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Research that appeared in Annals of Internal Medicine (2000;132:903-910) analyzed 23 earlier studies of “distance healing” (like prayer) and therapeutic touch (like the “laying on of hands’). Seven of the studies involved distance healing and 11 of the studies involved therapeutic touch. Therapeutic touch is based on the idea that the patient has an energy […]

According to research appearing in Diabetes Care(August, 2006; 29: 1794-1799), elderly diabetics with poor blood sugar control may lead to cognitive dysfunction. Sixty patients, over the age of 70 were evaluated for cognitive dysfunction, using the Mini Mental State Examination and a clock-drawing test. The researchers found an inverse relationship between poor glycemic (blood sugar)

According to the journal Diabetes Care (October 2001;24:1745-1750),low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia can create a poor attention span. Healthy people can become hypoglycemic (transiently) by skipping a meal. The brain uses glucose (sugar) as its main source of fuel. Denying yourself food can lower glucose levels and make it hard for the brain to pay

The practice adds to our medical costs According to research published in the journal, Pediatrics (2003;111:231-236), 1,600,000 people visited the emergency room in 1988 for treatment of the common cold. Colds are caused by viruses, and will get better on their own without medical care. In spite of that, a survey of nearly 200 families

There is a tendency among many patients (and many doctors, unfortunately), to that pain medication actually treats pain and inflammation. If a drug can control the pain, then everything is fine. Reducing the pain with drugs does not address the cause of the problem and there are side-effects. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (commonly called NSAIDs) irritate

According to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Vol. 296 No. 15, October 18, 2006), over 700,000 Americans end up in the emergency room each year due to reactions to prescription medication. The most common causes are allergic reactions and accidental overdoses. According to the authors of the study and other

The FDA has give permission for food containing olive oil to carry claims to reduce the risk of heart disease. The agency cites evidence from a dozen scientific studies demonstrating the benefits of monounsaturated fats (like olive oil). The FDA has taken the position that replacing saturated fat with monounsaturated fat lowers the risk of

Obesity Interferes with Medical Tests According to research appearing in the August, 2006 issue of the journal, Radiology, more Americans are too fat to have x-rays, CAT scans, MRIs or diagnostic ultrasounds than in the past. Just under 2/3 of the American population is classified as either overweight or obese. The researchers went through old

A study published in the journal, Pain (2003; 104(3):549-57) followed over 1100 patients who had been treated for obesity (either surgically or non-surgically). The researchers found that hip, ankle, knee, neck and back pain was more common in obese patients than in the general population. Two years after bariatric surgery, the amount of pain suffered

Why do doctors prescribe drugs? Why do we take them? The answer is to change the body’s chemistry in order to correct a symptom. Anti-depressants are given to chemically increase neurotransmitter activity. Anti-inflammatory drugs  biochemically reduce inflammation, giving relief from pain. Antibiotics chemically kill bacteria Drugs exist to create chemical changes in order to bring