There is bad science, weird science, fringe science and then there is good science. Anything but good science? Don’t even think about it… Look here to find the information about why you do what you do, when you do, what you do!
The hot new buzz words in complementary health care are, “evidence based”. What does evidence based health care mean? It means that the methods and procedures being used by health care workers have been scientifically studied, reviewed and evaluated and found to have a benefit for the conditions and patients being treated.
Over twenty-five years ago American Health Source adopted the ethical value of evidence based procedures and methods of care as part of its membership ethical code.
It is important to keep in mind that the performance of a study does not mean that that method of treatment was found to be effective or that if clinical effectiveness was reported for a method of treatment that a treatment modality is effective for all of the conditions and disorders for which it is used. In other words the study may prove that a method of treatment does not work, or that it provides only a low level of response.
There are many treatment modalities currently used in complementary health care, few of which have compelling evidence proving effectiveness, and many of which have only been shown to affect levels of stress and relaxation in patients - but have not been shown to provide a cure for diseases.
However, the research is ongoing and the evidence of when and how complementary health care works is growing. So the news is good and keeps getting better!
As you investigate this research don’t forget to look at:
The Journal of the American Manual Medicine Association:
http://americanhealthsource.org/research.htm
Interesting Research on Massage Therapy -
Calcium, not lactic acid, causes muscle fatique
New research reported in the New York Times says calcium, not lactic acid, cause muscle fatique.
“For decades, muscle fatigue had been largely ignored or misunderstood. Leading physiology textbooks did not even try to offer a mechanism, said Dr. Andrew Marks, principal investigator of the new study. A popular theory, that muscles become tired because they release lactic acid, was discredited not long ago.”
Read the whole story here
For further information on this subject look at Dr. Andrew Narks web site, full text PDFs are available there.
Manual Lymphatic Drainage
Effect of Manual Lymphdrainage Massage on Blood Components and Urinary Neurogormones in Chronic Lymphedema W. Kurz, R. Kurz, Y.I. Litmanovitch, H. Romanoff, Y. Pfeifer and F.G. Sulman Angiology 1981; 32; 119 DOI: 10.1177/000331978103200204
The online version of this article can be found at: http://ang.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/32/2/119
Myofascial Physical Therapy
Randomized Multicenter Feasibility Trial of Myofascial Physical Therapy for the Treatment of Urological Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndromes. The Journal of Urology, Volume 182, Issue 2, Pages 570-580
M. FitzGerald, R. Anderson, J. Potts, C. Payne, K. Peters, J. Clemens, R. Kotarinos, L. Fraser, A. Cosby, C. Fortman
Also check out these links:
http://mtabcsports.wordpress.com/category/massage/recovery-massage/
http://mtabcsports.wordpress.com/category/exercise/recovery/
http://mtabcsports.wordpress.com/category/lactic-acid/
http://mtabcsports.wordpress.com/category/heart-rate/
Good Resources for Information:
2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans
The Federal Government has issued its first-ever Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. They describe the types and amounts of physical activity that offer substantial health benefits to American... Details >
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
American College of Sports Medicine Fit Society® Page
The page links to issues of the American College of Sports Medicine Fit Society Page® newsletter, a quarterly electronic newsletter written for the general public on a variety of popular health and fi... Details >
American College of Sports Medicine
Consumer Reports on Health Care
Consumer Reports on Health is a monthly, 12-page health newsletter published in print and in electronic form by Consumers Union. The newsletter offers independent, unbiased news, information, and reco... Details >
Consumers Union
Exercise for Older Adults
Learn about the benefits of exercise for older adults. This document offers safe exercises to try, video clips, and instructions on how to chart your progress. ... Details >
National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Aim for a Healthy Weight
The overall purpose of this initiative is to help reduce the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and physical inactivity in order to lower the risk, and overall morbidity and mortality from coronary he... Details >
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health
Find Healthier Choices at Restaurants
This Web site provides consumers with a centralized resource for identifying the healthier choices and nutrition information from restaurants nationwide. Developed in collaboration with the National R... Details >
Healthy Dining
Be Heart Smart! Eat Foods Lower in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol
Food plays a big part in the lives of most African Americans. Good food and celebrations go hand in hand. Yet, the traditional ways of frying foods and using fats for seasoning can increase your risk... Details >
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Information Center
What Is Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)?
There are many terms used to describe approaches to health care that are outside the realm of conventional medicine as practiced in the United States. This fact sheet explains how the National Center ... Details >
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health
Yoga for Health: An Introduction
Yoga is a mind-body practice in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) with origins in ancient Indian philosophy. This Backgrounder provides a general overview of yoga and suggests sources for m... Details >
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health