Relief from back pain, chiropractic for pregnancy, massage therapy for burn rehabilitation and benefits of breath work

Alternative health news and features from around the web:

Complementary health therapies for back pain have widespread benefits (Massage Magazine): “Patients who receive complementary and alternative (CAM) therapies, of which massage therapy is one, as part of back-pain care, report widespread benefits beyond what is captured by standard measurements, including increased ability to relax and positive changes in emotional states.”

Study reveals one-third of patients seek chiropractic for pain during pregnancy (Chiropractic Economics): “The study found that 90 percent of the patients’ chief complaint was pelvic pain; for 30 percent of the patients chiropractic was their first choice of treatment; and those who had never had back pain before waited the shortest time before seeking treatment. The authors also found that the longer the patients waited to seek chiropractic care the more pain sites they experienced and the more areas of the spine were treated.”

Massage therapy aids burn rehabilitation (Institute for Integrative Health Care Studies): “While massage therapy can help reduce anxiety, increase blood flow and diffuse localized edema, there is another important reason for using it therapeutically for burn rehabilitation. In the August/September 2005 edition of Massage and Bodywork, massage therapist and burn survivor Jennifer Hartley explains that the most important result of burn scar massage is "...simply the reintegration of touch into the lives of people who now shun human contact."

Just breathe: body has a built-in stress reliever (NPR): “Deep breathing is not only relaxing, it's been scientifically proven to affect the heart, the brain, digestion, the immune system — and maybe even the expression of genes.”

Mayo Clinic’s book takes a look at home remedies (JournalStar.com): “Chicken soup isn't just for souls, says Dr. Philip Hagen, editor in chief of the new book, "Mayo Clinic Book of Home Remedies."  It breaks up sinus congestion from colds -- Grandma was right all along.  "A lot of home remedies have a kernel of truth in them," says Hagen, who with co-editor Dr. Martha Millman drew upon their own and others' clinical experiences to create this compendium covering roughly 120 medical issues.”

(Image credit: Wonderlane on Flickr)

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