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Aromatherapy: More Than Just a Pleasant Scent?
Posted 25 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, April 25 – Aromatherapy is beginning to enter the medical mainstream, with groups as diverse as the American Cancer Society and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs touting the use of fragrance as a therapy that can complement traditional health care. There's little evidence to suggest that aromatherapy can directly cure illness, but research has found it can help reduce a wide range of symptoms and side effects in some people. "Many specific ailments can benefit from aromatherapy blends and treatments," said Monika Meulman, president of the Canadian Federation of Aromatherapists. "For example, insomnia, nausea, headaches and migraines, and aches and pains are often improved with aromatherapy – just to name a few." Aromatherapy involves the use of what are called essential oils, which are very potent distillations of the fragrant portions of plant life such as flowers, ... Read more
Related support groups: Evening Primrose, 5-HTP, Green Tea, Cranberry, St. John's Wort, Evening Primrose Oil, Valerian, Primrose Oil, Garlic, Milk Thistle, Ginseng, Black Cohosh, Damiana, Saw Palmetto, Aloe Vera
Herbal Medicines for Arthritis Not Backed by Evidence
Posted 12 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 11 – There is little evidence to support the widespread use of herbal medicines to relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis, according to a review of these products. Osteoarthritis is a painful condition that involves damage to cartilage and other structures in and around the joints, particularly the fingers, knees and hips. It differs from rheumatoid arthritis, which is an immune-based disorder. Devil's claw, cat's claw, ginger, nettle, rosehip, turmeric, willow bark, Indian frankincense and vegetable extracts of avocado or soybean oils are all among the herbal medicines traditionally used to treat osteoarthritis. "Unfortunately, a large number of people suffer from osteoarthritis pain," said one expert, Dr. Robert Graham, an internist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "Current pharmacological management is largely focused upon reduction of pain and of ... Read more
Related support groups: Osteoarthritis, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Voltaren, Meloxicam, Advil, Diclofenac, Mobic, Aleve, Motrin, Indomethacin, Glucosamine, Toradol, Etodolac, Flector
Echinacea No Cure for the Common Cold, Study Finds
Posted 21 Dec 2010 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Dec. 20 – The herbal remedy echinacea, believed by many to cure colds, is no better than a placebo in relieving the symptoms or shortening the duration of illness, a new study finds. "My advice is, if you are an adult and believe in echinacea, it's safe and you might get some placebo effect if nothing else," said lead researcher Dr. Bruce Barrett, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin. "I wouldn't say the results of the trial should dissuade people who are currently using echinacea and feel that it works for them, but there is no new evidence to suggest that we have found the cure for the common cold." If echinacea was able to significantly reduce the symptoms and length of colds, this study would have found it, Barrett noted. "With this particular dose of this particular formulation of echinacea there was no large benefit," he said. The report is ... Read more
Related support groups: Cold Symptoms, Echinacea
Insight on Herbals Eludes Doctors, Patients Alike
Posted 8 Apr 2010 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, April 8 – Medical personnel tend to think that people in general – themselves included – are poorly informed about herbal medicines and that their patients' faith in the power of such remedies is misplaced, according to a new survey. The survey was conducted online among 164 subscribers to the journal Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, which published the results online April 8. More than 80 percent of the respondents were doctors, mostly family physicians, and most of the other respondents were pharmacists. More than 85 percent of the survey participants indicated that they believe the public is poorly informed about herbal medicines. None considered the public to be well informed. However, 75 percent said that doctors also are poorly informed on the subject, with 22 percent indicating that doctors are "moderately well informed." Nearly half (48 percent) of the respondents ... Read more
Related support groups: Evening Primrose, 5-HTP, Green Tea, Cranberry, Evening Primrose Oil, St. John's Wort, Valerian, Garlic, Primrose Oil, Milk Thistle, Ginseng, Black Cohosh, Damiana, Saw Palmetto, CoQ10
Herbal Remedies Can Cause Cardiac Problems
Posted 1 Feb 2010 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Feb. 1 – The growing number of Americans who are taking traditional herbal medications for heart problems are unaware of the dangers those treatments pose, a new report says. "They may be safe," said Dr. Arshad Jahangir, a consultant cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, and author of a report in the Feb. 9 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. "But in the United States, where patients often take multiple medications, there is a potential for harm." While up-to-date statistics aren't available, it appears that more than 15 million Americans are using herbal remedies and the number is growing, Jahangir said. "Consumers of these products think they are not getting proper attention from their physicians," he said. "The typical hands-on communication between physician and patient is getting compromised, and they are seeking that type of relationship." ... Read more
Related support groups: Evening Primrose, 5-HTP, Green Tea, Cranberry, Evening Primrose Oil, St. John's Wort, Valerian, Garlic, Primrose Oil, Milk Thistle, Ginseng, Black Cohosh, Damiana, Saw Palmetto, CoQ10
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Herbal Supplementation, Cold Symptoms, Condylomata Acuminata