Having a stiff or painful neck can cause discomfort all day. Acupuncture and the Alexander Technique (which helps improve posture) are both more successful at reducing chronic neck pain than standard treatments, according to a new study.
Both treatments achieved a greater clinically significant reduction in pain than standard care, which may include painkillers and exercise, when tested in a group of more than 500 patients suffering from neck pain for at least three months. After a year, both alternative therapies achieved a 30 per cent reduction in pain and disability, whereas standard care resulted in a 23 per cent reduction.
The participants underwent 12 acupuncture sessions, 20 Alexander Technique ones or standard care over the 12-month period. The Alexander Technique is a method of changing the way people carry out their everyday activities, with a focus on reducing tensions through better coordination, balance, posture and spatial awareness (Ann. Interim. Med.,2015).
Another common ailment is knee pain. Tai Chi, an exercise based on slow, conscious movements, can ease the pain of knee osteoarthritis and help sufferers move more freely. It is as effective as standard physical therapy and is a viable treatment alternative, say researchers from Tufts University School of Medicine.
The results were presented at the American College of Rheumatology’s annual meeting in San Francisco, California, last November. They tested 204 people with knee osteoarthritis, who carried out 12 weeks of Tai Chi twice a week or standard physical exercise. The pain and movement were measured by a scoring system (the WOMAC), which assessed levels of pain, function, depression, quality of life and use of pain medication.
Those who did Tai Chi reported a score that improved by 167 points, while those who had physical therapy reported an improvement of 143 points. The Tai Chi group also suffered fewer episodes of depression, and both groups reduced their use of medication.
The nutritional supplement chondroitin is more effective than a powerful drug in slowing the progress of osteoarthritis, according to a recent study.
It outperformed Celebrex (Celecoxib), a first-line treatment for the condition, when the therapies were tested on 194 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Researchers at the University of Montreal gave half the group 1,200mg of Chondroitin, while the other half took 200mg of Celecoxib every day for two years. At both the one-year and two-year reviews, those taking Chondroitin had suffered less cartilage loss according to a MRI scan, although both groups saw a reduction in swelling and fluid on the knee.
Tai Chi is as effective as standard physical therapy and is a viable treatment alternative
Moving on to cancer issues, cancer patients can be helped by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatments such as herbs, Tai Chi, qigong and acupuncture, a new study has discovered. The therapies can lift depression and reduce fatigue, pain, anxiety, insomnia and stomach problems. Acupuncture and Chinese massage reduce gastrointestinal problems, while acupuncture also makes people feel less tired, especially after cancer treatments like chemotherapy and surgery.
Researchers at Dalian Medical University in China say there is strong evidence that TCM can reduce suffering in cancer patients and improve their quality of life. They looked at 67 studies involving 6,806 patients and, although most had positive results, none could explain the physiological mechanisms at play that make TCM so effective (Oncotarget, 2015).
Following chemotherapy, patients can suffer from what is known as chemo brain, a mental fuzziness. Researchers have found that it can be countered by sessions of mindfulness meditation. The technique helps cancer patients retain good mental processing, memory and general functioning, a new study has concluded. As a result, the patients do not suffer the usual consequences of chemo brain, which can include relationship problems, inability to work, loss of self-confidence and reduced general quality of life.
Mindfulness, which includes focusing attention on the current moment and on thoughts and feelings, helps around 35 per cent of cancer patients after chemotherapy, say researchers from Indiana University in the US.
In one trial, breast and colon cancer patients received either eight sessions of mindfulness meditation or educational material and supportive counselling. Those in the mindfulness group reported ‘significant’ improvement in cognitive abilities over and above those reported by the counselling group (J. Cancer Surviv., 2015).
An interesting comment regarding cancer has come from US Vice President Joe Biden, who believes politics is blocking innovative cancer treatments from being tried. His own son died from a brain tumour last year. Since his son’s loss, he has been exploring why more innovative treatments are not being trialled. He said one of his last initiatives in office is to “break down the silence” that permeates the worlds of cancer treatment, researchers and their benefactors.
Following meetings, Biden said the whole industry is rife with competition, territorialism and a resistance to share information. He wants to encourage data sharing and treatment outcomes. Two of the most promising therapies include immunotherapy, which harnesses the body’s own immune system to attach tumours, and precision medicine, which is based more on the personal genetic make-up of each cancer patient.
Lord Saatchi is attempting something similar with his Medical Innovation Bill in the UK.
kathryn@maltanet.net