The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH) has created an updated fact sheet on chronic pain and complementary health approaches to include new scientific evidence. 

Chronic pain (pain that lasts for a long time) is a very common problem. National survey data from 2019 showed that about 20 percent of U.S. adults had chronic pain. It is more common in older people than younger ones and in those from rural areas compared to those from urban areas. Military veterans are another group at increased risk for chronic pain. 

The scientific evidence suggests that some complementary health approaches, such as acupuncture, hypnosis, massage, mindfulness meditation, music-based interventions, spinal manipulation, tai chi, qigong, and yoga, may help people manage chronic pain.

What’s the Bottom Line?

How much do we know about the effectiveness of complementary health approaches for chronic pain?

• A growing body of evidence suggests that some complementary approaches, such as acupuncture, hypnosis, massage, mindfulness meditation, music-based interventions, spinal manipulation, tai chi, qigong, and yoga, may help to manage some painful conditions.

For more information go to the fact sheet https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/chronic-pain-what-you-need-to-know?nav=govd or read on

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Did you know that some complementary health approaches have been studied to see whether they can help control heart disease risk factors, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels? Here’s what the research shows: Cardiovascular diseases (diseases of the heart or blood vessels) are the number one cause of death in the United States. The most common type of cardiovascular disease is coronary artery disease, in which the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart become narrowed or blocked.

Several complementary health approaches have been studied to see whether they might help to control risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure (hypertension). Some psychological or physical complementary health approaches, including meditation, tai chi, qigong, and yoga, may have beneficial effects on blood pressure in people with hypertension.
Some foods and dietary supplements, including cocoa, garlic, fish oil, and flaxseed, may also reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension.
Certain dietary supplements, including soy protein, flaxseed, garlic, and green tea, may have modest cholesterol-lowering effects. Others, including chromium, vitamin C, and coenzyme Q10, have not been found to be helpful. Some dietary supplements, such as garlic and soy, may have beneficial effects on cholesterol, but their effects are small compared to those of cholesterol-lowering medicines.

Read more about what the science says about complementary and integrative approaches to helping reduce cardiovascular disease risks, including tai chi and green tea, and other approaches you can incorporate into your own life.

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What has the research taught us? Watch the video with Dr. Howard Sesso, ScD, MPH, Director of Nutrition and Supplements Research, Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) & Harvard Medical School University of Arizona Health Sciences What has the research taught us? Watch the video with Dr. Howard Sesso, ScD, MPH, Director of Nutrition and Supplements Research, Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) & Harvard Medical School 

Dietary supplements, including vitamins, minerals, and bioactives, are commonly used for a wide variety of health outcomes, yet the evidence for their purported health benefits is often sparse. Well-designed, large, simple randomized trials can definitively elucidate the potential causal role of dietary supplements on either intermediate or hard clinical outcomes. 

Despite their widespread use the evidence for their purported health benefits is often sparse. Many people consume dietary supplements for various reasons such as preventing chronic diseases, improving overall health, and even enhancing athletic performance. However, the strength of evidence for the effectiveness of many dietary supplements is limited and inconclusive. In this video, Dr. Howard Sesso, ScD, MPH, Director of Nutrition and Supplements Research, Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) & Harvard Medical School will review the research on commonly used dietary supplements to evaluate the strength of evidence for their effects on various health outcomes, and highlight promising nutritional supplements for which additional research is needed. Finally, we will place the research in the context of recently updated guidelines for selected nutritional supplements and consider how to improve evidence-based decisions to consider and incorporate nutritional supplements into integrative medicine and preventive care 

Watch the Video here Read more

What the Science Says

July 2020 NCCIH

Osteoarthritis

Clinical practice guidelines issued by the American College of Rheumatology recommend aerobic exercise and/or strength training, weight loss (if overweight), and a number of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic modalities for treating osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, hip, or hand. The guidelines conditionally recommend tai chi, along with other non-drug approaches such as self-management programs and walking aids, for managing knee OA. Acupuncture is also conditionally recommended for those who have chronic moderate-to-severe knee pain and are candidates for total knee replacement but can’t or won’t undergo the procedure.

What Does the Research Show?

Randomized clinical trials and systematic reviews (the strongest level of evidence) has shown that several forms of integrative medicine can be helpful with both osteoarthritis (the kind we all get ) and even rheumatoid arthritis. The following are non-drug therapies that you can try that have considerable evidence as to their safety and effectiveness, for example:

• Acupuncture
• Massage therapy
• Tai Chi
• Mindfulness, biofeedback, and relaxation training.
• Yoga

Read more about the actual research studies and see if these can be a viable option in your own life

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On behalf of Jacqui, Joe, and the Tai Chi Project we wish you a peaceful New Year and a healthy New Year in 2023. Together we can deliver something different than our national healthcare model. Together we can reduce the incidence of disease. 

For almost thirty years now, we have played Tai Chi in parks and neighborhoods around Denver and provided health education programs at DU, CU, Metro, and OLLI. Our programs provide a supportive environment where anyone can take their first steps toward a healthier longevity. We will be ringing in the New Year with our winter lecture series at the University of Denver. 

Topics include

1. An Exploration of Integrative and Holistic Medicine

Instructor: Joseph Brady MSTCM, L. Ac. Dipl. O.M This class is offered live at Park Hill United Methodist Church Wednesday afternoons

2. Positive Psychology: Enhancing the Quality of Life 

Instructor: Joseph Brady MSTCM, L. Ac. Dipl. O.M  On-line 4 weeks – January 9th to February 6th (No Classes on MLK day – January 16th)

3. Meditation in Motion: the Art and Science of Tai Chi 

Meditation in Motion: the Art and Science of Tai Chi  Facilitators: Joseph Brady and Jacqui Shumway (Senior)  8 weeks – January 11th to March 1st Note: 11:45 to 12:45 (1 hour)

To Register https://portfolio.du.edu/olli/page/129945

For more information about these talks Read More

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