Headaches and Complementary Health Practices

From the November 2011 Clinical Digest item of NCAAM (US National Center for  Complementary and Alternative Medicine)

Headaches are one of the most common forms of pain. More than 45 million Americans have headaches severe enough to require the help of a health care professional. Headaches occur when pain-sensitive nerve endings around the scalp, in the blood vessels that surround the skull, in the lining around the brain, and in other areas around the head send impulses to the part of the brain that interprets pain signals from the rest of the body. Some headaches are related to tender spots in head, neck, and shoulder muscles.

Researchers are studying treatments for different types of headaches, including a number of complementary health practices. This issue provides information on “what the science says” about the effectiveness and safety of selected complementary health practices for headaches, includingrelaxation training, biofeedback, acupuncture, tai chi, cognitive-behavioral therapy,massage, spinal manipulation, and dietary supplements.

Read more about what the science says

Jump to: Clinical Guidelines | Scientific Literature | Research Spotlights | Info for Patients

 

Arizona County Approves Integrative Care Plan

From an article at Dr. Weil.com

In a vote that may ultimately boost acceptance of integrative medicine (IM) throughout the U.S., the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed on Nov. 28, 2011, to allow the county’s employees and their dependents to receive primary care at an IM clinic scheduled to open in Phoenix, Ariz., in July of 2012. The Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine (AzCIM) will study patient outcomes to determine the effectiveness and costs of integrative versus conventional primary care within the county’s 13,000 employee system.

NIH Launches Web Resource on Complementary and Alternative Medicine

From the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) press release

A new online resource, designed to give health care providers easy access to evidence-based information on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), was unveiled today by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) of the National Institutes of Health.

With this new resource, providers will have the tools necessary to learn about the various CAM practices and products and be better able to discuss the safety and effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine with their patients….

…NCCAM developed a resource that provides reliable, objective, and evidenced-based information on CAM, including:

• links to relevant clinical practice guidelines
• safety and effectiveness information
• links to systematic reviews
• summaries of research studies
• scientific literature searches
• programs for continuing education credit
• patient fact sheets
• NCCAM’s Time to Talk tool kit on communicating about CAM.

Americans annually spend nearly $34 billion out-of-pocket on CAM products and practices. Surveys show that nearly 40 percent of American adults and 12 percent of American children use some form of CAM. Other surveys show that patients do not regularly discuss these practices with their health care providers. In fact, a recent study of Americans aged 50 and older found that overall two-thirds of respondents had not discussed CAM with their health care provider.

“NCCAM is charged to study and provide evidence-based information on the safety and efficacy of CAM health practices that are readily available and already used by a great number of people,” said Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., director of NCCAM. “As a physician, I understand the need to have easily accessible and accurate information on all health practices. This Web resource is a way for NCCAM to share this valuable information with all providers.”

To use this resource, please visit nccam.nih.gov/health/providers/.

NCCAM’s Time to Talk campaign encourages patients to tell their providers about CAM use and providers to ask about it by offering tools and resources—such as wallet cards, posters, and tip sheets—all of which are available for free at nccam.nih.gov/timetotalk/.

The mission of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is to define, through rigorous scientific investigation, the usefulness and safety of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions and their roles in improving health and health care. For additional information, call NCCAM’s Clearinghouse toll free at 1-888-644-6226, or visit the NCCAM Web site at nccam.nih.gov.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH)—The Nation’s Medical Research Agency—includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

Additional Resources

Natural & Alternative Treatments
Contains detailed information on almost 200 different conditions and the conventional and natural treatments used to treat them, over 300 herbs and supplements, plus drug-herb and drug-supplement interactions for more than 90 drug categories.

Drugs and Supplements (sponsored by the Mayo Clinic)

Somewhat lengthy drug and over-the-counter medicationinformation with these sections: description, before using, proper use, precautions and side effects. From Micromedex, a trusted source of healthcare information for health professionals.  

Herb and supplement information includes information on uses based on scientific evidence as well as safety and potential interactions with drugs, herbs, and supplements. From Natural Standard, an independent group of researchers and clinicians

Drugs, Supplements, and Herbal Information (from a MedlinePlus page)

Prescription and over-the-counter medication information contains answers to many general questions including topics as what a drug is used for, precautions, side effects, dietary instructions, and overdoses. From the American Society of Health System Pharmacists

Herb and supplement information includes information on uses based on scientific evidence as well as safety and potential interactions with drugs, herbs, and supplements. From Natural Standard, an independent group of researchers and clinicians.

Related Articles

• Let’s do some real science for a change! The NCCAM Strategic Plan 2011-2015 (scienceblogs.com)
• Herbal Medicines: ‘Natural’ Doesn’t Always Mean Safe, Says Royal Pharmaceutical Society (medicalnewstoday.com)
• Health-Care Providers Are Prescribing Nontraditional Medicine (Medical News Today, 10 May 2011)
• Integrative medicine, spirituality improves outcomes in urban adolescents with asthma (eurekalert.org)
• Audio File About the NCCAM Health Care Provider  Portal (NCAAM) 
• Study Questions Giving Babies Botanical Supplements, Teas (jflahiff.wordpress.com)

Tea Tree Oil – Facts from the US National Institute of Health (NIH)

Tea tree oil plantation, harvesting equipment (a Ford tractor pulling a loader wagon), Coraki, New South Wales, Australia.

 

 

Tea Tree oil facts from herbs at a glance

Excerpts from the Tea Tree Oil article

This fact sheet provides basic information about tea tree oil—common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. Tea tree oil comes from the leaves of the tea tree, and has been used medicinally for centuries by the aboriginal people of Australia.

What Tea Tree Oil Is Used For

• Tea tree oil is often used externally as an antibacterial or antifungal treatment.
• Tea tree oil is used for a number of conditions including acne, athlete’s foot, nail fungus, wounds, and infections.
• Other applications for tea tree oil include use for lice, oral candidiasis (thrush), cold sores, dandruff, and skin lesions

What the Science Says

• A 2004 NCCAM-funded review examined the ability of tea tree oil to kill bacteria and found that in vitro (in a test tube) studies may provide some preliminary evidence for the use of tea tree oil as an adjunctive (additional) treatment for wounds involving difficult-to-treat bacterial infections such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). However, large, well-designed clinical trials on tea tree oil are lacking, and it remains unclear whether tea tree oil is effective against these emerging resistant strains of bacteria in people.
• Some smaller-scale clinical studies have had positive results for treating athlete’s foot, nail fungus, dandruff, and acne, but more large-scale, well-designed clinical studies are needed.

Side Effects and Cautions

• Tea tree oil contains varying amounts of 1,8-cineole, a skin irritant. Products with high amounts of this compound may cause skin irritation or contact dermatitis, an allergic reaction, in some individuals. Oxidized tea tree oil (oil that has been exposed to air) may trigger allergies more than fresh tea tree oil.

 

 

 

Related Articles

• Well: Remedies: Tea Tree Oil for Acne (well.blogs.nytimes.com)

Herbs at a Glance – Sage

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has published a new Herbs at a Glance fact sheet focusing on Sage.

 

A few herb related Web sites

• Dietary Supplements Labels Database

Information about ingredients in more than three thousand selected brands of dietary supplements. It enables users to determine what ingredients are in specific brands and to compare ingredients in different brands. Information is also provided on the health benefits claimed by manufacturers. These claims by manufacturers have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Check out the Help section for tips on how to browse and search this site.

 

• Drug Digest

This noncommercial consumer health and drug information site provides information about drugs and treatment options to be discussed with your primary health care provider or a pharmacist.  Information about over 1,500 drugs as well as common herbs and supplements. The check interactions tab (potential interactions between drugs)  and conditions/treatments area provide easy-to-read overviews. Information provided by Drawing pharmacy experts, licensed doctors of pharmacy, and physicians. From ExpressScripts.

• Drugs, Supplements, and Herbal Information (from a MedlinePlus page)

Prescription and over-the-counter medication information contains answers to many general questions including topics as what a drug is used for, precautions, side effects, dietary instructions, and overdoses. From the American Society of Health System Pharmacists

Herb and supplement information includes information on uses based on scientific evidence as well as safety and potential interactions with drugs, herbs, and supplements. From Natural Standard, an independent group of researchers and clinicians.

• Drugs and Supplements (sponsored by the Mayo Clinic)

Somewhat lengthy drug and over-the-counter medicationinformation with these sections: description, before using, proper use, precautions and side effects. From Micromedex, a trusted source of healthcare information for health professionals. 

Herb and supplement information includes information on uses based on scientific evidence as well as safety and potential interactions with drugs, herbs, and supplements. From Natural Standard, an independent group of researchers and clinicians.

• Natural & Alternative Treatments**
  Contains detailed information on almost 200 different conditions and the conventional and natural treatments used to treat them, over 300 herbs and supplements, plus drug-herb and drug-supplement interactions for more than 90 drug categories.

Do Scientists Understand the Public?

Do Scientists Understand the Public?

Science and political journalist Chris Mooney recently spoke at NCCAM’s Integrative Medicine Research Lecture.***

He shared his perspective on how scientists engage the public and thoughts on how to improve mutual understanding. The Integrative Medicine Research Lecture series provides overviews of the current state of research and practice involving complementary and alternative medicine practices and approaches, and explores perspectives on the emerging discipline of integrative medicine.
http://nccam.nih.gov/research/consultservice/lecture.htm?nav=upd

 

***The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCAAM)  Integrative Medicine Research Lecture Series provides overviews of the current state of research and practice involving complementary and alternative medicine practices and approaches, and explores perspectives on the emerging discipline of integrative medicine.

Lectures are held at 10:00 a.m. in the NIH Clinical Research Center (Building 10) and are open to the public. Lectures are videocast at videocast.nih.gov.

Tai Chi and Qi Gong for Health and Well Being: Video Now Available

From the US National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)

This 12 minute video is an educational tool that features tai chi and qi gong as activities to enhance wellness. You can also download this video to your computer or portable media player.

Segments include introduction, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and cool down

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is the Federal Government’s lead agency for scientific research on the diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine.

The NCCAM Web site includes research-based information on treatments and conditions for both health care professionals and the rest of us.

Locating Health and Medical Information – An Updated Library of Congress Guide

This Science Reference Guide includes information in the following areas

• Safe Searching
• Information about Doctors
• Medical & Health Information
• Dictionaries, Abbreviations, Syndromes, Eponyms
• Medical Tests & Examinations, Dealing with Doctors
• Information on Drugs
• Complementary & Alternative Medicine, Wellness, Nutrition
• Hospitals, HMOs, Nursing homes
• Magazines, Newsletters
• Selected Web Sites
• Resources For Online Books, Journals & Articles

Tai Chi and Qigong Offer Many Health Benefits

Eastern ‘exercises’ may aid heart, immune system, balance, bone health and quality of life.
The news item may be found at  Tai Chi and Qigong Offer Many Health Benefits

Credentialing CAM Providers: Understanding CAM Education, Training, Regulation, and Licensing

Wondering how to find information about a health care provider who specialized in complementary or alternative medicine (CAM)?

This new fact sheet provides a general overview of the status of CAM credentialing, summarizes licensure for selected types of CAM practitioners, and suggests sources for additional information.

Questions to Ask When Considering Complementary or Alternative Therapies

The use of complementary and alternative therapies (CAM) is on the rise. However, before using CAM, it is advisable to consult with your primary health care provider, or any specialized health care provider you are under the care of.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology has prepared Questions to Ask When Considering CAM.

The questions will help you gather the information you need about a CAM therapy.
Links are also provided to additional resources.

The Mulford Library of the University of Toledo has two relevant  online Library Guides

• Consumer Health includes the section Evaluating Health Information
• Drugs, Supplements, Herbs, and Vitamins includes the section Herbs and Botanicals (Consumers)

Related Articles

• Review highlights need for more education and guidance on CAM use in midwifery (esciencenews.com)
• Integrative oncology: Where “individualization” really means “making it up as you go along” (scienceblogs.com)
• Medical Schools Embrace Alternative Medicine (usnews.com)
• Consumer Health Toolkit (fremontlibraries.wordpress.com)
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine on the Rise (webmd.com)
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine – What People Aged 50 and over discuss with their healthcare providers (nccam.gov, 2011)