Category Archives: A. ALTERNATIVE MEDICAL SYSTEMS

Benefits of keyboard playing in people with cerebral palsy

0Cerebral palsy results from injury to or abnormal development of the brain, with various problems in movement, posture, and other behavioral functions.

Researchers at the Graduate School of Education and Ewha Music Rehabilitation Center, in Seoul, Korea, studied the effects of Therapeutic Instrument Music Performance (TIMP) for fine motor exercises in adults with cerebral palsy.

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Pain sensitivity as a predictor of response to sham acupuncture

acupunctureMan111Studies of acupuncture to treat chronic pain have largely failed to demonstrate an advantage of traditional acupuncture over sham acupuncture.

Researchers at the University of Michigan and Harvard Medical School studied whether the degree of enhanced sensitivity to experimental-pressure pain (hyperalgesia) may be a factor in determining whether a patient responds to sham acupuncture treatment. Continue reading Pain sensitivity as a predictor of response to sham acupuncture

Benefits derived from complementary methods of blood pressure control

US News has an article on the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which is aimed at providing nutrients to help reduce blood pressure as well as other benefits. With DASH, the focus is on dietary patterns rather than single nutrients.

For those who think it might be worth the effort, Dr. Barry Materson from the University of Miami says what you can expect in lowered blood pressure. Several years ago another article reported how DASH compares to other treatment options for lowering blood pressure.

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CAM use among people with high blood pressure

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the overall prevalence of hypertension among US adults between 2003 and 2010 was 30%, or about 67 million people. About 36 million (54%) had uncontrolled hypertension.

Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, examined the prevalence of CAM use among older adults with and without diagnosed high blood pressure and the degree to which CAM is used specifically for the treatment of high blood pressure. Continue reading CAM use among people with high blood pressure