(Acupressure, Acupuncture, Alternative Medicine, Aroma therapy, Ayurveda, Complementary Medicine, Herbal Medicine, Homeopathy, Hypnotherapy, Magnetotherapy, Naturopathy, Pranic Healing, Reflexology, Reiki, Siddha, Traditional Medicine, Unani, Yoga)
Some Selected Abstract::
1.	Jorm AF, Christensen H, Griffiths KM, Parslow RA, Rodgers B, Blewitt KA. Effectiveness of complementary and self-help treatments for anxiety disorders. Med J Aust. 2004 Oct 4;181(7 Suppl):S29-46. Centre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Building 63, Eggleston Road, Acton, ACT 0200, Australia. anthony.jorm@anu.edu.au. OBJECTIVES: To review the evidence for the effectiveness of complementary and self-help treatments for anxiety disorders. DATA SOURCES: Systematic literature search using PubMed, PsycLit, and the Cochrane Library. DATA SYNTHESIS: 108 treatments were identified and grouped under the categories of medicines and homoeopathic remedies, physical treatments, lifestyle, and dietary changes. We give a description of the 34 treatments (for which evidence was found in the literature searched), the rationale behind the treatments, a review of studies on effectiveness, and the level of evidence for the effectiveness studies. CONCLUSIONS: The treatments with the best evidence of effectiveness are kava (for generalised anxiety), exercise (for generalised anxiety), relaxation training (for generalised anxiety, panic disorder, dental phobia and test anxiety) and bibliotherapy (for specific phobias). There is more limited evidence to support the effectiveness of acupuncture, music, autogenic training and meditation for generalised anxiety; for inositol in the treatment of panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder; and for alcohol avoidance by people with alcohol-use disorders to reduce a range of anxiety disorders.
2.	Moseley GL, Nicholas MK, Hodges PW. Does anticipation of back pain predispose to back trouble? Brain. 2004 Oct;127(Pt 10):2339-47. Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, Randwick, Sydney, Austalia. l.moseley@fhs.usyd.edu.au Limb movement imparts a perturbation to the body. The impact of that perturbation is limited via anticipatory postural adjustments. The strategy by which the CNS controls anticipatory postural adjustments of the trunk muscles during limb movement is altered during acute back pain and in people with recurrent back pain, even when they are pain free. The altered postural strategy probably serves to protect the spine in the short term, but it is associated with a cost and is thought to predispose spinal structures to injury in the long term. It is not known why this protective strategy might occur even when people are pain free, but one possibility is that it is caused by the anticipation of back pain. In eight healthy subjects, recordings of intramuscular EMG were made from the trunk muscles during single and repetitive arm movements. Anticipation of experimental back pain and anticipation of experimental elbow pain were elicited by the threat of painful cutaneous stimulation. There was no effect of anticipated experimental elbow pain on postural adjustments. During anticipated experimental back pain, for single arm movements there was delayed activation of the deep trunk muscles and augmentation of at least one superficial trunk muscle. For repetitive arm movements, there was decreased activity and a shift from biphasic to monophasic activation of the deep trunk muscles and increased activity of superficial trunk muscles during anticipation of back pain. In both instances, the changes were consistent with adoption of an altered strategy for postural control and were similar to those observed in patients with recurrent back pain. We conclude that anticipation of experimental back pain evokes a protective postural strategy that stiffens the spine. This protective strategy is associated with compressive cost and is thought to predispose to spinal injury if maintained long term.
3.	Nayak NN, Shankar K. Yoga: a therapeutic approach. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2004 Nov;15(4):783-98, vi. Review. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (117), Veterans Affairs Northern California Health Care System, 150 Muir Road, Martinez, CA 94553, USA. Niminayak@yahoo.com Yoga, practiced widely in the East, is now popular in the West as part of a healthy lifestyle. This article brings a medical perspective to the practice of yoga. Selected yoga postures that are believed to benefit certain medical conditions are highlighted. In addition, the philosophy, general guidelines, and medical benefits of yoga practice are described.
4.	Ottawa Panel. Ottawa Panel evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for therapeutic exercises in the management of rheumatoid arthritis in adults. Phys Ther. 2004 Oct;84(10):934-72. Review. Ottawa Panel. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this project was to create guidelines for the use of therapeutic exercises and manual therapy in the management of adult patients (>18 years of age) with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis according to the 1987 American Rheumatism Association criteria. METHODS: Evidence from comparative controlled trials was identified and synthesized using The Cochrane Collaboration methods. An expert panel was formed by inviting professional stakeholder organizations to each nominate a representative. This panel developed a set of criteria for grading the strength of both the evidence and the recommendation. RESULTS: Six positive recommendations of clinical benefit were developed on therapeutic exercises. The efficacy of manual therapy interventions could not be determined for lack of evidence. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The panel recommends the use of therapeutic exercises for rheumatoid arthritis. Further research is needed to determine the efficacy of manual therapy in the management of this disease.
5.	Schmid W, Aldridge D. Active music therapy in the treatment of multiple sclerosis patients: a matched control study. J Music Ther. 2004 Fall;41(3):225-40. Twenty multiple sclerosis patients (14 female, 6 male) were involved in the study, their ages ranging rom 29 to 47 years. Ten participants formed the therapy group, and 10 the control group. The groups were comparable on the standard neurological classification scheme Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Exclusion criteria were pregnancy and mental disorders requiring medication. Measurements were taken before therapy began (T1), and subsequently every 3 months (T2-T4). This battery included indicators of clinical depression and anxiety (Beck Depression Inventory and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), a self-acceptance scale (SESA) and a life quality assessment (Hamburg Quality of Life Questionnaire in Multiple Sclerosis). In addition, data were collected on cognitive (MSFC) and functional (EDSS) parameters. Patients in the therapy group received 3 blocks of music therapy in single sessions over the course of the one year project (8 to 10 sessions respectively). The music therapy approach used for this study is based on the Nordoff Robbins approach (Nordoff & Robbins, 1977). There was no significant difference between the music therapy treatment group and the control group. However, the effect size statistics comparing both groups show a medium effect size on the scales measuring self esteem (d = 0.5423, r =.026), depression HAD-D (d = 0.63, r = 0.310) and anxiety HAD-A (d = 0.63, r = 0.310). Significant improvements were found for the therapy group over time (T1-T4) in the scale values of self esteem, depression, and anxiety. Given the stigmatizing effect of a chronic degenerative disease, the positive benefits of music therapy point to a realm of aesthetic considerations in assessing clinical improvement.
6.	UK BEAM Trial Team. United Kingdom back pain exercise and manipulation (UK BEAM) randomised trial: cost effectiveness of physical treatments for back pain in primary care. BMJ. 2004 Dec 11;329(7479):1381. OBJECTIVE: To assess the cost effectiveness of adding spinal manipulation, exercise classes, or manipulation followed by exercise ("combined treatment") to "best care" in general practice for patients consulting with low back pain. DESIGN: Stochastic cost utility analysis alongside pragmatic randomised trial with factorial design. SETTING: 181 general practices and 63 community settings for physical treatments around 14 centres across the United Kingdom. PARTICIPANTS: 1287 (96%) of 1334 trial participants. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Healthcare costs, quality adjusted life years (QALYs), and cost per QALY over 12 months. RESULTS: Over one year, mean treatment costs relative to "best care" were 195 pounds sterling (360 dollars; 279 euros; 95% credibility interval 85 pounds sterling to 308 pounds sterling) for manipulation, 140 pounds sterling (3 pounds sterling to 278 pounds sterling) for exercise, and 125 pounds sterling (21 pounds sterling to 228 pounds sterling) for combined treatment. All three active treatments increased participants' average QALYs compared with best care alone. Each extra QALY that combined treatment yielded relative to best care cost 3800 pounds sterling; in economic terms it had an "incremental cost effectiveness ratio" of 3800 pounds sterling. Manipulation alone had a ratio of 8700 pounds sterling relative to combined treatment. If the NHS was prepared to pay at least 10,000 pounds sterling for each extra QALY (lower than previous recommendations in the United Kingdom), manipulation alone would probably be the best strategy. If manipulation was not available, exercise would have an incremental cost effectiveness ratio of 8300 pounds sterling relative to best care. CONCLUSIONS: Spinal manipulation is a cost effective addition to "best care" for back pain in general practice. Manipulation alone probably gives better value for money than manipulation followed by exercise.
7.	West J, Otte C, Geher K, Johnson J, Mohr DC. Effects of Hatha yoga and African dance on perceived stress, affect, and salivary cortisol. Ann Behav Med. 2004 Oct;28(2):114-8. Reed College, USA. jeremy.west@stanford.edu BACKGROUND: Dance and yoga have been shown to produce improvements in psychological well-being. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine some of the psychological and neuroendocrine response to these activities. METHODS: Sixty-nine healthy college students participated in one of three 90-min classes: African dance (n = 21), Hatha yoga (n= 18), or a biology lecture as a control session (n = 30). Before and after each condition participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), completed the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule, and provided a saliva sample for cortisol. RESULTS: There were significant reductions in PSS and negative affect (ps < .0001) and Time x Treatment interactions (ps < .0001) such that African dance and Hatha yoga showed significant declines, whereas there was no significant change in biology lecture. There was no significant main effect for positive affect (p = .53), however there was a significant interaction effect (p < .001) such that positive affect increased in African dance, decreased in biology lecture, and did not change significantly in Hatha yoga. There was a significant main effect for salivary cortisol (p < .05) and a significant interaction effect (p < .0001) such that cortisol increased in African dance, decreased in Hatha yoga, and did not change in biology. Changes in cortisol were not significantly related to changes in psychological variables across treatments. There was 1 significant interaction effect (p = .04) such that change in positive affect and change in cortisol were negatively correlated in Hatha yoga but positively correlated in Africa dance and biology. CONCLUSIONS: Both African dance and Hatha yoga reduced perceived stress and negative affect. Cortisol increased in African dance and decreased in Hatha yoga. Therefore, even when these interventions produce similar positive psychological effects, the effects may be very different on physiological stress processes. One factor that may have particular salience is that amount of physiological arousal produced by the intervention.


Back