Complementary therapies in clinical practice
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Complement Ther Clin Pract · Feb 2007
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyAn experimental study comparing the effects of combined transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation and electromagnetic millimeter waves for spinal pain in Hong Kong.
To compare the efficacy of combined transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation (TAES) and electromagnetic millimeter wave (EMMW) therapy as an add-on treatment for pain relief and physical functional activity enhancement among adults with sub-acute non-specific spinal pain in either the low back or neck. ⋯ Our study shows that there was a reduction in pain intensity, stress and stiffness level immediately after the eight sessions of treatment (TAES and EMMW), though the effect is not sustained after a week. No pain relief was found with the neck pain subgroup. However, the reduction in subjective average pain intensity among the chronic pain subgroup was sustained at the post one week assessment for the intervention group but not at the post three month assessment.
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Complement Ther Clin Pract · Feb 2007
ReviewCat's claw: an Amazonian vine decreases inflammation in osteoarthritis.
Cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa and Uncaria guianesis) is a medicinal plant from the Amazon commonly used to treat disorders such as arthritis, gastritis and osteoarthritis. The mechanism of cat's claw appears to be as an inhibitor of TNFalpha and antioxidant. Understanding the processes in osteoarthritis may facilitate and clarify the potential role of cat's claw as a complementary therapy to assist in the reduction of pro-inflammatory mediators and effectors. The clinical relevance of this therapy as a viable modality of intervention will be discussed.