiki master can unclog your congested energy pathways to relieve you of the pain of the disease and the treatment.

Chiropractic
Chiropractic provides a remedy for musculoskeletal disorders by working on the spine and the neck. Chiropractors believe that this boosts the immune system by restoring the bodily balance that had gone haywire due to cancer.

Massages
Massages, though not proven effective as a cancer cure, provide relief from pain and discomfort.

Nutritional Therapy
Amongst the other kinds of alternative cancer remedy, Nutritional Therapy is the most widely publicized. It has been medically proved that some food prevent and can even cure some cancer forms like breast cancer. In fact, recent discoveries point out to the cancer-combating agents present in fruits like pomegranates and red berries.

Naturopathy and Homeopathy
Naturopathy and Homeopathy are grounded on similar lines. Both therapies believe in achieving bodily harmony, which in turn rouses the self-healing process, which can relieve the symptoms of many forms of cancer like prostate, colon, liver or skin. The core difference in these two cancer remedy methods lies in their modus operandi.

While Homeopathy is almost like vaccination, wherein trace amounts of cancer-inducing agents are introduced in the body in an attempt to trigger a defense mechanism to combat the disease, Naturopathy is actually an amalgamation of various methods like Homeopathy, usage of herbal substances or electrical treatment to achieve the requisite bodily balance.

Other upcoming alternative treatments include:

While many alternative cancer treatment methods agree to the use of natural processes, some like the oxygen and ozone therapies profess the injection of oxygen and ozone to retard the growth of cancer cells and even have them transmute into normal cells.

Recently gaining ground in the dominion of alternative cancer treatment methodologies is the Bristol Approach, combining physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual therapies, aimed at corporal and mental well being.

Its underlying philosophy shares ground with many holistic lines of treatment. These empower the mind to control the bodily processes. The Bristol Approach also incorporates numerous self-help techniques to aid the cancer patient during this treatment period.

The synergistic effect of these alternative cancer cure methods is far greater than when used in seclusion. The alternative treatment is doubly effective when used in conjunction with some conventional mode of cancer remedy.

David Maillie is an alumni of Cornell University and specializes in the manufacture of various skin peels, skin cancer, and acne treatments for doctors offices and medispas. He can be reached at M.D. Wholesale: http://www.bestskinpeel.com

Aromatherapy Treatment � Alternative Medicine

Arthritis had Mrs. Thompson grounded for years. She had seen several doctors with no permanent solution to the problem. As an alternative medicinal stream, Mrs. Thomson agreed to use aromatherapy. Regular massage with the essential oils of lemon balm, rose, black spruce, tarragon and jasmine was recommended. She testifies to the positive effect aromatherapy had on her condition.

Many people like Mrs. Thompson have found relief in aromatherapy treatment. The system of aromatherapy treatment utilises aromas and scents to heal the human being as a whole. Aromas and scents are derived from several plants and herbs. Research that has been undertaken on plants and herbs from the ancient times until now has helped determine their therapeutic benefits. However, more than a science, aromatherapy is an art and involves a creative approach in making specific blends.

Essential oils have an important role to play in aromatherapy treatment. An essential oil is the essence of plants derived through a process whereby plants are distilled through steam or water. What we get through the process is a concentrated essential oil, of which a few drops are capable of giving the desired effect.

One of the first known discoveries of the therapeutic benefits of essential oils was made by French chemist Ren-Maurice Gattefoss. Gattefoss is also credited with coining the term aromatherapy. When he got a burn on his hand, he accidentally put his hand in a jar full of lavender oil. He was surprised to see that he got immediate relief and the burn left no scars on his hand. Through further research, he established the healing powers of lavender oil.

Some of the common ailments where aromatherapy treatment has been accepted as a potent solution are anxiety, stress or insomnia, muscular aches and pains, headaches, eczema, digestive problems, menstrual or menopausal problems, etc. Therefore, aromatherapy treatments heal physically as well as psychologically.

A common respiratory disorder is asthma. This is caused through contact with allergen, after a tiring exercise session or through infection. An asthmatic person experiences shortness of breath, cough and mucous production as a result of inflammation or contraction of the bronchi. The condition can be treated through aromatherapy treatment. The oils of clove bud and lemongrass have been recognised to have anti-inflammatory and anti-infectious properties. These oils along with the oils of lemon, clary sage, and angelica can be very useful for treating asthma.

Aromatherapy products are available in several stores, referred to as aromatherapy stores. These stock preparations made from herbs and plants sourced from different parts of the world; mostly, the Indian subcontinent, Middle East and the Africas.

However, the use of aromatherapy treatments must be strictly prescriptive. Toiletries, which use aromas and scents, use a very small amount of essential oils. Therefore, they are not harmful. As said earlier, essential oils are highly concentrated. If a larger dosage of it is taken, then can result in irritation or be poisonous, when used with food or drink.

Did you think essential oils being derived from plants are free from side effects? No, they are not. The common side effects of essential oils are nausea, headaches etc.

Get help from an expert practitioner on the appropriate treatment for ones condition. The person who practices aromatherapy treatment is known as aromatherapist. He either will massage the oil on the skin or would suggest the appropriate method of use. Just as one would check the credentials of a doctor practising in contemporary medicine, it is important to know whether the aromatherapist has been trained in aromatherapy treatment. An aromatherapist proceeds in the same manner as a common doctor. He will first get a detailed medical history of the individual through a series of questions on diet, lifestyle, and health problems. This goes well with the system of aromatherapy healing where the whole rather than one particular ailment is considered for treatment.

Bryan Josling is working with the Horticultural Research Station in Adelaide. He has also been involved with research on plants. To find Aromatherapy essential oils, essential massage oils, essential oils wholesale visit
http://www.ndaroma.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bryan_Josling

Alternative Asthma Treatment Ideas

Asthma can be a very frightening and dreaded illness, but with the proper medication and frame of mind, it can be controlled. Often, asthma patients use inhalers and/or nebulizers to bring relief. However, there are many asthma patients that feel as if they are not reaching their maximum potential with these treatments and opt for other treatment methods. Then there are patients that are experiencing difficulties which require them to opt for other treatments due to dangerous side effects and/or allergies associated with the treatments.

Normally, Doctors will not and do not prefer to endorse alternative asthma treatments. For some patients, there is no other alternative. We will look at various alternative asthma treatments that may be conclusive to fighting back at the disease.

Alternativeopathy will look at the disease as a whole and not just a set of numerous symptoms. The Homeopathic response is to try to cure the disease instead of breaking it down and providing relief of one of two symptoms. They look for many clues within the individual to get the whole picture. They will try to combine cause, precipitating factors, environmental factors as well as hereditary factors. The downfall is that while the homeopathologist is looking for clues and piecing together the big picture, the asthma patient is still having to deal with all the little details such as attacks, and inflammation.

Another alternative asthma treatment is the use of various herbs. Of course, if the patient is not educated in herbs and attempts to mix and match herbs at home, they may become an actual danger to themselves. While herbs are normally safe and effective in addressing many issues, it is not recommended that they be the key player in the approach of a alternative asthma treatment. If the patient is persistent and wants to pursue the use of herbs as a alternative asthma treatment, it is important that they discuss their desires and options with their physician.

Hypnosis and Acupuncture are also alternative asthma treatment considerations. However, oftentimes, it is very difficult to find the properly accredited hypnotist and those specializing in acupuncture. These are two very serious alternative asthma treatments that could cause serious side effects if not done properly, so patients must ensure that they are familiar with the credentials of the person performing these methods. Acupuncture has been proven to be an effective form of alternative asthma treatment. Needles Are used and applied at various nerve points in order to induce an internal chemical reaction to help effectively treat asthma. Many people have a fear of needles and for these people there is acupressure. Instead of needles, acupressure uses pressure to treat asthma. These are all very decent alternative asthma treatments.

If the asthma patient wants to experiment with different alternative asthma treatments, they should do some research on the various methods. They can find a wealth of information on the internet, at the local library and even talking to family and friends.

The most important thing when considering an alternative path to treatment and looking into alternative asthma treatments is to ensure that you openly discuss it with your doctor.

Resources of asthma treatments can be found at: http://www.asthmatreatments.us

Aromatherapy Herbs For Healing

Aromatherapy is a form of herbal medicine. It uses the scents in essential oils distilled from herbs, flowers and trees to improve health and vitality. Used properly, it can re-energize and rejuvenate the mind, body and spirit. Aromatherapy comes in many forms. It can be used as oils, candles, lotions and soaps.

How Is The Scented Oil Extracted From The Plants?

Many herbs are used in the production of essential oils and waters for aromatherapy. Essential oils are the aromatic compounds found in the herb. They are extracted by distillation. There are different methods of this but they are all basically the same.

The herbs are put into water which is heated until it produces steam. This releases and then carries chemicals, including the aromatic compounds. The steam is then chilled in a condenser and the material left behind is collected. Oils (which will become the Essential Oil) floats to the top of the distilled water and may be scooped off.

The distilled water part is called hydrosol. If you want to buy a herb or flower 'water' the best kind is a hydrosol as this is the by-product of aromatic distillation. Many 'waters' are essential oils added to water or alcohol and are not as good as true hydrosols.

Treat Aromatherapy With Respect!

Many people think that because the scented oils have 'only come from plants' that they can use as much as they like. Essential oils are very concentrated and are usually measured in drops. Strength wise - one drop would equal the volume amount of two cups. Ingesting one ounce of essential oil could prove fatal.

Unless you are a skilled aromatherapist, it's best to use essential oils only on the skin. Always mix the drops of oil with a 'carrier' like sweet almond oil. Undiluted essential oil can burn the skin.

How Can Anything From Plants Be So Powerful?

Our pharmacology has developed from herbal medicine. Many medications in use today are still derived from plants.

There are more than 250,000 known plant species and yet less than 1% of them have been thoroughly tested for use in medicine. A quarter of our prescription medications are derived from this tiny 1%. The list includes morphine, atropine, ephedrine, warfarin, aspirin, digoxin, taxol, hyoscine - so plants are pretty powerful and care should be taken. Isn't it amazing to think what other helpful medications are out there and as yet undiscovered!

Growing Herbs For Aromatherapy

A large area of crops is needed to grow herbs for aromatherapy purposes. This is because when calculated on the weight of fresh herbs distilled, plants only yield between 0.01% and 2% of essential oil. So a lot needs to be grown and distilled to produce reasonable amounts of oil.

To produce essential oils, the requirements are the plants, good soil (often organic), irrigation, reasonable shelter from harsh weather, harvesting and distillation equipment.

Hints And Tips On Essential Oils

1. Always read and heed advice on the labels on essential oils.

2. Keep them out of the sight and reach of children.

3. Never put essential oils near the eyes.

4. Always dilute with carrier oil before putting on the skin - or it will burn!

5. Essential oils are for external application only. Don't ever ingest them.

6. As with any new skin preparation, test the oil first. Dilute a drop of essential oil with carrier oil and apply to the skin on your inner arm. If there is any irritation, discontinue its use.

7. Many herbs should be avoided by pregnant women and by people suffering some health conditions. Always check before use.

For more aromatherapy articles, click here: http://www.articlehealthandfitness.com/categories/Alternative-Health/Aromatherapy/ To submit your health articles to this article directory, click here: http://www.articlehealthandfitness.com

Are You Looking For Natural Pain Relief Medication?

There is probably nothing more debilitating than chronic pain. Defined as pain lasting for six months or longer. Chronic pain afflicts millions of people. There is no way for you to be completely sure of preventing chronic pain. It can strike at any stage of your life, whether because of an accident or disease.

Chronic pain often long outlives its original cause, worsening over time and taking on a life of its own. Recent research has shown that chronic pain is destructive to your body. The longer chronic pain goes untreated, the worse it becomes. Chronic pain unleashes a cascade of harmful hormones, such as cortisol, that adversely affect your immune system and kidney function. You can't expect it to go away by itself.

Many chronic pain sufferers wind up taking huge amounts of anti-inflammatory drugs. The NSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen put them at risk for gastrointestinal bleeding and liver dysfunction. The newer class of pharmaceutical pain relievers, the COX-2 inhibitors, while an improvement in terms of side effects, still may cause some abdominal distress.

Anti-inflammatory drugs, including aspirin and Aleve, were implicated in the deaths of 16,000 people in the USA in 2000, due to bleeding ulcers and related complications, according to the Federal Drug Abuse Network. Research is also uncovering the fact that anxiety and depression are not so much responses to pain as the consequences of it.

Functional-imaging scans reveal similar disturbances in brain chemistry for both chronic pain and for depression. Pain and depression share the same neural pathways, the same circuitry. Allopathic physicians to treat depression and pain use the same medications. Depression and stressful events can enhance pain.

Chronic pain sufferers usually respond to stress with more pain. Serotonin and the endorphins that modulate healthy brain functioning also modulate depression. If you have chronic pain it uses up your serotonin like a car running out of gas.

It's important to reduce the level of prostaglandins in your body. The compounds that cause you aches, pain and inflammation that makes your life miserable. It helps you to relax your muscles and to reduce swelling. It improves blood flow to areas such as your joints.

Most likely, you or someone you know suffers from some form of joint pain. With the recent removal of VIOXX and Celebrex from the market, millions of people are searching for an all-natural alternative. Finally, you have an all-natural and safe solution that is now being sold stating that it is the ONLY pain relief health supplement that includes a complete list of active botanicals in one easy to take supplement. You might have it seen on TV.

With this you can relieve your chronic pain of osteoarthritis, rheumatism, neuralgia, stiff joints, shingles, neck ache, and lower back pain. It also provides welcome pain relief from carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, fibromyalgia, muscle and joint pain, pinched nerves and sprains.

It is stated that it's the most powerful anti-inflammatory agent on the market today and best of all it's 100% natural and safe. Additionally, it acts as a highly effective lubricant in your joints, muscles and other tissues. It is also an immune system modulator, which can be effectual against autoimmune conditions. All of these characteristics contribute to its ability to act as an analgesic by removing the source of pain (inflamed and irritated tissues) so that there is no pain impulse.

Taking this product is NOT a substitute for treatment by a physician for chronic pain conditions, but the active ingredients can help to control this sort of chronic and severe pain without causing the side effects associated with many artificial pain relievers.

For more information on EAZOL - Natural Pain Relief Medication and a $50 FREE Newsletter Health News Journal.

Peter Rapport writes on a variety of subjects for http://www.behealthee.com For Your Natural Health Source. The Specialists In Herbal Products To Help You In Different Areas Of Your Life.

Acupuncture Weight Loss? Plus 5 Step Weight Loss Plan

I remember back in my senior year of high school - my best friend since 5th grade was living in France. He wrote that they didn't like Americans much. "They think we're all fat," he said. With his own skinny frame, of course, he confounded their belief.

But, he added a funny, or perhaps ironic capstone to the issue. "I went to a store, and they were selling statues of these fat people, and, at the base of each one was written, 'American.'"

Obesity is not only an American problem. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it's a global problem. They call it globesity. Parodoxically, their understanding of this problem began with their original mission to eliminate hunger and malnutrition. We live in a world where many have nothing to eat, and many eat too much. From 1995 to 2000, the number of obese adults worldwide mushroomed from 200 million to 300 million. That's a 50% increase in just 5 years! What is Obesity, and What is Overweight?

Overweight means an excess of body weight. This excess weight may be muscle, bone, fat, and/or body water. Obesity refers specifically to an abnormally high proportion of body fat. You can be overweight without being obese - for example, a bodybuilder or other highly-muscled athlete. But many people who are overweight are also obese.The main way to determine whether you are overweight or obese is with the body mass index (BMI). It doesn't directly measure body fat, and it's not gender specific, but it does give you a pretty reliable estimation.

To find your BMI, divide your weight (in kilograms) by your height in meters squared. Yep, for the math-challenged, that's complex, so I'll give you a website that will figure it out for you, the National Institute's of Health BMI calculator (http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/). This will very quickly tell you if you are normal, overweight, or obese, and it does all the calculating and metric conversions for you!

Overweight is defined as a BMI above 25 (including those above 30 BMI, too), and obese is a BMI above 30. So, all obese people are overweight, but not all overweight people are obese.

The Obesity Epidemic

Obesity isn't just about not feeling good or having trouble getting dates

* It leads to more than 300,000 premature deaths each year in the United States. 90,000 are preventable cancer deaths. (CDC)

* Severely obese men die 13 years sooner than men of normal weight (JAMA).

* As a killer in America, obesity is second only to tobacco. (CDC)

The Weight Loss Industry

* Spending: Americans spend between $40-50 billion per year to lose weight.

* Results: I haven't seen any recent news that Americans are getting any thinner - have you?

* Conclusion: What people are doing isn't working. If we want different results, we have to try a different solution.

Acupuncture Weight Loss: Fantasy, or Fact?

* Fantasy or Fact? As a well-trained and fairly conservative Chinese medicine practitioner, I had assumed that acupuncture for weight loss was a marketing fad and a patient fantasy.

* Evidence: But while researching my upcoming book Chinese Medicine: A Practical Guide to Optimal Healing, I found some surprisingly positive information that changed my mind.

Chinese Medicine's Collective Clinical Data on Acupuncture Weight Loss

Chinese Medicine has thousands of years of clinical experience. This collective data not as convincing as randomized controlled trials are, but it does contain truth - it's imperfect but still valid and important.

A U.S. government study in the 80's concluded that 85% of western medicine is based on clinical experience, not on research. (Office of Technology Assessment of the Congress of the United States, The Impact of Randomized Controlled Trials on Health Policy and Medical Practice, Background Paper OTA-BP-H-22. Also see Michael Millenson's book, Demanding Medical Excellence)

There is good Chinese Medicine research in Taiwan, Australia, and Europe that gets ignored by American scientists and media. Much research in Chinese has not even been translated into English. Seven Studies of Acupuncture for Weight Loss

How it works: By enhancing the function of two neuroendocrine pathways that regulate many bodily processes, including metabolism.

What it does:

* Lowers body weight, body fat, insulin levels, and lipid levels in the blood

* Decreases excessive appetite and makes it easier to satisfy your hunger with less food.

* Decreases menopausal weight gain

* In one study, acupuncture took off 10 pounds in 2 months - that translates to 60 lbs in a year!

* Combined with diet control, and aerobic counseling it not only takes off the pounds and body fat, but keeps them off, especially if you're diligent with their exercise.

(See references at end of article for the research) Ephedra misuse and mislegislation

Ephedra is a Chinese herb for colds and coughs. It has been misused to increase metabolism, and this misuse has caused numerous deaths. As a result, the FDA is considering a total ban on ephedra products. We can blame two major things:

1. Supplement companies that care more about your money than your health (no, not all of them are that way, but some of them are, especially the ones that market weight loss formulations).

2. The idea that you can medicate yourself safely with herbs - self-medication of any kind is risky. Self-medication with herbs is off the radar, and people generally think they can do it safely. The ephedra debacle is an example of how dangerous it can be.

Traditionally, Chinese herbs are given in formulas (not singly), which is safer and more personalized. They're prescribed by a Chinese medicine practitioner who diagnoses your specific imbalances first. Ephedra would never be given for weight loss, but only for certain kinds of colds and coughs, and only to people whose body's can handle it.

No traditional Chinese herbs should be outlawed without allowing Chinese medical practitioners to continue to use them traditionally. Food Cravings

* Problem #1 (Enzyme Deficiency): The foods you crave depending on your personal imbalances. Modern digestive science explains that when your body can't digest a food, you crave more of it - you're not getting what you need from it. This lead to a cycle of craving and overeating the exact food you can't digest.

* Problem #2 (Low Blood Sugar): Another vicious cycle happens when you can't digest complex carbs, so your blood sugar is low, so you eat simple carbs that raise your blood sugar which raises insulin, which lowers your blood sugar again, and your stuck eating donuts and feeling horrible.

* Solution: Enzymes (I recommend various enzyme formulations from a company called Transformations) and Chinese herbal formulas can help you digest your food and break both of these cycles

Weight can be lost safely if done slowly and naturally.

You can lose up to 2 lbs per week without gaining it back. That means you could lose 104 lbs this year and keep it off!

Positive change is like stretching a rubber band- if you stretch too far too fast, it breaks or snaps back on you.

So avoid the temptation to take an easy solution like ephedra or citrus aurantium (both misused Chinese herbs), because you'll gain the weight back, and you're risking heart problems and stroke. 5 Things to Do Right Now To Lose 10 Pounds Within 2 Months And Keep Them Off:

1. Avoid heavily marketed supplements - instead, see a professional trained herbalist (acupuncturist) - it's safer and more effective - my preference would be a Chinese medicine practitioner, but some very well-educated western herbalists are good too.

2. Acupuncture Weight Loss: See an acupuncturist/chinese herbalist - Get acupuncture (once to three times per week) to SAFELY regulate your metabolism and hunger-satisfaction. Your acupuncturist can also get you the herbs that will balance your digestion and cravings - and based on your Chinese pattern diagnosis, they can also give you personalized diet advice. Herbs and enzymes (specific formulations from the enzyme company, Transformations) can eliminate your food cravings.

3. Develop a plan and goals with your acupuncturist and aerobics instructor- make it realistic, and stick to it. If you mess up, don't beat yourself up, just get back on track as soon as you can. Any progress is better than none at all.

4. Eat less, exercise more - Eat a low fat diet, and don't miss breakfast! Weigh yourself regularly, and exercise an hour a day. Start by walking a few minutes each day, or take the stairs at work. Don't overdo it! Remember the rubber band. In fact, you may want to wear a rubber band on your wrist to remind yourself to make changes slowly. Get some aerobic exercise help- a public class, or private aerobic counseling.

5. Join a support group like Weight Watchers or Overeaters Anonymous. There's nothing like positive friends to encourage you and keep you on track. OA members say that this spiritual program of action has changed the way they relate to food.

References and Resources

1. Office of Technology Assessment of the Congress of the United States, The Impact of Randomized Controlled Trials on Health Policy and Medical Practice, Background Paper OTA-BP-H-22.

2. Michael Millenson's book, Demanding Medical Excellence

3. Effect of acupuncture on weight loss evaluated by adrenal function. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1993 Sep, 13(3):169-73.

4. Wozniak, P., Oszukowski, P., Stachowiak, G., and Szyllo, K. [The effectiveness of low-calorie diet or diet with acupuncture treatment in obese peri- and postmenopausal women] (in Polish). Ginekol.Pol. Vol.74 Issue 2 pp. 102-107. 2003

5. Acupuncture on Spleen, Stomach, and Ren Mai Channel Points for the Treatment of Stomach & Intestinal Replete Heat Pattern Simple Obesity. Abstracted & translated by Bob Flaws, Dipl. Ac. & C.H, Lic. Ac., FNAAOM, FRCHM

6. Richards D, Marley J. Stimulation of auricular acupuncture points in weight loss. Aust Fam Physician. 1998 Jul;27 Suppl 2:S73-7.

7. Zhao, M., Liu, Z., and Su, J. The time-effect relationship of central action in acupuncture treatment for weight reduction. J Tradit Chin Med Vol.20 Issue 1 pp. 26-29. 2000

8. Liu, Z. Mechanisms underlying the effects of acupuncture moxibustion on simple obesity complicated by hypertension. Inter J Clin Acup 371-378, 1995.

9. Studies of the Weight Loss Industry

10. Obesity prevalence and effect

11. Overeaters Anonymous

Medical professor Brian B. Carter is the author of "Powerful Body, Peaceful Mind: How to Heal Yourself with Foods, Herbs, and Acupressure" (http://www.pulsemed.org/bookpreview.htm), and has been quoted and interviewed by publications like Real Simple, Glamour, and ESPN magazines. Read more about Acupuncture and Weight Loss here.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Carter

Are Religion and Acupuncture Compatible?

For every practice or thought, there is an opposite viewpoint. This is true with religious beliefs, political beliefs, and even opinions and studies of the environment. As humans, we both consciously and unconsciously choose to believe a side. There are many, many individuals who can see the reasoning on both sides of the proverbial fence, but there are also those that are staunchly devoted and will see no side other than their own. Medical treatments are no exception to this rule.

There are religious groups through out the world, including some who believe that a transfusion of blood is sacrilegious and would never take someone else's blood into their body, as it makes them "impure". There are some who do not believe in modern medicine and still, to this day, practice holistic medicine. However, most religions do not have a prejudice against Western medicine in whole, but may be against particular things, such as prescriptions for depression. Many Eastern religions have given birth to medical practices of their own. An example of this would be Taoism. Taoism believes in studying nature and its influences upon man. From this belief and observation rose the practice of acupuncture, which has to do with the flow of energy, Qi (pronounced chee), and how those affect areas of the body.

Many religions consider that believing in outside energies is a farce and their followers will spurn procedures using such magic and mystery. Others discount the studies of researchers, considering the strength of acupuncture to lie in the possibility of something intangible, such as Qi. Bibles and scriptures of all types warn against the "Devil's work" and mysticism, which leaves some individuals to believe that acupuncture is evil or wrong.

However, for the most part, acupuncture is receiving a positive welcome in communities around the globe. Perhaps this is because of exercise programs, such as Yoga and Pilates, which have become so popular. Asian culture has exploded into the main stream in fashion, thought, spirituality, technology, and medicine. Years ago, such things as acupuncture and Yoga were only for the "beatniks". The regular Joe did not practice such things and would not have heard the positive benefits, but nowadays, people around the globe want different choices when it comes to their bodies. Many individuals want to try to live a life with minimal medication and invasive procedures, turning to nature to help with illness and pain. Acupuncture is a good alternative.

Acupuncture, as mentioned before, has to do with the flow of energy in the body. The energy flows along pathways, fourteen to be precise, which are called meridians. All along the meridian, there are points within that can become blocked. Acupuncture is used to unblock the meridian and allow the energy to flow. This is done with the use of long, thin, solid needles, but most people report that the procedure is painless, so do not worry.

The medical field and the health-care services we choose to receive fall into our set of values and beliefs, be they moral or religious. Certainly, the ultimate decision to accept acupuncture or consider it nothing more than psychological smoke and mirrors remains yours alone, depending much on your personal group of beliefs and your opinion.

John Edmond writes regularly for http://acupuncturealternative.net/ where you can read many more articles on acupuncture as a genuine alternative to Western Medicine.

Acupuncture Schools: A Comparison of Acupuncture Schools in North ...

For thousands of years, there were no schools of Chinese Medicine as we know them today. To understand the development of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine as it is taught today in the west requires a brief look at Chinese history.

Well over 2000 years ago, Chinese Medicine existed within the body of knowledge known as the Taoist Healing Arts. As healers, the ancient Taoists did not make a distinction between science and spirit. They saw the human body as a combination of physical matter, spirit, and Qi (which can be roughly translated as vital energy). By focusing on balancing ones Qi, one can develop the ability to synchronize oneself with the balanced Qi of nature, which serves to restore and preserve ones health. The oldest book known to describe Chinese medicine in detail is the Yellow Emperors Classic of Medicine, which dates back to at least 2000 years BCE. Acupuncture is first described here as a practice that restores the normal flow of Qi through the channels (meridians) by stimulating acupuncture points.

As the Taoist Healing Arts were refined over thousands of years, the secrets were passed down orally and through hands on experience within a student-master relationship. Acupuncture Schools, as such, did not exist. In some cases there were families of master healers who amassed a great body of special healing techniques and integral practices. Generation upon generation were taught and, in turn, contributed to the wealth of healing knowledge. By the 20th century, there were several outstanding lineage-based styles of Chinese Medicine whose depth of knowledge and styles of treatment went far beyond what is taught today as Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The Great Divide:

Chinese Medicine undertook a drastic change in the 1950s. In an effort to standardize a national medicine of the Marxist state, The Peoples Republic of China stripped the ancient teachings and practices of its spiritual dimension, which was deemed superstitious. In turn, the government created a single form of teaching that more closely emulated the western biomedical model and censored much of the knowledge gained over thousands of years within the lineage-based styles of Chinese Medicine.

The resulting form of Traditional Chinese Medicine is taught today in Universities throughout China. This is also the model taught in most acupuncture schools in North America. Although it is based on traditional models of Chinese Medicine, it is only a small portion of the wealth of technique developed by healing masters and handed down during the past 2,000 years

Types of Acupuncture Schools

Today, there are roughly 3 styles of accredited acupuncture schools in North America:

* TCM schools that follow the standardized curriculum of state run universities developed in Maoist era China. The curriculum is vital, but homogenized to produce western style practitioners.

* Complementary and Alternative Medicine schools that teach an abbreviated form of acupuncture for those who use it as an adjunct to their primary practice. Primarily M.D.s and D.O.s may practice acupuncture with as little as 300 hours of formal training.

* Lineage-based Schools of Chinese Medicine that teach both the standardized curriculum required for national TCM accreditation plus the ancient teachings and healing techniques that require a spiritual dimension to understand and practice.

About TCM Schools:

While it may seem a harsh judgement, most of the TCM schools represent an Americanized version of Chinese Medicine that bears a growing resemblence to western biomedical training. As Mark Seem (President and CEO, Tri-State College of Acupuncture) notes in the article below, "acupuncture is about to be lost and scattered to the four winds of the health care world." He continues, "The Oriental medicine or TCM style of acupuncture taught at most schools and practiced by most practitioners (especially on the West Coast, where TCM had its biggest influence) is a watered down version of acupuncture in which informed touch plays virtually no role at all."

More to the point, the study of Qi is fundamental to Chinese Medicine. While Qi is not a religious concept, it does have a spiritual dimensionsimply defined as the energy of nature that also exists in the human body. Practitioners who have balance and mastery of their own Qi will be better healers, and most TCM schools do not recognize or emphasize this.

When you evaluate a TCM school, look into the tradition and teachings of the founder and senior instructors, as well as the curriculum. If the founder is a western businessman, the school is less likely to teach healing technique from ancient Chinese masters. If the curriculum does not include some form of Qi cultivation for its students, it will most likely be limited to the western biomedical model of Chinese Medicine which does not recognize the body of teaching developed from ancient times.

About Complementary and Alternative Medicine Schools:

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Schools primarily represent an effort to bridge and blend both eastern and western healing arts. In most cases, they do not offer the curriculum that meets the national standards for certification to practice acupuncture, unless you already have an M.D. or D.O. license.

One notable exception exists, however, in Tai Sophia, Institute, Maryland. Tai Sophia Institute is a graduate school for the healing arts offering three graduate programs in Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine and Applied Healing Arts. Under the guidance of Bob Duggan, M.A., M.Ac, the Institute has been recognized as an anchoring academic institute for the nation's emerging wellness system, and sets the standard in the field of CAM study, as well as an excellent acupuncture program.

(For more information on CAM, read "Complementary and Alternative Medical Therapies: Implications for Medical Education" by Miriam S. Wetzel, PhD; Ted J. Kaptchuk, OMD; Aviad Haramati, PhD; and David M. Eisenberg, MD)

About Lineage-based Schools of Chinese Medicine:

While the lineage-based schools encompass all of the modern medicine required for national accreditation and licensing individuals to practice acupuncture, they also include ancient wisdom that is essential for self-development of the healer. Their approach differs from the western biomedical model in that The essential art of Chinese medicine is the foretelling and prevention of disease rather than the treatment of illness after it has manifested as painful or distressing physical and mental symptoms. Their teaching is more focused on Qi Cultivation and the subtle laws of energy response. In the ancient tradition, the healer must become the medicine. In addition to learning the appropriate clinical skills, the student must refine their personal energy before one is qualified to practice.

In a study called Tracing the Contours of Daoism in North America published by the University of California Press, Louis Komjathy says, The connection between Daoism and health in North America finds its culmination in the establishment of Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Los Angeles) by Ni Hua-ching and his sons; and Liu Mings (then Charles Belyea) involvement in the founding of Five Branches Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Santa Cruz)."

He further identifies all of the lineage based teachers active in North America, including Jeffery Yuen who is currently the academic dean of acupuncture at Swedish Institute of Acupuncture and Oriental Studies (New York). Other teachers are active at schools focusing on the teaching of Taiji quan, Qigong, Daoist meditation,
Daoist philosophy, and traditional Chinese healing methods, however they are not accredited to license acupuncturists.

(For more information on lineage-based schools, read "Tracing the Contours of Daoism in North America" by Louis Komjathy)

Differences in Curriculum:

While the lineage-based schools draw from a greater body of knowledge and tradition than other TCM schools, one can also expect to find a slight difference in curriculum. For example, the student handbook of Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine states, At Yo San University, Taoism is a guiding philosophy, not a religion. It further states, Yo Sans Qi Development curriculum emanates from our belief that practitioners who have balance and mastery of their Qi will be better healers. The study of Qi is not just an academic exercise but is cultivation through daily practice, The program is designed to provide students the opportunity to heal and cultivate themselves and also to directly experience the balance and harmony that underlie Taoism and the medicine that has developed from it.

About the Author: Lauren Stomel

Mr. Stomel has made a serious occupation in the study of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, particularly in the Five Eements Chinese tradition. As both a student and patient of Acupuncture, Acupressure, Tai Chi and Chi Gung for over 25 years, he has both a solid empirical understanding and personal understanding of benefits from the Mastery of Chi movement throught the body. However, he does not hold a Doctorate degree in these sciences. His information is presented here simply as the common person viewpoint. Please consult your personal physician before attempting a cure through Alternative Medicine.

Mr. Stomel is on the advisory board and board of directors of several Acupuncture Schools and TCM-based healing modalities in North America.

He is also the publisher of a site that gives sincere, objective guidance to those seeking advice on Acupunture Schools, http://www.acupuncture-schools.us

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lauren_Stomel

Spas: An Option for All

Once considered secluded getaways where the rich and famous flocked to slim down, spas now offer a wide array of services -- everything from aromatherapy to personalized yoga instruction -- priced to fit about any budget.

The International Spa Association (ISPA) reports that 57 million Americans have visited a spa, and more than 30 million have done so during the last 12 months. The top reasons people cited for visiting a spa were to reduce and relieve stress, soothe sore muscles and joints, and to feel better about themselves.

"Spa vacations aren't just vacations to get away. You'll come away with something more than a postcard," said Michelle Kleist, executive director of the Destination Spa Group. "Spas can be life-enriching. Many peoples' lives do change, and a lot of people develop friendships with fellow spa-goers."

While females have traditionally been considered the spa-seeking gender, nearly one-third of those visiting spas today are men. Kleist said it used to be that most men at a spa were there to make their wives happy. But these days, she said, groups of men are planning destination spa vacations on their own.

"With destination spas, which include activities like fitness and hiking, men are really realizing how much they need this," said Kleist.

Not all spas are created equal, however. There are three main types: destination, resort and day/club spas.

• Destination spas. These spas are dedicated to helping individuals develop healthy lifestyles, both while staying at the spa and afterward. Spa services -- such as full body massages -- are available, as are fitness and wellness classes. One-on-one instruction is usually offered as well. These types of spas may also have health professionals on staff to offer medical services, such as bone-density screening or an annual physical. Destination spas are usually all-inclusive, so one price often covers your stay and all of the services offered.
• Resort/cruise spas. These types of spas are as much about the travel destination -- think Cancun, Mexico or Key Biscayne, Fla. -- as they are about the spa services. These spas offer a variety of services and often have fitness and wellness classes. Their restaurants may also offer spa cuisine menu selections.
• Day or club spas. If you don't have the time or the money to commit to a destination or resort spa, a day or club spa can offer you a pleasant break from the daily grind. In the past 12 months, 77 percent of those who visited a spa have visited a day spa at least once. Day spas are a good way to check out the types of services that spas offer without making a big financial commitment.

The types of services you'll find vary, depending on the type of spa you choose and even within each category of spa. Most offer amenities such as massages and facials, but many include personal training, fitness classes, nutrition counseling and more. Before you choose a spa, make sure it offers the services you're looking for.

The most commonly requested service, by far, is a full body massage, according to the ISPA. Other popular services include manicure/pedicure, facials, movement classes, body scrubs and wraps, aromatherapy and lifestyle classes, such as stress management.

When choosing a spa, ISPA President Lynne Walker McNees said, "We highly recommend that spa-goers do their homework. Before going to a spa, talk to the spa director and ask if employees are licensed." ISPA has a feature on its Web site that allows you to enter what you're looking for from a spa and generate a list of spas that can provide those services along with contact information.

Kleist said people should really consider what they want to get out of their spa experience before booking one. "If you want a spa that has a lot to offer, such as life enrichment, choose a destination spa. If you're just looking to relax, a resort spa might be right for you," she said.

Costs vary widely, Kleist said. For destination spas, weeks start at about $1,000 and can run all the way up to $8,000. "That includes accommodations, meals, activities and, in some cases, spa services," she said.

Resort spas may offer low room rates, she said, but then you may have to pay for each service. Again, it's a good idea to sit down and figure out exactly what you want -- is it massage, yoga classes, nutrition counseling, or all of them?

And you'll need to figure out what you're willing to spend and find the spa that offers the most services within your budget. Day/club spas typically charge for each individual service, and costs vary, depending on the area of the country you live in and the spa you choose.

A Chinese herb called danshen could one day be the foundation of a new treatment for high blood pressure, scientists say.

In a new study, researchers report that an active ingredient in the herb reduces hypertension in hamsters and appears to work by widening blood vessels.

"Traditionally, we knew this was working for high blood pressure, but we didn't know what the mechanism was," said study author David D. Kim, an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

The roots of danshen, a kind of sage, are used as medicine in Chinese culture. The herb is used to treat heart problems and high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, a condition that affects an estimated 50 million Americans, according to background information for the study.

Kim, a licensed acupuncturist, said he prescribes the herb to his own patients with high blood pressure. "It works very well, especially with a person who has hypertension with atherosclerosis and angina."

In the study, Kim and his colleagues gave the active ingredient of danshen -- tanshinone IIA -- to hamsters with high blood pressure. The researchers found that the ingredient significantly reduced blood pressure in the hamsters and also widened blood vessels. The ingredient appears to work by boosting the body's production of nitric oxide.

The research could lay the groundwork for future investigations of danshen's potential as a hypertension drug. There are plenty of drugs on the market currently, Kim said, but each has significant side effects.

The researchers reported their findings in an upcoming issue of the American Journal of Physiology -- Heart and Circulatory Physiology.

Much work into danshen's therapeutic role remains to be done, however, said Lixing Lao, an associate professor of family and community medicine at the University of Maryland and co-president of the Society for Acupuncture Research.

"More research on drug toxicity and adverse effects will be needed to evaluate the safety of this remedy," said Lao, who suggested it should be used with caution by people who are on blood thinners.

As for the next step, Kim said he's interested in understanding how long the effects of danshen last after people stop taking it.

"People ask about the difference between Oriental and Western medicine: In Western medicine, [a treatment] works fast but doesn't last long. In Oriental medicine, it works slowly, but it lasts," he said.

Chinese Herb May Lower High Blood Pressure

Using the Mind to Cure the Body

The medical community traditionally has relied on potent drugs to relieve severe pain. But in a number of academic settings across the country, health-care practitioners are adding another therapeutic weapon to the mix -- they're helping patients harness the healing power of their own imaginations.

The use of guided imagery, or mental images, to evoke physical benefits is perhaps the oldest form of therapy known to man, explained David E. Bresler, a founder of the Academy for Guided Imagery in Malibu, Calif. In fact, imagery is woven into the fabric of many ancient cultures' healing rituals, he said.

Today, academic researchers are studying guided imagery's use as an adjunct to more traditional medical treatments.

"I think it's just the beginning, really, even though it's been around a long time," said Bresler, whose academy instructs clinicians, including pediatricians, in the use of imagery to evoke physiologic changes that promote healing. A traditionally trained Ph.D. neuroscientist, he first became intrigued with alternative methods of pain relief in the early 1970s as founder and director of the University of California, Los Angeles, Pain Control Unit.

While much of the ongoing research is preliminary, practitioners of guided imagery are encouraged by initial results among children and adults.

Nola Schmidt, associate professor of nursing at Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Ind., recently completed a pilot study at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago examining guided imagery's effect among children with pain due to sickle cell disease or stem cell transplants. Of the 17 participants, eight were randomly assigned to listen to guided-imagery tapes created especially for each child.

Most tapes were vague, allowing the children to insert different scenes each time they listened to a recording. "For example," Schmidt said, "a tape may start out: 'OK, we want you to relax and close your eyes, take a deep breath, feel the air go in, feel the air go out.' " The child is invited to imagine being in "one of your favorite places" and to describe the sights, sounds and smells he or she encounters.

Children in the experimental and control groups also kept pain diaries. Their entries recorded when and where they felt pain, what they did to feel better and how much they hurt before and after those interventions.

On a 0-to-10 scale, children in the guided-imagery group had an average post-pain intervention score of 4.3, a point lower than children in the control group. While the difference was not statistically significant, Schmidt believes it is "clinically" significant.

"If it works for you, and it reduced your pain by one point or two points, isn't it worth it?" she asked.

Bresler noted that his academy trains a lot of pediatricians to use guided-imagery techniques. But kids aren't the only patients benefiting from this mind-body therapy. Sports psychologists use it to enhance athletes' physical performance. And cancer centers often use it to relieve patients' pain and nausea.

Carol L. Baird, an associate professor of nursing at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., recently tested guided imagery with a relaxation component among older women suffering from osteoarthritis.

Half of the 28 volunteers in the pilot study listened to recordings that described a pleasant scene and guided listeners to engage all of their senses. After 12 weeks, the experimental group experienced a significant reduction in pain compared with women in the control group. The guided-imagery group also had increased mobility, the study showed.

What's more, a separate study involving the same volunteers found that guided imagery with relaxation seemed to improve their quality of life, she said.

Baird thinks the guided-imagery approach has exciting potential. "For one thing, it's so easy to use," she noted. It's also inexpensive and easy to teach, making it suitable for patients to use in their own self-care, she added.

Of course, it may not be for everyone, especially people who have difficulty visualizing images in their heads, Baird acknowledged. In the future, she plans to do studies that measure people's "imaging ability."

On the other hand, guided-imagery experts say the technique has minimal side effects, if any. So why not try it?

Schmidt suspects science someday will reveal a concrete biological reason why guided imagery works. In fact, animal studies suggest that images in the brain can stimulate neurotransmitters that, in turn, block pain receptors, she said. But for patients garnering relief today, a neurochemical explanation may not be necessary.

"I mean, who cares why it works, if it works," she said.

Are 'Alternatives' Good Medicine?

Plug the terms "alternative" and "cancer" into Google and the Internet search engine returns a list of 3.4 million -- yes, million -- sites with information both credible and questionable about nontraditional treatments for cancer. What's a cancer patient to make of such a vast array of options?

This "vast array" is known collectively as complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM. And the issue of how patients find information about CAM therapies is important, experts say, because not all are created equal. While some can be genuinely helpful to patients in treatment or remission, others are outright dangerous. Still others are too poorly studied to tell. Nevertheless, huge numbers of cancer patients use these therapies.

"I would guess that over 80% of cancer patients use some form of complementary or alternative therapies," says Barrie Cassileth, PhD, chief of the Integrative Medicine Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. "Patients can't distinguish which are good and which are harmful, and we've got to help them do that."

To that end, experts from around the country have collaborated to form the Society for Integrative Oncology. This new professional group is a joint effort of 3 major cancer centers with strong CAM programs -- Memorial Sloan-Kettering, MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and Boston's Dana-Faber Cancer Institute -- as well as other cancer-related organizations, including the American Cancer Society. The new group holds its first conference in November.

The goal, says Cassileth, president of the Society for Integrative Oncology, is to promote high-level research of CAM and to get reliable information to doctors so they can guide their patients.

The Good, the Bad, the Unknown

Some complementary therapies that patients use in conjunction with traditional cancer treatments -- like chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation -- can be very helpful, Cassileth said.

Acupuncture, for example, has been shown to be effective at reducing nerve pain, and is being tested as a remedy for hot flashes for women who can't take hormones (such as breast cancer patients). Mind-body therapies like meditation and hypnosis are being studied as ways to help control pain from medical procedures. Music therapy can help relieve depression in patients who are having stem cell transplants.

Doctors also need to know which therapies are bogus and potentially dangerous -- treatments typically considered "alternative" because patients may use them instead of scientifically studied treatments.

An article earlier this year in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians (Vol. 54, No. 2: 110-118) reviewed the evidence for nearly a dozen alternative cancer therapies and found that they don't hold up under scrutiny. Among the therapies investigated were high-dose vitamin C, laetrile (a compound made from apricot pits), shark cartilage supplements, and the Gerson regimen (a purportedly detoxifying combination of diet and coffee enemas).

Such therapies should no longer be considered "unproven," wrote author Andrew Vickers, PhD, of Memorial Sloan-Kettering. Rather, "it is time to assert that many alternative therapies have been 'disproven,' " he said.

Then there are treatments that fall somewhere in between the "proven" and the "disproven" -- many herbs, for instance.

"Botanicals have tremendous potential, but they need to be studied," Cassileth said. "At this point, patients only have access to what's available over the counter in the form of supplements, but those are not a good idea to try and should be avoided because of their potential to interact negatively with traditional therapy."

Research is being conducted, she said, but the process is slow.

Not Necessarily Risk-Free

Despite the unknowns, herbal supplements are extremely popular. As many as 6 in 10 cancer patients use these remedies, according to some studies.

And quite often they don't tell their doctors about it. In one study, for instance, out of MD Anderson, researchers found that nearly half of women being treated for breast and gynecologic cancers used some type of herbal or vitamin supplement (Journal of Clinical Oncology Vol. 22, No. 4: 671-677). Yet only about half of these women informed their doctor.

"We kind of knew that patients weren't telling physicians about CAM use," said co-researcher Judith Smith, PharmD, BCOP. "Most of them don't even consider it medication."

Indeed, less than a third of the women in the study thought of herbal products and vitamins as medication. Botanicals may be "natural," but they aren't necessarily risk-free.

A review by National Cancer Institute researchers published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (Vol. 22, No. 12: 2489-2503) suggests that many of the most common herbal products have the potential to interact with cancer drugs -- either by diluting their effect so a patient is undertreated, or by amplifying it, resulting in the possibility of overdose.

The review focused on the top-selling herbal preparations in the US: garlic, ginkgo, echinacea, soy, saw palmetto, ginseng, St. John's wort, black cohosh, cranberry, valerian, milk thistle, evening primrose, kava, bilberry, and grape seed.

Much of this research has been performed in lab samples or in animals, lead author Alex Sparreboom, PhD, emphasized; evidence from human trials is scarce, so doctors don't know for certain that any of these products will react dangerously with cancer drugs.

Nevertheless, patients and doctors should use caution, experts say, and keep the lines of communication open.

Doctors Don't Ask, Patients Don't Tell

Doctors should question cancer patients about CAM use and monitor them for unusual symptoms or reactions, said William Figg, PharmD, co-author of the herbal review.

"I think the best thing to do is to be aware that patients are likely taking [herbal supplements] and be aware they might not tell you about it," he said..

Sparreboom suggested doctors keep a list of potentially troublesome compounds, such as those noted in his review, to ask patients about.

Smith agreed that doctors need to take an active role in talking to patients about CAM. In her study, most of the women who didn't talk to their doctor about CAM use said it was because the doctor never asked about it.

But patients also must be forthcoming, Smith said, not just about CAM, but about all over-the-counter medications.

"I don't think the onus should totally be put on physicians, although they should be asking," she said. "Patients should be telling doctors everything they're taking and consulting with a physician before trying something new, particularly if they have other [conditions] like diabetes or high blood pressure."

Estrogen-Plus-Testosterone Therapy Increases Breast Cancer Risk

Women who take the hormones estrogen and testosterone in tandem to treat symptoms of menopause appear to have an increased risk of breast cancer, researchers report.

The finding are published in the July 24 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Another report in the same journal issue finds that alternative therapies to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) don't seem to work.

In the first report, Rulla M. Tamimi, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and Harvard Medical School, and her colleagues collected data on 121,700 women, who were part of the Nurses' Health Study. The researchers looked at the long-term effects of estrogen-plus-testosterone therapy.

"Estrogen plus testosterone increases the risk of breast cancer," Tamimi said. "There needs to be other studies to support these findings, but there does seem to be an increased risk, and women and their physicians should weigh the risks and benefits of estrogen-plus-testosterone therapy before starting," she said.

There is some evidence that many of the symptoms of menopause --including decreased sex drive, mood swings and poorer quality of life, such as hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness and sleep problems -- are related to this decline in testosterone, the authors noted. Previous clinical trials had shown that testosterone in combination with estrogen may reduce these symptoms and promote bone health.

The increased breast cancer risk associated with testosterone may be because enzymes in breast tissue convert testosterone to estradiol, an estrogen-like hormone that could contribute to the development of breast cancer, the authors said. Higher levels of testosterone alone have also been linked to increased breast-cancer risk in postmenopausal women.

Currently in the United States, there is only one estrogen-plus-testosterone therapy available, but such treatments are expected to increase in coming years, according to the report.

During 24 years of follow-up for the study, there were 4,610 cases of breast cancer. The 29 women who were taking estrogen plus testosterone had a 77 percent higher risk of developing breast cancer than those who never used hormone therapy, the researchers reported.

The risk associated with this combination therapy was higher than the risk associated with estrogen therapy (15 percent) and of estrogen-plus-progestin therapy (58 percent), Tamimi said.

Looking only at women who had gone through menopause naturally rather than those who had had a hysterectomy, Tamimi's group found that the 17 women who took estrogen plus testosterone had 2.5 times the risk of breast cancer compared with those who had never used hormones.

One expert doesn't think that, in most cases, testosterone should be prescribed for women.

"We have always been careful about prescribing testosterone to women, based on unknown risks," said Dr. Hugh Taylor, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine. Testosterone doesn't appear to offer a benefit much beyond a placebo effect, he added.

"We have always been hesitant about using it, and this re-enforces it," Taylor said. "The usual reason women request testosterone is for decreased libido. But for most women, decreased libido is not due to decreased testosterone. It's due to a myriad of other problems."

Concerns about hormone-replacement therapy were first raised in 2002 by the Women's Health Initiative, the landmark study involving 27,000 participants that caused many women to discontinue their use of hormone therapy.

In the second study in the journal, researchers who reviewed 70 previous studies of alternative and complementary therapies for menopause-related symptoms found there was insufficient evidence that these therapies relieve menopause-related symptoms.

"There is a significant placebo effect in almost anything that is used for the management of menopause," said study lead researcher Dr. Anne Nedrow, of the Oregon Evidence-based Practice Center and Oregon Health and Science University. "There is a lack of any evidence that of the millions and millions of dollars spent on alternative therapies that anything really works.

Nedrow's group looked at 48 studies that examined vitamins, proteins, complete diets or other biologically based treatments; nine studies that focused on mind-body therapies, including meditation and guided imagery; one study of osteopathic manipulation, a body-based therapy; two that looked at the energy-based treatments reflexology and magnet therapy; and 10 that assessed whole medical systems, such as traditional Chinese medicine or ayurvedic medicine, a traditional therapy from India.

Nedrow said the study found there really aren't any good alternative or complementary choices for women going through menopause. "The truly symptomatic women may need to reconsider estrogen," she said. "Or we may want to take advantage of the placebo effect, which has shown a 50 percent reduction in symptoms in 12 weeks," she added.

Nedrow said she doesn't think there's any harm in using alternative therapies. She recommended black cohosh or soy supplements, with the understanding that most of the effect would be a placebo effect.

One expert agreed that the benefit of alternative therapy to relieve menopausal symptoms is largely a placebo effect.

"Currently, the best medication we have to remove menopausal symptoms is estrogen," said Dr. Jennifer Wu, an obstetrician/gynecologist at Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York City. But, she added, "The associated risks make it less than desirable."

Traditional Heart Risk Factors Outdo Biomarkers

The sophisticated biomarkers for cardiac risk that have enthralled researchers in recent years don't add much diagnostic power to such traditional risk factors as blood cholesterol levels, smoking, blood pressure and obesity, a new study finds.

"Our results indicate that, at least for clinical use, they are not ready for prime time," said study author Dr. Thomas J. Wang, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard University and a member of Massachusetts General Hospital's cardiovascular division. The report is published in the Dec. 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Wang and his colleagues followed 3,209 participants in the Framingham Heart Study for a decade, measuring biomarkers that included C-reactive protein, homocysteine, urinary albumin, fibrinogen and natriuretic peptides.

While those measurements did provide indicators of increased risk of cardiovascular disease, "a lot of biomarkers don't seem to add a great deal once you take the standard risk factors into account," Wang said.

But research on those biomarkers should continue, because "there very well could be subgroups of people in which it would be useful to measure biomarkers," Wang said. "We need further data on that question."

Another reason for continuing research is that "there are studies that suggest that treating people to lower these biomarkers improves clinical outcome," he said.

But the bottom line is that "widespread use of biomarkers is not indicated at this time for clinical purposes," Wang said.

"The message in the article is that the cycle of enthusiasm and hope that we have found the holy grail has been shot down," said James H. Ware, dean for academic affairs at the Harvard School of Public Health, who wrote an accompanying commentary.

Researchers have tended to hope that a newly discovered biomarker "might be a great advance in the ability of a doctor to take individual patients and make a diagnosis," Ware said. "But a lot of these things don't have much use as diagnostic tools."

"People will be more cautious as new biomarkers emerge," he added.

But research should continue because "diseases like cardiovascular disease are very complicated, multi-factorial phenomena," Ware said. "There is not one pathway that leads to impairment of the heart, so a description of it is bound to be complicated."

One useful lesson of the study is that "our data provide a useful reminder that traditional risk factors are very important," Wang said. "They set the bar very high in terms of the knowledge they give us. It takes a fair amount to improve on what we already have."

Traditional Heart Risk Factors Outdo Biomarkers

The sophisticated biomarkers for cardiac risk that have enthralled researchers in recent years don't add much diagnostic power to such traditional risk factors as blood cholesterol levels, smoking, blood pressure and obesity, a new study finds.

"Our results indicate that, at least for clinical use, they are not ready for prime time," said study author Dr. Thomas J. Wang, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard University and a member of Massachusetts General Hospital's cardiovascular division. The report is published in the Dec. 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Wang and his colleagues followed 3,209 participants in the Framingham Heart Study for a decade, measuring biomarkers that included C-reactive protein, homocysteine, urinary albumin, fibrinogen and natriuretic peptides.

While those measurements did provide indicators of increased risk of cardiovascular disease, "a lot of biomarkers don't seem to add a great deal once you take the standard risk factors into account," Wang said.

But research on those biomarkers should continue, because "there very well could be subgroups of people in which it would be useful to measure biomarkers," Wang said. "We need further data on that question."

Another reason for continuing research is that "there are studies that suggest that treating people to lower these biomarkers improves clinical outcome," he said.

But the bottom line is that "widespread use of biomarkers is not indicated at this time for clinical purposes," Wang said.

"The message in the article is that the cycle of enthusiasm and hope that we have found the holy grail has been shot down," said James H. Ware, dean for academic affairs at the Harvard School of Public Health, who wrote an accompanying commentary.

Researchers have tended to hope that a newly discovered biomarker "might be a great advance in the ability of a doctor to take individual patients and make a diagnosis," Ware said. "But a lot of these things don't have much use as diagnostic tools."

"People will be more cautious as new biomarkers emerge," he added.

But research should continue because "diseases like cardiovascular disease are very complicated, multi-factorial phenomena," Ware said. "There is not one pathway that leads to impairment of the heart, so a description of it is bound to be complicated."

One useful lesson of the study is that "our data provide a useful reminder that traditional risk factors are very important," Wang said. "They set the bar very high in terms of the knowledge they give us. It takes a fair amount to improve on what we already have."

The Mind as Medicine

What if your mind's eye could take you to a place so peaceful that the experience eased your pain or sped your recovery from surgery? It's not such a far-fetched concept.

"Guided imagery," a type of mind-body therapy that uses visualized images to communicate to the housekeeping systems of the body, is making its way into traditional medical settings.

"People are just now taking a very serious look at it," said David E. Bresler, co-founder of the Academy for Guided Imagery, in Malibu, Calif., and author of the book Free Yourself From Pain. "There are a handful of hospitals around the country and around the world that are starting to implement these programs," he said.

In one study, researchers at Harvard Medical School found that more than 30 percent of U.S. adults have used some form of mind-body medicine, a category that includes imagery, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Bresler, a traditionally trained Ph.D. neuroscientist, first became intrigued with alternative methods of pain relief in the early 1970s, as founder and director of the University of California, Los Angeles, Pain Control Unit. Patients often used vivid images to describe their pain. It felt like an ice pick to one person, fire ants to another. One particular patient, a psychiatrist with a painful rectal carcinoma, suffered low back pain that he said "felt like a dog chewing on my spine."

Bresler knew that when patients used their imagination to go to a peaceful place, it helped them to relax, so he guided the agitated psychiatrist through a relaxation exercise. When the man's pain flared up, Bresler instructed him to speak to the dog. Would it let go of his spine? Then, an astonishing thing happened -- when the dog let go to talk, the man's pain subsided.

Today, guided imagery has numerous applications. Sports psychologists use it to enhance athletes' physical performance. Cancer centers often use it to relieve patients' pain and nausea.

In a 2004 study in the journal Pain, researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center found that children who used guided-imagery tapes before and after routine surgery had significantly less pain and anxiety than a control group. More recently, researchers examined how children used these tapes, which suggested that they "go" to a park, at least in their mind. Many, though, put their own spin on the proposed image, allowing them to escape to places like a swimming pool, a lake or an amusement park.

Bresler said imagery is the language of the autonomic nervous system, the part of the nervous system that regulates many involuntary body functions, such as heart rate, blood pressure and digestion. "So, when you're working with images, it's really a set of instructions to the system," he said.

Victoria Menzies, an imagery researcher and professor at Florida International University's School of Nursing, in Miami, said the first step for a patient in any guided-imagery session is to develop a rapport with the guide who is asking you to close your eyes and relax. Once the patient is in a relaxed state, the guide will either offer an image or ask the person to come up with their own, someplace where he or she would feel calm and safe or joyful -- the mountains, the seacoast, a favorite room in their home, whatever.

Engaging the senses is the next step, she explained. The guide might ask where you are and what you see, hear, smell, feel and even taste.

Menzies led a 10-week guided imagery intervention for a small group of patients with fibromyalgia, a condition involving chronic pain and fatigue. In the study, published in January 2006 in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, one group of patients received usual care and used a set of guided-imagery audiotapes. The other group received only usual care. Compared with the controls, the patients who participated in guided imagery were better able to perform activities of daily living and had a greater sense of being able to manage their pain and other symptoms, the study showed.

What's more, Menzies found, "The pain did not change, but the ability to cope with the pain was improved."

Bresler considers it shocking that medical colleagues would reach their hands into someone's body and remove organs before allowing a patient to go through an imaging exercise.

"It only takes a few moments to do these things and to really check on the wisdom from inside, because there is tremendous wisdom that's being generated if only we'd listen to it," he said.

Medicine - East Meets West

It has been said that you can expand your horizons when you travel the world. For me, this is true. One of my greatest "eye-opening" experiences happened years ago when I was invited to China as part of a U.S. delegation.

I was fortunate to have been part of a sports medicine exchange program in which I spent almost one month traveling throughout China giving lectures and demonstrations. Our task was to teach Chinese health practitioners about the latest and greatest techniques of Western medicine.

In exchange, they shared techniques and treatments of traditional Chinese medicine including acupuncture, moxibustion and QiGong, some of which, at that time, had not yet arrived in any significant amount in the U.S.A. We, as a delegation, spent time visiting all aspects of health care in China, from their hospitals and rural clinics, to the "barefoot doctors" out in the field. Their adoption of traditional medicine was fairly primitive it at that time, but their capabilities in terms of ancient Eastern practices, was remarkable.

There was no such thing in the U.S. (yet) as "alternative medicine."

It was a tremendous experience for me, and as I mentioned, and eye and mind opener. I came to realize that even though medical care in the U.S. is clearly the best in the world, with the best trained physicians, we still do not have all the answers that fit every patient's needs.

The Chinese continue to incorporate many of our techniques, and we, even more so, showcase theirs under the umbrella of "alternative medicine." More and more hospitals and physicians are providing these types of services and, according to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine, we are flocking to them in droves.

In my next blog entry, I'll talk about some of the science behind certain alternative medicine practices especially those related to the musculoskeletal system.

In the meantime, what is your experience with alternative medicine? Has it helped you in times when traditional medicine has failed? Are you a believer?

Do you think alternative medicine should be held to the same scientific scrutiny and rigorous scientific studies (to show its merit) as traditional medicine? Please share your thoughts and stories.

About Complementary / Integrative Medicine

The definitions provided below are from various authoritative sources and are provided here for general explanation purposes. Please refer to the Web pages for more details.

The Basics
NCCAM's Major Domains of Complementary & Alternative Medicine (for Consumers and Practitioners)
National Cancer Institute (NCI) Definitions Glossary

The Basics

Conventional Medicine
The term conventional medicine refers to medicine as practiced by holders of M.D. (medical doctor) or D.O. (doctor of osteopathy) degrees, some of whom may also practice complementary and alternative medicine. Other terms for conventional medicine are allopathy, Western, regular and mainstream medicine and biomedicine.

Alternative Medicine
Therapeutic approaches taken in place of traditional medicine and used to treat or ameliorate disease.

Complementary Medicine
Therapies that complement traditional western (or allopathic) medicine.

Complementary/Alternative Medicine
The terms "complementary" and "alternative" are often used interchangeably, when in fact they are two different therapeutic approaches.

"CAM" Complementary/Alternative Medicine
Combination of complementary and alternative medicine.

Complementary/Integrative Medicine
Combines traditional western (or allopathic) and complementary approaches and supplements, but does not replace conventional therapy. It is used for:

• Managing symptoms
• Increasing wellness (quality of life, reported sense of well-being)
• Improving treatment efficacy

Basic Principles of Integrative Medicine*

• A partnership begween patient and practitioner in the healing process
• Appropriate use of conventional and alternative methods to facilitate the body's innate healing response
• Consideration of all factors that influence health, wellness and disease, including mind, spirit and community as well as body
• A philosophy that neither rejects conventional medicine nor accepts alternative medicine uncritically
• Recognition that good medicine should be based in good science, inquiry driven and open to new paradigms
• Use of natural, less invasive interventions whenever possible
• The broader concepts of promotion of health and the prevention of illness as well as the treatment of disease
• Practitioners as models of health and healing, committed to the process of self-exploration and self-development

*As stated by the University of Arizona Program in Integrative Medicine

"CIM"
An acronym used when describing the study or use of traditional western (or allopathic) and complementary medicine approaches.

"NCCAM" National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine
The center within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of the U. S. government that is "dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science, training CAM researchers and disseminating authoritative information".

NCCAM's Major Domains of Complementary & Alternative Medicine (for Consumers and Practitioners)

Complementary and alternative healthcare and medical practices (CAM) are those healthcare and medical practices that are not currently an integral part of conventional medicine. The list of practices that are considered CAM changes continually as CAM practices and therapies that are proven safe and effective become accepted as "mainstream" healthcare practices. Today, CAM practices may be grouped within five major domains

1. Alternative medical systems
2. Mind-body interventions
3. Biologically-based treatments
4. Manipulative and body-based methods
5. Energy therapies

The individual systems and treatments comprising these categories are too numerous to list in this document. Thus, only limited examples are provided within each.

I. Alternative Medical Systems
Alternative medical systems involve complete systems of theory and practice that have evolved independent of and often prior to the conventional biomedical approach. Many are traditional systems of medicine that are practiced by individual cultures throughout the world, including a number of venerable Asian approaches.

Traditional oriental medicine emphasizes the proper balance or disturbances of qi (pronounced chi), or vital energy, in health and disease, respectively. Traditional oriental medicine consists of a group of techniques and methods, including acupuncture, herbal medicine, oriental massage and qi gong (a form of energy therapy described more fully below). Acupuncture involves stimulating specific anatomic points in the body for therapeutic purposes, usually by puncturing the skin with a needle.

Ayurveda (Eye yer vay duh) is India's traditional system of medicine. Ayurvedic medicine (meaning "science of life") is a comprehensive system of medicine that places equal emphasis on body, mind and spirit, and strives to restore the innate harmony of the individual. Some of the primary Ayurvedic treatments include diet, exercise, meditation, herbs, massage, exposure to sunlight and controlled breathing.

Other traditional medical systems have been developed by Native American, Aboriginal, African, Middle-Eastern, Tibetan, Central and South American cultures.

Homeopathy and naturopathy are also examples of complete alternative medical systems. Homeopathy is an unconventional Western system that is based on the principle that "like cures like," i.e., that the same substance that in large doses produces the symptoms of an illness, in very minute doses cures it. Homeopathic physicians believe that the more dilute the remedy, the greater its potency. Therefore, homeopaths use small doses of specially prepared plant extracts and minerals to stimulate the body's defense mechanisms and healing processes in order to treat illness.

Naturopathy views disease as a manifestation of alterations in the processes by which the body naturally heals itself and emphasizes health restoration rather than disease treatment. Naturopathic physicians employ an array of healing practices, including diet and clinical nutrition, homeopathy, acupuncture, herbal medicine, hydrotherapy (the use of water in a range of temperatures and methods of applications), spinal and soft-tissue manipulation, physical therapies involving electric currents, ultrasound and light therapy, therapeutic counseling and pharmacology.

II. Mind-Body Interventions
Mind-body interventions employ a variety of techniques designed to facilitate the mind's capacity to affect bodily function and symptoms. Only a subset of mind-body interventions are considered CAM. Many that have a well-documented theoretical basis, for example, patient education and cognitive-behavioral approaches are now considered "mainstream." On the other hand, meditation, certain uses of hypnosis, dance, music and art therapy and prayer and mental healing are categorized as complementary and alternative.

III. Biological-Based Therapies
This category of CAM includes natural and biologically-based practices, interventions and products, many of which overlap with conventional medicine's use of dietary supplements. Included are herbal, special dietary, orthomolecular and individual biological therapies.

Herbal therapies employ individual or mixtures of herbs for therapeutic value. An herb is a plant or plant part that produces and contains chemical substances that act upon the body. Special diet therapies, such as those proposed by Drs. Atkins, Ornish, Pritikin and Weil, are believed to prevent and or control illness as well as promote health. Orthomolecular therapies aim to treat disease with varying concentrations of chemicals, such as, magnesium, melatonin and mega-doses of vitamins. Biological therapies include, for example, the use of laetrile and shark cartilage to treat cancer and bee pollen to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

This M. D. Anderson Web site further subdivides these biological therapies into:

• Herbal/Plant Therapies
  The specific definition of an herb is any seed producing plant that does not have persistent woody tissue, but rather dies down at the end of a season. The general definition is a plant valued for its medicinal, savory or aromatic properties.*
  
  
• Nutrition and Special Diets
  Nutrition is defined generally as the act or process of nourishing; specifically it is the sum of the process by which an animal or plant takes in and utilizes food substances*. Diets commonly used by patients with cancer may be described as restrictive, supplemental or simply require changes in food habits.
  
  
• Biologic/Organic/Pharmacologic
  Non-plant biologic (related to life*) organic (derived from living organisms*) pharmacologic (drugs or substances used as medications*) make up the remaining category of biological therapies that are usually swallowed, injected or applied to the skin.

*Webster's Medical Desk Dictionary. Merriam-Webster, Inc., Springfield, MA (1986).

IV. Manipulative & Body-Based Methods
This category includes methods that are based on manipulation and/or movement of the body. For example, chiropractors focus on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function, and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health, using manipulative therapy as an integral treatment tool. Some osteopaths, who place particular emphasis on the musculoskelatal system, believing that all of the body's systems work together and that disturbances in one system may have an impact upon function elsewhere in the body, practice osteopathic manipulation. Massage therapists manipulate the soft tissues of the body to normalize those tissues.

V. Energy Therapies
Energy therapies focus either on energy fields originating within the body (biofields) or those from other sources (electromagnetic fields).

Biofield therapies are intended to affect the energy fields, whose existence is not yet experimentally proven, that surround and penetrate the human body. Some forms of energy therapy manipulate biofields by applying pressure and/or manipulating the body by placing the hands in, or through, these fields. Examples include Qi gong, Reiki and Therapeutic Touch. Qi gong is a component of traditional oriental medicine that combines movement, meditation, and regulation of breathing to enhance the flow of vital energy (qi) in the body, to improve blood circulation and to enhance immune function. Reiki, the Japanese word representing Universal Life Energy, is based on the belief that by channeling spiritual energy through the practitioner the spirit is healed, and it in turn heals the physical body. Therapeutic Touch is derived from the ancient technique of "laying-on of hands" and is based on the premise that it is the healing force of the therapist that affects the patient's recovery and that healing is promoted when the body's energies are in balance. By passing their hands over the patient, these healers identify energy imbalances.

Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies involve the unconventional use of electromagnetic fields, such as pulsed fields, magnetic fields or alternating current or direct current fields, to, for example, treat asthma or cancer, or manage pain and migraine headaches.

National Cancer Institute (NCI) Definitions Glossary

Bias
Human choices or any other factors beside the treatments being tested that affect a study's results. Clinical trials use many methods to avoid bias, because biased results may not be correct.

Control group
In a clinical trial, the group of people that receives standard treatment for their cancer. (See Treatment group.)

Informed consent
The process in which a person learns key facts about a clinical trial or research study and then agrees voluntarily to take part or decides against it. This process includes signing a form that describes the benefits and risks that may occur if the person decides to take part.

Institutional Review Board (IRB)
Groups of scientists, doctors, clergy and consumers at each health care facility at which a clinical trial takes place. Designed to protect patients who take part in studies, IRBs review and must approve the protocols for all clinical trials funded by the Federal Government. They check to see that the study is well-designed, does not involve undue risks, and includes safeguards for patients.

Investigator
A researcher in a treatment study.

Oncologist
A doctor who specializes in treating cancer.

Placebo
A tablet, capsule or injection that looks like the drug or other substance being tested but contains no drug.

Protocol
An action plan for a clinical trial. The plan states what will be done in the study and why. It outlines how many people will take part in the study, what types of patients may take part, what tests they will receive and how often and the treatment plan.

Randomization
A method used to prevent bias in research. People are assigned by chance to either the treatment or control group.

Remission
When the signs and symptoms of cancer go away, the disease is said to be "in remission." A remission can be temporary or permanent.

Side effects
Problems that occur when treatment affects healthy cells. Common side effects of standard cancer treatments are fatigue, nausea, vomiting, decreased blood cell counts, hair loss and mouth sores. New treatments being tested may have these or other unknown side effects.

Single blind study
A method used to prevent bias in treatment studies. In a single blind study, the patient is not told whether he/she is taking the standard treatment or the new treatment being tested. Only the doctors know.

Double blind study
In a double blind study, neither the patient nor the doctor knows who is taking the standard treatment or the new treatment being tested.

Stage
The extent of a cancer and whether the disease has spread from the original site to other parts of the body. Numbers with or without letters are used to define cancer stages (e.g., Stage IIb).

Standard treatment
The best treatment currently known for a cancer, based on results of past research.

Treatment group
The group that receives the new treatment being tested during a study. (See Control group.)

Clinical trials, also called cancer treatment or research studies, test new treatments in people with cancer. The goal of this research is to find better ways to treat cancer and help cancer patients. Clinical trials test many types of treatment such as new drugs, new approaches to surgery or radiation therapy, new combinations of treatments or new methods such as gene therapy.

The phases of clinical trials(from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Office of Cancer Complementary Alternative Medicine update posted 01/10/00)

• Phase I trials
  These first studies in people evaluate how a new drug should be given (by mouth, injected into the blood, or injected into the muscle), how often and what dose is safe. A phase I trial usually enrolls only a small number of patients, sometimes as few as a dozen.
  
• Phase II trials
  A phase II trial continues to test the safety of the drug, and begins to evaluate how well the new drug works. Phase II studies usually focus on a particular type of cancer.
  
• Phase III trials
  These studies test a new drug, a new combination of drugs, or a new surgical procedure in comparison to the current standard for treatment. A participant will usually be assigned to the standard treatment group or the new treatment group at random (called randomization). Phase III trials often enroll large numbers of people and may be conducted at many doctors' offices, clinics and cancer centers nationwide.

How to understand and interpret clinical trials

Best case series
Investigators describe patients who they believe have had the best results with a particular treatment.

Since 1991, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has had a process for evaluation of data from alternative medicine practitioners of groups of patients with cancer treated with alternative medical approaches. This process, called the Best Case Series Program, provides an independent review of the medical records and primary source materials (medical imaging [e.g., radiographic, or ultrasound films] and pathology [cytology and surgical pathology]) and an overall assessment of the evidence for a therapeutic effect. (National Cancer Institute (NCI) Office of Cancer Complementary Alternative Medicine update posted 01/10/00)

Any Best Case Series described on this Web site will be designated as to whether or not they have been reviewed by the National Cancer Institute.

Responses to treatment
Standards for evaluation of the responses to treatment of measurable tumors have been defined by the National Cancer Institute.

National Cancer Institute Response Criteria

Code	Label	Definition
CR	Complete Response	Complete disappearance of all evident tumor.
PR	Partial Response	A greater than or equal 50% decrease in the cross sectional area (product of the largest diameter and its perpendicular diameter) of measurable tumor without progression in other tumor sites or the appearance of new lesions.
SD	Stable Disease	Change in measurable disease too small to meet the requirements for partial response or progression without the appearance of new lesions.
PD	Progressive Disease	Increase in greater than or equal 25% of any pretreatment area of measurable malignant disease, development of any new area of malignant disease, physiologic evidence of progression or significant clinical deterioration reasonably presumed to be related to malignant disease. Grossman SA and Burch PA. Quantitation of Tumor Response to Anti-Neoplastic Therapy. Seminars in Oncology, Vol 15, No 5 (October), 1988: pp 441-454.

Evaluations of responses to treatments described on this Web site that use criteria such as objective stabilization, objective response, mixed response or positive response will be defined within the Annotated Bibliographic description for the specific study.

Types of studies concerning risk or prevention of disease
Although the terms below are defined in the context of the risk of developing disease, the concepts are adaptable for describing the risk of death or other outcomes following the development of disease as in the clinical trials studies previously defined.

Prospective Cohort: A group of people with a common characteristic (e.g. age, city of residence, exposure to a particular agent, etc.) is followed to determine the characteristics of those who develop disease. Cohorts may be compared with control groups that have not been exposed to a particular agent. These controls may be internal (from within the cohort) or external (outside of the cohort) that have not been exposed to a particular agent. In some cases, persons may function as their own (internal) controls by being exposed and then not exposed to a particular agent. Historical controls are a comparison group of persons who have been exposed to an agent prior to the current cohort (e.g., reported in a published medical article).

Retrospective Cohort: A group of people with a common characteristic is identified through a review of records. Characteristics, exposures and occurrence of disease that have already occurred subsequently, but still in the past are then determined. A more current term for this type of cohort would be "Historical Cohort".

Retrospective Cohort with Historical Controls: A group of people with a common characteristic is identified through a review of records. Their response to treatment is then compared with a group of patient with similar characteristics whose treatment and response have been previously reported in the medical literature.

Case Control: A group or sample of persons with a particular disease (cases) is identified and then compared with another group or sample that does not have the disease (controls). This comparison focuses upon characteristics and exposures have occurred in the past within each group that may be associated with their current designation as a case or control.

Case Report: Description of the diagnosis, treatment and response of an individual patient.