jane Re: 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

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >