Acupuncture Clinic - Mississauga

Many people suffer from chronic headache pain, despite a wide variety of treatment options. Those who find relief through drugs often must deal with negative side effects. Complementary and alternative medicines, or CAM therapies, are increasingly being considered by those who cannot find symptom relief elsewhere.

Seventy-three severe headache patients at an outpatient head/neck pain clinic in New York were recently interviewed about their knowledge, use, and opinions about CAM. Researchers found that 85% of the patients used some form of alternative therapy for their headaches, and 60% claimed the therapies benefited their pain. Nearly 90% of the sufferers thought some form of CAM treatment would be effective for headache pain. The following represent some of the most-used CAM therapies for headache, based on patient response:

• massage (42%);
• exercise (30%);
• acupuncture (19%);
• chiropractic (15%); and
• herbs (15%).

If you suffer from headaches or other conditions that don't respond adequately to standard medical care, consider some form of CAM therapy. Be careful, however, as not all forms of alternative therapy are proven safe or effective. Research any form of treatment before you consider using it, and ask your doctor of chiropractic about its validity.

Reference:

Von Peter S, Ting W, Scrivani S, et al. Survey on the use of complementary and alternative medicine among patients with headache syndromes. Cephalagia 2002:22, pp. 395-400.

The whole can be greater than the sum of its parts, especially when it comes to health care. Research presented at a CAM conference in Canada provides evidence that using a combination of therapies in conjunction, rather than just one individual therapy, may produce the best results in the treatment of low back pain.

In this small pilot study, 19 people suffering from subacute LBP were randomized into two groups: six patients who received "usual care," and 13 who received usual care along with "integrated care" from a team of experts in chiropractic, acupuncture, massage therapy and other disciplines.

Treatment was provided for 12 weeks, and was modified based on the patient's progress and the team's recommendations. At the start of the trial and at various points throughout the study, the researchers performed tests to assess changes in the patients' pain and ability to function.

The combination of integrated care and usual care reduced pain and improved function to a greater extent than usual care alone. In patients treated with the combination of therapies, pain scores decreased an average of 0.37 points per week, compared to just 0.14 points per week among usual care patients. Functional status, meanwhile, improved an average of 1.11 points per week in usual/integrated care patients, compared to 0.49 points per week in patients treated solely with usual care.

Whether utilized as stand-alone care or as an integrated approach, acupuncture is an effective solution to the low back pain dilemma.

Reference:

Eisenberg DM, Post DE, Hrbek AL, et al. Testing a model of integrative care in an academic health center: results of a pilot study. Abstract #366. Presented at The North American Research Conference on Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Edmonton, Alberta, May 24, 2006.

For years, we've heard that psychological factors may profoundly affect the results of treatment for an illness. Consider the stories of "miracle cures" by terminal cancer patients who kept their spirits up and maintained that "never say die" attitude throughout treatment.

A recent study in the journal Spine suggests that pessimistic thinkers may have trouble recovering from low back pain.

The authors examined the relationship between patient expectations of treatment benefits and treatment outcomes. One hundred thirty-five patients with chronic LBP were divided into either a massage or an acupuncture treatment group. Prior to the study, patients rated how helpful they expected their treatment to be on a scale from 0-10 (10 being extremely helpful). Following 10 weeks of treatment, the functional ability of each patient was determined using a disability scale.

Participants with higher expectations for their treatment experienced less pain in 86 % of cases, while patients with low expectations only improved in 68 % of cases. Odds of improvement were five times greater for the high-expectation group than the low-expectation group after adjusting for other factors, such as physical health, age, education, etc. Patients who expected benefit from one treatment, as opposed to the other, improved more from that particular treatment.

Don't let an illness or health concern get you down! As this evidence suggests, attitude may influence your recovery as much as the actual treatment you receive. Try to be optimistic the next time you receive treatment for any illness, and talk to your doctor about the best way to stay healthy and happy for a lifetime.

Reference:

Kalauokalani D, Cherkin DC, Sherman KJ, et al. Lessons from a trial of acupuncture and massage for low back pain: Patient expectations and treatment effects. Spine, July 1, 2001:26(13), pp. 1418-1424.