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ANN ARBOR,
MI - Gene therapy, robotic surgery and artificial organs are
all modern-day medical miracles that are making it possible for
people to live longer, healthier lives. And so are treatments like
Reiki (Ray-key), acupuncture, hypnosis and herbal medications -
all ancient methods of medicine that have been used to heal patients
for centuries.
 But
can these two medical methods work together? Are ancient treatments
really a safe and effective alternative to some of the greatest
advances in prescriptive and surgical medicine?
Through several
studies, the University
of Michigan Complementary and Alternative Medicine Research Center
(CAMRC) has worked to answer many questions about alternative
medicine, in addition to investigating its effectiveness alongside
conventional medicine in diabetics, expectant mothers and patients
with acute coronary syndrome.
"We've
realized how important alternative medicine is to our patients and
therefore, it needs to be very important to us," says Sara
Warber, M.D., co-director of the U-M CAMRC. "We're trying to
understand these different techniques so we can provide doctors
with reliable information to use when making medical decisions for
their patients."
Complementary
and alternative medicine covers a wide range of healing approaches
not generally taught in medical schools, used in hospitals or reimbursed
by medical insurance companies. However, one in three Americans
seek alternative treatment such as Reiki.
Through one
of its studies, CAMRC found that Reiki, a hands-on Japanese healing
technique, is an effective method for diabetics experiencing nerve
problems, especially in the legs. Reiki has worked to relieve some
of the pain and numbness diabetic patients experience due to nerve
damage related to their condition.
CAMRC has also
examined the use of alternative medicines by pregnant women. Through
a survey of women who had recently delivered at U-M, the Center
gathered information about the women's use of herbs, massage techniques
and meditation practices during pregnancy.
"We found
that methods such as massage and spinal manipulation were used and
actually very helpful for the women during their pregnancy,"
says Warber. "But we still have concerns about the use of herbs
during pregnancy. We just don't know enough yet about how herbs
interact with the baby as it develops to recommend them."
However, patients
who have experienced acute coronary syndrome were found to use several
herbal medications and vitamin supplements including ginko, garlic
and ginseng. In fact, the study found that about 60 percent of this
group were using a form of alternative medicine.
Some popular
methods among this group are chiropractic, meditation and hypnosis.
Any mind-body technique was shown to be very helpful for people
with heart disease because it lowers blood pressure. The CAMRC is
the only NIH-funded center to analyze heart disease and the use
of alternative medicine.
Still, Warber
says, the Center wanted to find out why people turn to alternative
methods, especially if they have some of the best of modern medicine
available to them.
"What
we've found from our one-on-one interviews and surveys is that people,
for example who had a heart attack, begin to re-evaluate their life
when their health changes," she says. "And that often
leads them to see their health in a new way, often beyond conventional
methods."
Nevertheless,
it's still important to scientifically examine these alternative
methods to find out what parts of the body they affect, and to ultimately
understand why they work.
One of the
largest concerns is whether alternative methods can compliment conventional
methods or not. Warber believes there are many alternative methods
that fit very well with conventional ones.
"It's
up to physicians to understand the potential risks, but at the same
time they need to remain open to the idea of their patients using
alternative methods," says Warber. "Often, patients are
reluctant to tell their physician about these alternatives because
they worry about how the physician will react."
From both a
patient and physician prospective, alternative medicines should
always be looked at logically. It's never safe to assume that a
method or medicine has been around for so many centuries because
it actually works, advises Warber.
Any patient
who is considering using an alternative method in lieu of or in
addition to traditional medicine should always talk it over with
his or her health care provider. A physician will be able to help
a patient balance an alternative method with a conventional one.
Facts about
alternative treatment methods:
- Complementary
and alternative medicine covers a wide range of healing approaches
not generally taught in medical schools, used in hospitals or
reimbursed by medical insurance companies.
- One in three
Americans seek alternative ancient treatments such as Reiki, acupuncture,
hypnosis and herbal medications.
- One CAMRC
study found that Reiki, a hands-on Japanese healing technique,
has been an effective method for diabetics experiencing nerve
problems, especially in the legs.
- Pregnant
women should avoid the use of herbal medications because too little
is still know about how it affects the unborn child.
- Nearly 60
percent of acute coronary syndrome patients in the CAMRC study
used an alternative treatment method: herbal medications (ginko,
garlic or ginseng), chiropractic, meditation and hypnosis.
For more
information, visit the following Web sites:
U-M Complementary
and Alternative Medicine Research Center
http://www.med.umich.edu/camrc/
U-M Health
Topics A - Z: U-M Complementary and Alternative Medicine Research
Center
http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/topics/alt02.htm
U-M Health
Topics A - Z: What is Complementary and Alternative Medicine?
http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/topics/alt01.htm
U-M Health
Topics A - Z: Reiki Technique Study to Control Chronic Pain in Diabetic
Neuropathy
http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/topics/alt03.htm
U-M Health
Topics A - Z: Herbal Medicines Reported to Have Sedative/Hypnotic
Effects or Effects on Blood Glucose or Blood Pressure
http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/topics/diabet14.htm
U-M Health
Topics A - Z: Diabetes and Illness
http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/prescrpt/herb03.htm
U-M Health
Topics A - Z: Herbal Medicines Reported to Have Effects on Coagulation
http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/prescrpt/herb04.htm
National Center
for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
http://nccam.nih.gov/
Clinical Trials.gov
- Linking Parents to Medical Research
http://clinicaltrials.gov
Written by
Krista Hopson
For more
information, contact Kara Gavin or Carrie Hagen, UMHS Public
Relations, 734-764-2220, or by e-mail.
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