NEWS: Welcome to the world Joey!

[Guest guest]

Sounds like a darling guy, Lynn. Send pictures when available. Congrats grandma.

Peace,

--------- [ ] NEWS: Painkiller alerts give alternatives a boost

>

>

>

> Painkiller alerts give alternatives a boost

>

>

>

> BY JANUARY W. PAYNE

> THE WASHINGTON POST

>

> January 11, 2005

>

> Gwenn Herman knows chronic pain - the backaches, stiffness and freezing of

> her neck after her 1995 car accident, the pain that didn't respond, or

> responded inconsistently, to prescription and nonprescription painkillers.

>

> That's why she learned, long before last month's rash of safety alerts about

> three commonly used pain medications, to explore alternative treatments like

> meditation, guided imagery and breathing exercises. Today, she teaches the

> techniques to support groups sponsored by the Pain Connection, a Potomac,

> Md.-based nonprofit she runs.

>

>

>

> " What works for one person doesn't work for another, " Herman said. " The more

> alternatives, the better. "

>

> That view is likely to find more adherents after last month's crush of

> sometimes-conflicting reports linking the highly advertised pain drugs Vioxx

> and Celebrex and, more recently, the popular over-the-counter painkiller

> Aleve (naproxen) to potentially life-threatening side effects. The safety

> concerns led to Vioxx's removal from the market at the end of September and

> the halting of a major clinical trial for Celebrex last month.

>

>

>

> See a doctor

>

> Experts advise patients not to stop pain medications without consulting

> their doctor, noting that further analysis of the data is needed, and

> acceptable health risks must be evaluated individually. The drugs now

> subject to so much publicity may remain the best choices for some patients.

>

> Palliative effects of some of these techniques, like meditation, have been

> shown in several studies. Other methods, like guided imagery, so far tend to

> rest on anecdotal evidence.

>

>

>

> Debate on effectiveness

>

> Still to be established is to what extent any of the treatments can

> effectively relieve the chronic, often daily pain of those with such

> conditions as arthritis, severe headaches, lupus and fibromyalgia.

>

> Pain sufferers confused or upset by recent painkiller news got a small dose

> of hope last month from a study funded by two branches of the National

> Institutes of Health: the National Institute of Arthritis and

> Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and the National Center for Complementary

> and Alternative Medicine. That study found that acupuncture - a

> 2,000-year-old Eastern practice that involves insertion of thin needles at

> specific points on the body - appeared to help relieve pain and improve

> function for knee osteoarthritis.

>

> The large study, in the ls of Internal Medicine, assigned about 190 of

> 570 patients ages 50 and older to receive acupuncture. By Week 8, these

> participants functioned better than those receiving sham acupuncture or

> educational therapy. By Week 14, those who were getting acupuncture reported

> less pain than the others, but the sham treatment group also reported pain

> reduction, at a slightly lower level.

>

> Researchers plan to analyze data to see whether pain relief with acupuncture

> was reduced or eliminated need for pain medications. " From clinical

> experience, that's what we do think is happening, " said study author

> Berman, director of the University of land School of Medicine's Center

> for Integrative Medicine. " They may need less of the medication, which may

> mean less side effects. "

>

> There are other basic steps that doctors and experts say may help ease pain.

> Weight loss, for example, can help relieve the pressure on arthritic joints,

> according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and

> Skin Diseases. Several non-drug approaches besides acupuncture that some

> doctors regard as helpful - or at least promising - are listed below. But

> pursuing alternative treatments in place of necessary conventional care can

> create additional dangers. Experts advise against stopping or starting any

> therapy - traditional or alternative - without consulting a physician.

>

>

>

> Mind-body therapies

>

> Meditation: Some studies suggest that meditation may relieve pain from

> arthritis and other conditions, but the pain relief reported by participants

> also could have resulted from other therapies they were receiving. Clinical

> trials are investigating the pain-relieving effects of meditation on

> patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic conditions.

>

> Biofeedback: This technique teaches patients to control functions such as

> heart rate, muscle tension, breathing, skin temperature and blood pressure

> to relieve stress and chronic pain. Sensors track changes in pulse, skin

> temperature and muscle tone, among others, and signal patients. Biofeedback

> therapists teach patients to recognize such changes on their own.

> Biofeedback has been shown to be helpful in treating about 150 medical

> conditions, including migraines, arthritis and fibromyalgia, according to

> the Mayo Clinic.

>

> Hypnosis: " You can learn to change the perceptions of pain, " said

> Weil, professor of internal medicine and director of the Program in

> Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. A clinical trial funded

> by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is

> exploring whether hypnosis and other nontraditional therapies can ease

> muscle tension in children with spastic cerebral palsy. Studies suggest

> hypnosis helps patients with many different types of pain, including low

> back, tension headache, osteoarthritis and chronic pain. But larger,

> better-designed studies are needed to confirm early findings, according to

> Harvard Medical School, through its online partner Aetna InteliHealth.

>

> Cognitive behavioral therapy: " Thoughts and emotions can affect pain, "

> Berman said, so cognitive behavioral therapy - a kind of talk therapy that

> helps people recognize and change negative behaviors - may help relieve the

> depression, stress and chronic pain that can accompany disabling diseases.

> Duke University researchers have developed a talk therapy program for

> arthritis patients and their spouses to see whether this helps patients cope

> with the disease. They are exploring whether aerobic fitness or coping

> abilities decrease pain or disability.

>

> Hands-on treatments

>

> Exercise and movement therapy: A regular program of physical movement

> sometimes helps in relieving pain. But patients should use care when

> selecting a workout regimen, as overexertion can cause additional pain,

> according to the Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin

> Diseases. Light exercise, physical therapy, pool exercise and " movement

> therapies " such as t'ai chi are recommended as good starting points.

>

> Osteopathic manipulation: Manipulation of the joints " restores the normal

> range of motion of a particular joint, [and] can restore the normal blood

> flow and drainage to an area, " said Dr. Levine, an osteopath in New

> Jersey and a member of the board of trustees for the American Osteopathic

> Association. Growing evidence suggests that osteopathic manipulation may

> ease low back pain and may aid various other conditions, including

> depression, fibromyalgia, menstrual pain and neck pain, according to

> Harvard.

>

> Chiropractic treatments: Spinal manipulations, focusing on the relationship

> between the body's structure (primarily of the spine) and function, are

> mainly used to treat musculoskeletal conditions.

>

> Harvard counts at least 150 published studies or case reports on

> chiropractic manipulation therapy for low back pain, but many are poorly

> designed, and results are mixed.

>

> Several studies also have shown pain relief for patients with tension or

> migraine headaches, but most of these studies also were poorly designed,

> according to Harvard.

>

> Massage: The stroking or kneading of sore muscles by a therapist can

> increase blood flow to painful areas, sometimes providing relief, according

> to the Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. But the

> therapist should be trained in handling arthritis.

>

> For more information

>

> Find more information about alternative and non-drug pain relief therapies:

>

>

>

> National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine,

> www.nccam.nih.gov.

>

> Offers treatments, research findings, safety advice for choosing herbal

> supplements and tips for selecting a practitioner. The NCCAM Clearinghouse

> (888-644- 6226) will answer general questions but not provide medical advice

> or physician referrals.

>

> Office of Dietary Supplements, www.ods.od .nih.gov

>

> An arm of the National Institutes of Health, ODS has fact sheets on dietary

> supplements. The office does not have a public information clearinghouse and

> advises patients to consult their doctors for advice.

>

> Mayo Clinic's Complementary & Alternative Medicine Center, www

> .mayoclinic.com (Under " Health Centers " heading on left side of screen,

> scroll down and select " Complementary & Alternative Medicine " ).

>

> Provides information on a variety of therapies as well as advice on herbs

> and supplements. Addresses safety concerns and which therapies are commonly

> used for specific conditions.

>

> - The washington post

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks ,

They wait five years for this baby. Didn't think they were going to be

able to have a baby, this is great.

Lynn

Original Message:

-----------------

From: k.j.choate@...

Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2005 21:31:58 +0000

Subject: [ ] NEWS: Welcome to the world !

Sounds like a darling guy, Lynn. Send pictures when available. Congrats

grandma.

Peace,

--------- [ ] NEWS: Painkiller alerts give alternatives a boost

>

>

>

> Painkiller alerts give alternatives a boost

>

>

>

> BY JANUARY W. PAYNE

> THE WASHINGTON POST

>

> January 11, 2005

>

> Gwenn Herman knows chronic pain - the backaches, stiffness and freezing

of

> her neck after her 1995 car accident, the pain that didn't respond, or

> responded inconsistently, to prescription and nonprescription

painkillers.

>

> That's why she learned, long before last month's rash of safety alerts

about

> three commonly used pain medications, to explore alternative treatments

like

> meditation, guided imagery and breathing exercises. Today, she teaches

the

> techniques to support groups sponsored by the Pain Connection, a

Potomac,

> Md.-based nonprofit she runs.

>

>

>

> " What works for one person doesn't work for another, " Herman said. " The

more

> alternatives, the better. "

>

> That view is likely to find more adherents after last month's crush of

> sometimes-conflicting reports linking the highly advertised pain drugs

Vioxx

> and Celebrex and, more recently, the popular over-the-counter painkiller

> Aleve (naproxen) to potentially life-threatening side effects. The

safety

> concerns led to Vioxx's removal from the market at the end of September

and

> the halting of a major clinical trial for Celebrex last month.

>

>

>

> See a doctor

>

> Experts advise patients not to stop pain medications without consulting

> their doctor, noting that further analysis of the data is needed, and

> acceptable health risks must be evaluated individually. The drugs now

> subject to so much publicity may remain the best choices for some

patients.

>

> Palliative effects of some of these techniques, like meditation, have

been

> shown in several studies. Other methods, like guided imagery, so far

tend to

> rest on anecdotal evidence.

>

>

>

> Debate on effectiveness

>

> Still to be established is to what extent any of the treatments can

> effectively relieve the chronic, often daily pain of those with such

> conditions as arthritis, severe headaches, lupus and fibromyalgia.

>

> Pain sufferers confused or upset by recent painkiller news got a small

dose

> of hope last month from a study funded by two branches of the National

> Institutes of Health: the National Institute of Arthritis and

> Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and the National Center for

Complementary

> and Alternative Medicine. That study found that acupuncture - a

> 2,000-year-old Eastern practice that involves insertion of thin needles

at

> specific points on the body - appeared to help relieve pain and improve

> function for knee osteoarthritis.

>

> The large study, in the ls of Internal Medicine, assigned about 190

of

> 570 patients ages 50 and older to receive acupuncture. By Week 8, these

> participants functioned better than those receiving sham acupuncture or

> educational therapy. By Week 14, those who were getting acupuncture

reported

> less pain than the others, but the sham treatment group also reported

pain

> reduction, at a slightly lower level.

>

> Researchers plan to analyze data to see whether pain relief with

acupuncture

> was reduced or eliminated need for pain medications. " From clinical

> experience, that's what we do think is happening, " said study author

> Berman, director of the University of land School of Medicine's

Center

> for Integrative Medicine. " They may need less of the medication, which

may

> mean less side effects. "

>

> There are other basic steps that doctors and experts say may help ease

pain.

> Weight loss, for example, can help relieve the pressure on arthritic

joints,

> according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and

> Skin Diseases. Several non-drug approaches besides acupuncture that some

> doctors regard as helpful - or at least promising - are listed below.

But

> pursuing alternative treatments in place of necessary conventional care

can

> create additional dangers. Experts advise against stopping or starting

any

> therapy - traditional or alternative - without consulting a physician.

>

>

>

> Mind-body therapies

>

> Meditation: Some studies suggest that meditation may relieve pain from

> arthritis and other conditions, but the pain relief reported by

participants

> also could have resulted from other therapies they were receiving.

Clinical

> trials are investigating the pain-relieving effects of meditation on

> patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic conditions.

>

> Biofeedback: This technique teaches patients to control functions such

as

> heart rate, muscle tension, breathing, skin temperature and blood

pressure

> to relieve stress and chronic pain. Sensors track changes in pulse, skin

> temperature and muscle tone, among others, and signal patients.

Biofeedback

> therapists teach patients to recognize such changes on their own.

> Biofeedback has been shown to be helpful in treating about 150 medical

> conditions, including migraines, arthritis and fibromyalgia, according

to

> the Mayo Clinic.

>

> Hypnosis: " You can learn to change the perceptions of pain, " said

> Weil, professor of internal medicine and director of the Program in

> Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. A clinical trial

funded

> by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is

> exploring whether hypnosis and other nontraditional therapies can ease

> muscle tension in children with spastic cerebral palsy. Studies suggest

> hypnosis helps patients with many different types of pain, including low

> back, tension headache, osteoarthritis and chronic pain. But larger,

> better-designed studies are needed to confirm early findings, according

to

> Harvard Medical School, through its online partner Aetna InteliHealth.

>

> Cognitive behavioral therapy: " Thoughts and emotions can affect pain, "

> Berman said, so cognitive behavioral therapy - a kind of talk therapy

that

> helps people recognize and change negative behaviors - may help relieve

the

> depression, stress and chronic pain that can accompany disabling

diseases.

> Duke University researchers have developed a talk therapy program for

> arthritis patients and their spouses to see whether this helps patients

cope

> with the disease. They are exploring whether aerobic fitness or coping

> abilities decrease pain or disability.

>

> Hands-on treatments

>

> Exercise and movement therapy: A regular program of physical movement

> sometimes helps in relieving pain. But patients should use care when

> selecting a workout regimen, as overexertion can cause additional pain,

> according to the Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin

> Diseases. Light exercise, physical therapy, pool exercise and " movement

> therapies " such as t'ai chi are recommended as good starting points.

>

> Osteopathic manipulation: Manipulation of the joints " restores the

normal

> range of motion of a particular joint, [and] can restore the normal

blood

> flow and drainage to an area, " said Dr. Levine, an osteopath in

New

> Jersey and a member of the board of trustees for the American

Osteopathic

> Association. Growing evidence suggests that osteopathic manipulation may

> ease low back pain and may aid various other conditions, including

> depression, fibromyalgia, menstrual pain and neck pain, according to

> Harvard.

>

> Chiropractic treatments: Spinal manipulations, focusing on the

relationship

> between the body's structure (primarily of the spine) and function, are

> mainly used to treat musculoskeletal conditions.

>

> Harvard counts at least 150 published studies or case reports on

> chiropractic manipulation therapy for low back pain, but many are poorly

> designed, and results are mixed.

>

> Several studies also have shown pain relief for patients with tension or

> migraine headaches, but most of these studies also were poorly designed,

> according to Harvard.

>

> Massage: The stroking or kneading of sore muscles by a therapist can

> increase blood flow to painful areas, sometimes providing relief,

according

> to the Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

But the

> therapist should be trained in handling arthritis.

>

> For more information

>

> Find more information about alternative and non-drug pain relief

therapies:

>

>

>

> National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine,

> www.nccam.nih.gov.

>

> Offers treatments, research findings, safety advice for choosing herbal

> supplements and tips for selecting a practitioner. The NCCAM

Clearinghouse

> (888-644- 6226) will answer general questions but not provide medical

advice

> or physician referrals.

>

> Office of Dietary Supplements, www.ods.od .nih.gov

>

> An arm of the National Institutes of Health, ODS has fact sheets on

dietary

> supplements. The office does not have a public information

clearinghouse and

> advises patients to consult their doctors for advice.

>

> Mayo Clinic's Complementary & Alternative Medicine Center, www

> .mayoclinic.com (Under " Health Centers " heading on left side of screen,

> scroll down and select " Complementary & Alternative Medicine " ).

>

> Provides information on a variety of therapies as well as advice on

herbs

> and supplements. Addresses safety concerns and which therapies are

commonly

> used for specific conditions.

>

> - The washington post

>

>

>

>

>