Alternative medicine today: Tai Chi for fibromyalgia pain, treatments for your pets, body-mind meditation and more

Alternative medicine articles and features in the news

Almost half of Americans use alternative medicine (Voice of America): "Practices that are considered outside mainstream medicine, like the use of dietary supplements, meditation and yoga, as well as chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, reiki - or therapeutic touch - and massage. A survey by the NIH in 2007 indicated four in 10 Americans use one of these practices, most often to treat pain."

Relief from fibromyalgia pain: a dose of Tai Chi (U.S. News & World Report): "33 volunteers with fibromyalgia were assigned to take twice-weekly tai chi classes and 33 others were assigned to twice-weekly stretching classes and educational seminars about their condition. At the end of 12 weeks, the tai chi group reported greater relief from muscle pain, better sleep, and a higher quality of life with less depression. They also performed better on tests of physical abilities."

Miracle medical care for beloved pets: worth the cost? (CBS News) "Do expensive medical treatments for animals make ethical sense when so many humans go uninsured? It costs about $1,500 for a cat to get a kidney transplant. Yet vets say it's not a matter of human verses animal life, but the priorities of the owner.  "Some people value their cat more than they want a new flat screen TV," says Dr. Jon McAnulty, professor of surgery at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine. "Not everyone who comes to us is wealthy."

Pet massage therapy promotes long-lasting health (Spring Observer): "It is less expensive to provide care that supports health maintenance than it is to wait for a canine companion to become ill."

Acupuncture, real or fake, eases pain (New York Times): "The results don’t mean acupuncture doesn’t work, but they do suggest that the benefits of both real and fake acupuncture may have something to do with the way the body transmits or processes pain signals. Other studies have suggested that the prick of a needle around the area of injury or pain could create a “super-placebo” effect that alters the way the brain perceives and responds to pain."

Positive brain changes seen after body-mind meditation (BusinessWeek): "A comparison of scans taken of the students' brains before and after the training showed that those in the IBMT group had increased brain connectivity. The changes were strongest in connections involving the anterior cingulate, an area that plays a role in the regulation of emotions and behavior."

Alternative treatments may have some use in depression (Psychiatry Online): "Several trials have suggested that parenteral or oral preparations of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe)—the major donor of methyl groups in human metabolism—are as effective as antidepressants in treating major depression."

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