Antibiotics and placebo equally effective for sinusitis treatment ?

In another story highlighting the unnecisary prescription of antibiotics; a recent study specifically on sinusitis has found that placebo (a pill containing nothing in it) is just as effective as the antibiotic prescribed. 

 Antibiotics are commonly used to treat sinusitis, but a new clinical trial has found that a placebo works just as well.

Scientists randomized 166 adults, all of whom met the diagnostic criteria for sinusitis, to receive the antibiotic amoxicillin or a placebo three times a day for 10 days. On the third, seventh and tenth days, the participants recorded their symptoms.

There was no significant difference between the two groups in the amounts of time missed from work or everyday activities, relapse or recurrence rates, adverse effects or satisfaction with the treatment. Nor was there any difference in self-reported improvement in symptoms, except on the seventh day, when 74 percent of those taking amoxicillin reported improvement, compared with 56 percent of those on the placebo.

The authors acknowledge that it is possible that not all patients in the study had bacterial sinusitis, since the diagnosis is made clinically, not by a laboratory test. (Antibiotics, of course, are ineffective against a viral infection.)

“I hope that the results here will give doctors evidence to use in discussions with patients about avoiding unnecessary antibiotic treatment,” said the lead author, Dr. Jane M. Garbutt of Washington University in St. Louis.

The study appeared last week in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Original published story ran here: 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/21/health/research/in-sinusitis-antibiotics-are-as-effective-as-placebos-study-finds.html?_r=1&ref=science

Swiss Government's Conclusive Report Findings on Homeopathic Medicine: Effective & Affordable

In late 2011, the Swiss government's report on homeopathic medicine represents the most comprehensive evaluation of homeopathic medicine ever written by a government and was just published in book form in English (Bornhoft and Matthiessen, 2011). This breakthrough report affirmed that homeopathic treatment is both effective and cost-effective and that homeopathic treatment should be reimbursed by Switzerland's national health insurance program. 

The Swiss government's inquiry into homeopathy and complementary and alternative (CAM) treatments resulted from the high demand and widespread use of alternatives to conventional medicine in Switzerland, not only from consumers but from physicians as well. Approximately half of the Swiss population have used CAM treatments and value them. Further, about half of Swiss physicians consider CAM treatments to be effective. Perhaps most significantly, 85 percent of the Swiss population wants CAM therapies to be a part of their country's health insurance program.

It is therefore not surprising that more than 50 percent of the Swiss population surveyed prefer a hospital that provides CAM treatments rather to one that is limited to conventional medical care.

Beginning in 1998, the government of Switzerland decided to broaden its national health insurance to include certain complementary and alternative medicines, including homeopathic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, anthroposophic medicine, and neural therapy. This reimbursement was provisional while the Swiss government commissioned an extensive study on these treatments to determine if they were effective and cost-effective. The provisional reimbursement for these alternative treatments ended in 2005, but as a result of this new study, the Swiss government's health insurance program once again began to reimburse for homeopathy and select alternative treatments. In fact, as a result of a national referendum in which more than two-thirds of voters supported the inclusion of homeopathic and select alternative medicines in Switzerland's national health care insurance program, the field of complementary and alternative medicine has become a part of this government's constitution (Dacey, 2009; Rist, Schwabl, 2009).

Read the full article by Dana Ullman here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dana-ullman/homeopathic-medicine-_b_1258607.html

Previously run "Sustainable Resource" article getting larger distribution.

A story we highlighted regarding sustainable small scale fish farming and gardening to provide a significant source of nutrition and more has now been picked up by the LA Times: 

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-fish-farming-20120129,0,5847757.story

Still a timely and excellent story and worth the read if you have not read previously. 

-CMJ 

Acupuncture: Effective Treatment for Carpal Tunnel.

Acupuncture offers relief and natural treatment for carpal tunnel cases.

A recent study published in the Journal of Research in Medical Sciences concludes that acupuncture is effective for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. There were 72 subjects in this randomized controlled study. The acupuncture treatment group received 8 acupuncture treatments over a period of 4 weeks and night splinting was used as an additional component to the medical are. The control group received night splinting, sham acupuncture (use of non-relevant acupoints in relation to carpal tunnel syndrome), vitamin B1 and vitamin B6. A follow up after the treatment regime measured a clinically significant nerve conduction velocity difference between the groups. The acupuncture group measured significantly better according to the nerve conduction study’s electrophysiological measurements. The researchers also conclude that acupuncture is effective in relieving the subjective symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.¹

This new acupuncture and carpal tunnel syndrome research from 2012 is not alone. Looking back to a less recent study from 2006 published in the Journal of the International Association for the Study of Pain, researchers measured the effectiveness of acupuncture for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome and discovered a brain pathway by which acupuncture exerts its therapeutic results. The researchers measured brain responses using fMRI technology to measure brain processing related to acupuncture stimuli in relation to neuropathic pain. The controlled study discovered that acupuncture caused greater activation of the hypothalamus and greater deactivation of the amygdala- both important brain centers. The researchers concluded that acupuncture benefits chronic pain sufferers “through a coordinated limbic network including the hypothalamus and amygdala.”²

To consult with a professional regarding this treatment:  Carpal Tunnel Acupuncture Treatment 

References:

1. Acupuncture in treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome: A randomized controlled trial study. Saeid Khosrawi, Alireza Moghtaderi, Shila Haghighat. Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, Vol 17, No 1 (2012).

2. PAIN. Volume 130, Issue 3 , Pages 254-266, August 2007. Hypothalamus and amygdala response to acupuncture stimuli in carpal tunnel syndrome. V. Napadow, N. Kettner, J. Liu, M. Li, K.K. Kwong, M. Vangel, N. Makris, J. Audette, K.K.S. Hui. July 2006

http://www.healthcmi.com/index.php/acupuncturist-news-online/484-acupunctureceuscarpaltunnelsyndrome

Even 15 minutes of exercise daily can extend your life, reduce stroke risk.

Berlin (dpa) - Taking a minimum of 15 minutes of exercise a day can extend life expectancy by up to three years, according to Germany's Society of Neurologists and the Stroke Society.

A regular program of exercise can reduce the risk of stroke, cardiovascular illness, cancer and diabetes. The advice is based on a study of over 400,000 participants in Taiwan whose health status was checked regularly over eight years.

The study discovered that 15 minutes of exercise a day made a surprising contribution to improving overall health. The mortality rate for those who took the exercise was 14 per cent lower than the inactive participants.

Extrapolating the results over 30 years resulted in a projected extended life expectancy of three years as well as a reduced chance of developing cancer and diseases of the cardiovascular system. The conclusion was that the more a person exercises, the less chance they have of falling ill.

The recommended 15 minutes a day is half what the World Health Organisation advises people to take.

Copyright 2012 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH