June's International Links
From China Daily- Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a new prescription for health as medical institutions will now be required to bolster their TCM departments.
A circular released yesterday by the State Council ordered local governments to include hospitals for traditional medicine in their health service networks.
It also requires health institutions to improve TCM training, facilities and medicines.
"Every community health service station and village health clinic should be able to offer TCM services," the circular said.
www.chinadaily.com.cn
Patients with persistent lower back pain should be offered acupuncture, according to new guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). The guidelines cover those who have been in pain longer than six weeks but less than one year.
Why is this significant?
It is the first time NICE has backed widespread use of 'alternative' therapies. For the first time there is a consistent national approach to managing lower back pain. The rationing watchdog said alternative therapies would be cost-effective if doctors stopped providing less proven back services such as X-rays.
What does NICE suggest?
The guidelines suggest that in addition to painkillers and advice to stay active, patients can opt for complementary treatments. These include up to eight exercise sessions or ten sessions of acupuncture; or manual therapy, which includes spinal manipulation, mobilisation or massage.
www.prweek.com
www.prweek.com
www.privatehealth.co.uk
The Prince of Wales will no doubt have given a small cheer at the news that the medical establishment has finally come round to endorsing the value of complementary therapies such as acupuncture and manipulation for the treatment of chronic back pain. He has a personal interest in the matter for, by his own admission, his lumbar spine, after years in the polo saddle, "has reached an advanced stage of decrepitude".
www.telegraph.co.uk
At the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Shenzhen, in China, researchers studied the effects of music on anxiety and pain during acupuncture treatment in children with cerebral palsy.
First, the details.
- 60 children were treated with acupuncture.
- Children listened to their favorite music or a blank disc for 30 minutes.
- A battery of tests was used to measure changes in pain and anxiety.
- Blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate were also monitored.
- Anxiety was significantly less in the music group 30 minutes after acupuncture compared to the control group.
- Anxiety increased during the first minute of acupuncture, and then gradually, but significantly decreased for the next 29 minutes.
- There were no differences in pain intensity scores between groups.
- There were significant differences between groups in blood pressure and heart rate, but no differences in the rate of breathing.
The authors concluded, “Listening to music while receiving acupuncture can relieve anxiety among children with cerebral palsy.”
www.thecamreport.com
Researchers from Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, in Japan studied the potential for the Kampo medicine, byakkokaninjinto (aka BN), to alter the metabolism of 2 antibiotics (ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and tetracycline).
The Kampo preparation, BN, is used to treat dry mouth, hot ?ashes, and perspiration.
In addition to calcium, BN contains the following herbals.
- Gypsum fibrosum
- Anemarrhenae rhizoma
- Glycyrrhizae radix
- Ginseng radix
- Oryzae semen
- 20 people received the following treatments at 1-week intervals.
- 1 dose of tetracycline (250 mg)
- 1 dose of ciprofloxacin (200 mg)
- 1 dose of tetracycline (250 mg) + 1 pack (3 grams) of BN
- 1 dose of ciprofloxacin (200 mg) + 1 pack (3 grams) of BN
- Concentrations of the antibiotics in blood and urine were measured.
- Taking BN with either antibiotic resulted in significantly decreased peak blood levels (Cmax) and area under the plasma concentration-time curves (AUC) of the antibiotics.
- The pharmacokinetic term, “area under the curve” is a measure of the extent of drug absorption.
- BN didn’t affect the time to reach the maximum blood level (Tmax) for either antibiotic.
- Overall, there was a small (15%) decrease in bioavailability of ciprofloxacin compared to tetracycline (30%).
- BN significantly decreased the urinary recovery of tetracycline, but not ciprofloxacin.
- And there was no change in the ability of the kidney to remove the antibioics from the body.
All these changes indicate BN reduces the bioavailability of ciprofloxacin and tetracycline. This doesn’t occur because of changes in the kidney. Rather, BN reduces absorption of the antibiotics from the intestines due to binding with calcium.
The authors recommend not to take BN at the same time as the antibiotics (especially tetracycline).
www.thecamreport.com
In 2007 the province of B.C. included, for the first time, acupuncture treatment as a supplementary Medical Services Plan benefit for those residents with a combined family income under $28,000. It's a welcome move but on that doesn't go nearly far enough in recognizing the positive contributions alternative models of health care make towards the system overall, according to Dr. Desmond.
"It begs the issue, why is it only low income?" asked Desmond. "It keeps people out of the hospital. If someone wants acupuncture treatments, at least cover the basics. It will add up in time to millions of dollars saved in unnecessary surgeries."
www.canada.com
from forbes.com: Acupuncture relieves the indigestion and heartburn that bother many women as their pregnancy progresses, a new Brazilian study shows.
Indigestion is common during pregnancy, with up to 80 percent of moms-to-be suffering heartburn, stomach pain or discomfort, reflux, belching and bloating. Symptoms tend to worsen over time, and women who avoid taking medicine for fear of harming the developing fetus might welcome an alternative treatment.
"Although small, this study suggests that acupuncture can relieve symptoms of indigestion that are pretty common in pregnancy and may provoke loss of quality of life in the final days, disturbing not only eating but also sleeping," said lead researcher Dr. Joao Bosco Guerreiro da Silva, from the department of internal medicine at Rio Preto Medical College.
www.forbes.com