Natural Standard Blog

Natural Standard Celebrates Celiac Awareness Month

May is Celiac Awareness Month. Celiac disease, also called celiac sprue, is a digestive disorder that occurs when an individual's immune system overreacts to the protein gluten, or other proteins within gluten such as gliadin, found in grains including wheat, rye, barley, and to some degree, oats. When a patient with the disease eats food that contains gluten, the immune system's response damages the intestinal lining. This causes symptoms of abdominal pain and bloating after consuming gluten.

Natural Standard celebrates Celiac Awareness Month by highlighting several gluten free recipes:

Gluten free pancakes: This low sodium, heart healthy, low fat recipe uses almond and soy flour in place of whole wheat flour.

Gluten free zucchini bread: This high fiber, low cholesterol recipe uses a combination of coconut and almond flour.

Gluten free meatballs: This low fat meatball recipe features Romano cheese and oregano.

For more information about Celiac Awareness Month, please visit the National Foundation of Celiac Awareness website.

Natural Standard Presenting at MLA Annual Meeting and Exhibition

Dr. Catherine Ulbricht, Founder of the Natural Standard Research Collaboration and Senior Attending Pharmacist at Massachusetts General Hospital, will be presenting at the 2013 Medical Library Association (MLA) Annual Meeting and Exhibition at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts on May 6, 2013.

Dr. Ulbricht's presentation, scheduled for 3-4:30pm in Room 301, will focus on an integrative approach to health and wellness. Lifestyle choices, including environment, diet, exercise, natural products, complementary and alternative medical (CAM) practices and conventional therapies, may all contribute to total body health and wellness. It is crucial that multidisciplinary health care providers and educators collaborate with patients (and pet owners) to consider all preventative and therapeutic options available towards achieving an integrative health care plan. Ideal evidence-based medical practice incorporates consumer preferences, clinical experience and scientific data to provide patients with the best health and wellness outcomes. Consolidating all of these important factors into high quality decision support tools aids practitioners and their clients to meet these goals with efficiency at the point-of-care.

Due to high utilization rates of CAM therapies, it is imperative that librarians are armed with trustworthy resources and proactively distribute efficacy and safety information to best serve their patrons.

In addition to Dr. Ulbricht's presentation on May 6, Natural Standard will be exhibiting throughout the meeting, May 4-7, at booth 716.

For more information about the 2013 MLA Annual Meeting and Exhibition, please visit www.mlanet.org.

Natural Standard Featured CE/CME: Echinacea

Natural Standard's featured CE/CME for the month of April is Echinacea: Safety & Effectiveness.

Echinacea species are perennials that belong to the Asteraceae (aster) family and originated in eastern North America. Natural medicine experts frequently recommend oral extracts of echinacea for the treatment of the common cold and for other conditions requiring immune stimulation. It is occasionally recommended for topical treatment of wounds.

Natural Standard offers CE/CME modules for multidisciplinary healthcare professionals. Students and other users may take courses for training purposes without generating credit certificates. Continuing Education requirements differ based on discipline, license and location. If you are unsure of your specific needs, please contact your local agency.

Natural Standard Attending Eastern States Residency Conference

Natural Standard is attending the upcoming 32nd Annual Eastern States Conference for Pharmacy Residents and Preceptors May 13-15, 2013 at the Hershey Lodge in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Current Natural Standard Residents, Marina Shkayeva, PharmD and Carla Eisenstein, PharmD, will be presenting a poster presentation with group one during the first half of the conference.

For more information, please visit www.easternstates.org.

Melatonin May Reduce Oxidative Stress in MS

Melatonin supplementation may help reduce damage from oxidative stress in people who have secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), a study reports.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disorder that affects nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord. Multiple sclerosis is widely believed to be an autoimmune disease, a condition in which the immune system attacks components of the body as if they are foreign. SPMS is a common later phase of the disease in which symptoms worsen over time. This is thought to be due to the disappearance of nerve fibers that were injured earlier due to MS.

Oxidative stress is characterized by an excess of free radical groups, creating a potentially unstable cellular environment. Oxidative stress is linked to tissue damage, accelerated aging and degenerative disease. Oxidative stress can result from exposure to alcohol, medications, poor nutrition, and trauma.

Previous research has shown that melatonin may have protective effects on the brain. In the current study, Polish researchers set out to identify the potential role of melatonin in reducing oxidative stress for people with SPMS.

The team recruited 16 subjects with SPMS who were given 10 milligrams of melatonin daily for 30 days. A total of 13 age-matched, healthy people were used as a control. The scientists looked for cellular damage caused by malondialdehyde (MDA), a compound that serves as a marker for oxidative stress. They also studied the activities of enzymes known to have antioxidant effects.

The results showed that in the red blood cells of SPMS subjects, melatonin supplementation resulted in a significant increase in antioxidant enzymes. Supplementing with melatonin led to a significant decrease in MDA levels, which suggests lower oxidative stress.

The researchers concluded that melatonin supplementation may be helpful in reducing oxidative stress in people with progressive MS.

Melatonin is a hormone produced in the brain by the pineal gland. The synthesis and release of melatonin are stimulated by darkness and suppressed by light, suggesting the involvement of melatonin in circadian rhythm and regulation of diverse body functions. Levels of melatonin in the blood are highest prior to bedtime. Synthetic melatonin supplements have been used for a variety of medical conditions, most notably for disorders related to sleep.

For more information about melatonin, please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Herbs & Supplements database.

Folate, Vitamin B12 May Improve Schizophrenia Symptoms

Vitamin B12 and folate supplementation may reduce negative symptoms for some schizophrenia patients, according to a new study.

Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that causes patients to experience delusions and hallucinations for more than six months. Delusions occur when patients lose touch with reality. Common symptoms of schizophrenia include social withdrawal, intense anxiety, feelings of being unreal, loss of appetite, loss of hygiene, difficulty processing information, poor memory, depressed mood and sense of being controlled by outside forces. The behavior of schizophrenic patients varies widely. In men, symptoms of schizophrenia usually develop when patients are in their teens or 20s. Women usually develop the disorder when they are 20-30 years old.

Folate and folic acid are forms of a water-soluble B vitamin. Folate occurs naturally in food, and folic acid is the synthetic form of this vitamin. Folic acid is well-tolerated in amounts found in fortified foods and supplements.

In a recent study, researchers randomly assigned 140 men and women with schizophrenia from three mental health centers to receive two milligrams of folic acid and 400 micrograms of vitamin B12 by mouth or placebo daily for 16 weeks. Participants were assessed with the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale.

The researchers found that overall, significant benefits from folate and vitamin B12 were lacking when compared to the placebo group. However, when factoring for a specific genotype that affects folate metabolism, participants in the folate and vitamin B12 group with high-functioning variants of the folate regulating gene saw significant improvements in their negative schizophrenia symptoms.

The authors concluded that folate and vitamin B12 supplementation may be beneficial for some schizophrenia patients, supporting that a personalized approach to treatment based on genetic variations may be needed. Further larger-scale studies are necessary.

Many integrative therapies have been studied for their potential benefits in schizophrenia patients. Music therapy that includes either chorus or karaoke may improve interpersonal functioning in people with schizophrenia. Music therapy may also help reduce symptoms of schizophrenia, including psychosis. Additionally, based on its proposed antioxidant effects, ginkgo has been studied in the treatment of schizophrenia. Although early research is promising, there is currently not enough scientific evidence to make a firm conclusion.

For more information about integrative therapies with evidence of benefit for schizophrenia, please visit Natural Standard's Comparative Effectiveness Database.

For more information about folate or vitamin B12, please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Herbs & Supplements Database.

Melatonin May Not Reduce Weight Loss in Cancer Patients

Contrary to previous findings, a recent study suggests that melatonin supplementation may not increase appetite or reduce weight loss in advanced cancer patients.

Melatonin is a hormone produced in the brain by the pineal gland from the amino acid tryptophan. The synthesis and release of melatonin are stimulated by darkness and suppressed by light, suggesting the involvement of melatonin in circadian rhythm and regulation of diverse body functions. Levels of melatonin in the blood are highest prior to bedtime.

There are several early-phase and controlled human trials of melatonin in patients with various advanced-stage malignancies, including brain, breast, colorectal, gastric, liver, lung, pancreatic and testicular cancers, as well as lymphoma, melanoma, renal cell carcinoma and soft-tissue sarcoma. Currently, no clear conclusion can be drawn in this area. There is not enough definitive scientific evidence to discern if melatonin is beneficial against any type of cancer, whether it increases (or decreases) the effectiveness of other cancer therapies, or if it safely reduces chemotherapy side effects.

In a recent study, researchers sought to evaluate the potential effects of melatonin supplementation on weight loss, appetite and quality of life in advanced lung and gastrointestinal cancer patients. Most individuals with cancer will lose weight at some time with their disease. Losing 10 or more pounds without dieting or intending to lose weight can be one of the first symptoms experienced with cancer, particularly cancers of the pancreas, stomach, esophagus or lung.

Patients were randomly assigned to receive 20 milligrams of melatonin or placebo daily for 28 days. Various symptoms, including weight and quality of life were assessed at the beginning and end of the 28 day study.

The researchers found that significant differences were lacking for weight loss, appetite and quality of life between the melatonin and placebo groups following the 28 days of treatment. The authors concluded that melatonin may not improve these symptoms in advanced cancer patients. Further research is warranted.

For more information about integrative therapies for cancer, please visit Natural Standard's Comparative Effectiveness Database.

For more information about melatonin, please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Herbs & Supplements Database.

Journal of Dietary Supplements: New Issue

The new issue of the Journal of Dietary Supplements (JDS) features a Natural Standard evidence-based review on Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia).

The international, peer-reviewed journal aims to help consumers and clinicians make informed decisions about the preparations, foods and botanicals that are used to improve health.

The new issue includes the following articles:

Potential Toxicity of Caffeine when Used as a Dietary Supplement for Weight Loss, by Morgan Pendleton, Stacy Brown, Christan M. Thomas, and Brian Odle.

Effects of Glycine-Arginine-α-Ketoisocaproic Acid Supplementation in College-Age Trained Females during Multi-Bouts of Resistance Exercise, by Benjamin Wax, Laura Hilton, Brad Vickers, Katherine Gilliland, and Mandy Conrad.

A Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Study on the Safety and Tolerability of an Iron Multi-Amino Acid Chelate Preparation in Premenopausal Women, by Gameil T. Fouad, Malkanthi Evans, Prachi Sharma, Joshua Baisley, David Crowley, and Najla Guthrie.

The Efficacy of Irvingia Gabonensis Supplementation in the Management of Overweight and Obesity: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials, by Igho Onakpoya, Lucy Davies, Paul Posadzki, and Edzard Ernst.

Chemical Composition and Biological Evaluation of Physalis peruviana Root as Hepato-renal Protective Agent, by Souad E. El-Gengaihi, Emad E. Hassan, Manal A. Hamed, Hanan G. Zahran, and Mona A. Mohammed.

An Evidence-Based Systematic Review of Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia) by the Natural Standard Research Collaboration, by Catherine Ulbricht, Julie Conquer, Kelly Flanagan, Richard Isaac, Erica Rusie, and Regina C. Windsor.

To submit a manuscript for a future issue online, please visit the mc.manuscriptcentral.com/wjds.

For more information, please e-mail jds@naturalstandard.com.

NEW Audio Feature

See, hear, understand. Natural Standard is pleased to announce the availability of NEW multi-media audio recordings of over 200 Natural Standard evidence-based English Bottom Line Monographs. Audio will be available for all English Foods, Herbs & Supplement topics in the coming months.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Health Interview Surveys, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is used by 38 percent of adults in the United States, and fewer than half of users disclose this to their healthcare providers. Over $40 billion is spent on CAM in the United States alone and more than 75 percent of healthcare providers seek clinical CAM information each year.

The aim of this NEW feature is to facilitate the education of healthcare providers and patients, encourage shared decision making and adherence by engaging patients in the learning process, and to improve health outcomes. Adding audio recordings to Natural Standard's online decision support tool aims to broaden accessibility to CAM information for individuals with limited time, active/mobile lifestyles, visual impairments and individuals with an auditory learning style.

Users may access this new feature by selecting the English Bottom Line reading level of a monograph. The audio option will appear on the left side of the screen. Currently available audio recordings include popular topics such as cinnamon, aloe, chia and creatine.

To listen to the NEW Natural Standard Audio Recordings, please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Herbs & Supplements Database.

Natural Standard Featured CE/CME: Cranberry

Natural Standard's featured CE/CME for the month of February is Cranberry: Safety & Effectiveness.

Cranberries come from small evergreen shrubs with tart, red, edible berries. The berries are used in sauces, jellies and drinks. There is some human evidence supporting the use of cranberry juice and cranberry supplements to prevent urinary tract infection (UTI), although most available studies are of lesser quality. Clear dosing guidelines are lacking, but given the safety of cranberry, it may be reasonable to recommend the use of moderate amounts of cranberry juice cocktail to prevent UTI in non-chronically ill individuals.

Natural Standard offers CE/CME modules for multidisciplinary healthcare professionals. Students and other users may take courses for training purposes without generating credit certificates. Continuing Education requirements differ based on discipline, license and location. If you are unsure of your specific needs, please contact your local agency.

Vegetable Fiber May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

A new study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that the risk of breast cancer may be lowered by eating vegetable fiber.

Dietary fiber, also referred to as roughage or bulk, is the part of a plant that cannot be digested or absorbed by the body. Adding fiber, or bulk, in the diet is thought to help keep the bowels regular and possibly treat or prevent certain diseases. Dietary fiber is found in grains, fruits and vegetables. There is no fiber in animal products such as meat, fish, eggs or dairy products.

The recent study used data on 334,849 women from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. The women were followed for 11.5 years, during which 11,576 women developed invasive breast cancer. Invasive cancer indicates the tumor cells have spread throughout the body, whereas noninvasive cancer indicates the tumor cells remain in the breast.

Participants answered a questionnaire regarding their diet. Researchers categorized the women into five groups depending on their level of fiber intake. When comparing the highest fiber intake group with the lowest fiber intake group, researchers found that the risk of breast cancer was reduced in the participants consuming the most fiber. Furthermore, this risk was statistically significant when only fiber from vegetables was included, and not fiber from fruit, grains and legumes.

Further research on this topic is warranted.

For more information about a high fiber diet, please visit Natural Standard's Health & Wellness Database.

NEW Pregnancy & Lactation Checker

Natural Standard recently launched a NEW Pregnancy & Lactation checker, an easy-to-use tool for consumers and healthcare professionals seeking safety data on integrative therapies for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

According to research presented at the International Research Congress on Integrative Medicine and Health 2012, 89.1 percent of women from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women's Health reported taking vitamins and minerals while pregnant, of which 43.7 percent were self-prescribing. Furthermore, 53 percent of women used herbal medicine during pregnancy, while only 7.2 percent reported visiting an herbalist or naturopathic physician. Studies in the United States and United Kingdom have reported similarly high usage rates among pregnant and breastfeeding women, highlighting the need for easy access to evidence-based safety data.

This new decision-support tool allows clinicians to quickly search for safety data on specific integrative therapies that have been studied for use during pregnancy and lactation, thus opening communication between healthcare providers and patients as integrative therapy use in pregnancy continues to rise.

Natural Standard's evidence-based systematic reviews also feature pregnancy and lactation data. The new Pregnancy & Lactation Checker conveniently compiles this information in one location for easy use.

To try this new tool, please visit Natural Standard's new Pregnancy & Lactation Checker.

Integrative Therapy Use May Be Common Among Children

A new study suggests that the use of integrative therapies among children may be high.

Children are vulnerable to certain illnesses and infections for several reasons. First, children do not have fully developed immune systems until they are about 7-8 years old. Because the immune system helps the body fight against diseases and infections, children have an increased risk of developing conditions, such as whooping cough, diarrhea, ear infections, chickenpox, croup and food allergies, compared to adults.

Most integrative therapies have not been well-studied in children. Safety in children has not been proven for most therapies. Therefore, parents and caregivers should talk to their children's pediatricians before trying integrative therapies.

In a recent study, researchers surveyed the parents of patients at two Canadian children's hospitals, one in the west and one in central Canada, on their use of integrative therapies.

The researchers found that integrative therapy use was significantly higher for patients in the western hospital at 71 percent of those surveyed, compared to 42 percent in the central hospital. The most commonly used products included multivitamins, herbal products, homeopathic remedies, massage, aromatherapy, chiropractic and relaxation. Many integrative therapies were used alongside prescription medications without discussing them with their healthcare provider. The authors noted that 80 integrative therapy-related adverse effects were also reported.

The authors concluded that integrative therapy use among pediatric patients may be common making it increasingly important that healthcare providers discuss these therapies with children and their parents to prevent potential interactions and adverse effects.

For more information about integrative therapies that have been studied in children, please visit Natural Standard's Comparative Effectiveness Database.

Natural Standard Training

Sign up for a free online training session to learn more about Natural Standard's decision-support tools.

Natural Standard provides high-quality, evidence-based information about integrative therapies to help healthcare professionals and consumers make safer, more educated decisions about health.

Natural Standard is an international multidisciplinary collaboration that includes contributors from more than 100 eminent academic institutions. Research teams systematically gather scientific data and expert opinions to develop comprehensive monographs that are designed to facilitate clinical decision making. For each therapy, the available scientific evidence of effectiveness is evaluated using the Natural Standard Evidence-Based Validated Grading Rationale™. All monographs undergo blinded peer review prior to inclusion in Natural Standard databases.

These guided tours will demonstrate how to navigate the various databases and cross reference medical conditions and therapies.

Thu, Jan 24, 2013 2:00 PM - 2:45 PM (EST)

Tue, Jan 29, 2013 2:00 PM - 2:45 PM (EST)

Thu, Jan 31, 2013 2:00 PM - 2:45 PM (EST)

Tue, Feb 5, 2013 2:00 PM - 2:45 PM (EST)

Thu, Feb 7, 2013 2:00 PM - 2:45 PM (EST)

After registration, attendees will receive e-mail confirmation with information on how to join the webinar.

System Requirements: PC-based attendees: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server. Macintosh®-based attendees: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newer

Natural Standard Attending Career Fairs

Individuals interested in learning more about evidence-based integrative medicine are invited to visit Natural Standard at one of several upcoming college career fairs. Natural Standard will be recruiting for all departments, including marketing and outreach.

Boston College Career Fair: The event will take place January 23, 2013 in the Heights Room. For more information, please visit www.bc.edu/offices/careers.

Boston University Career Fair: The event will take place February 12, 2013, 10:30am-1:30pm at 595 Commonwealth Ave. For more information, please visit http://management.bu.edu/career-center.

Journal of Dietary Supplements: New Issue

The latest issue of the Journal of Dietary Supplements (JDS) is now available online. The international, peer-reviewed journal aims to help consumers and clinicians make informed decisions about the preparations, foods and botanicals that are used to improve health.

The new issue features several original scientific papers, as well as a Natural Standard evidence-based systematic review on Vitamin A:

Aqueous Extract of Dried Fruit of Berberis vulgaris L. in Acne vulgaris, a Clinical Trial by Rohollah F. Fouladi

The Effect of Garlic Tablet on Pro-inflammatory Cytokines in Postmenopausal Osteoporotic Women: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial by Hassan Mozaffari-Khosravi, Hamideh-al-Sadat Hesabgar, Mohammad-Bagher Owlia, Hossein Hadinedoushan, Kazem Barzegar and Mohammad Hossein Fllahzadeh

Mondia whitei, a Medicinal Plant from Africa with Aphrodisiac and Antidepressant Properties: A Review by Hellen A. Oketch-Rabah

Interaction of Different Extracts of Primula heterochroma Stapf. with Red Blood Cell Membrane Lipids and Proteins: Antioxidant and Antihemolytic Effects by Seyed Mohammad Nabavi, Seyed Fazel Nabavi, William N. Setzer, Heshmatollah Alinezhad, Mahboobeh Zare and Alireza Naqinezhad

Potential Toxicity of Caffeine When Used as a Dietary Supplement for Weight Loss by Morgan Pendleton, Stacy Brown, Christan Thomas and Brian Odle

An Evidence-Based Systematic Review of Vitamin A by Natural Standard Research Collaboration

To submit a manuscript for a future issue online, please visit the http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/wjds.

For more information, please e-mail jds@naturalstandard.com.

Q & A with Fabien Cousteau

Natural Standard is offering a series of complimentary webinars on integrative medicine. Natural Standard offers these impartial webinars as an informational public service. All webinars are recorded and archived at www.naturalstandard.com/webinars.

Q & A with Fabien Cousteau: Dr. Catherine Ulbricht, Founder of Natural Standard, interviews ocean explorer and documentary filmmaker Fabien Cousteau. Fabien is the grandson of noted oceanographic explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, and recently launched an ambitious initiative called Plant A Fish, to take an aggressive grassroots approach to ocean restoration. Complimentary access is now available.

Natural Standard Presenting at TSU Continuing Education Conference

Dr. Catherine Ulbricht, Founder of Natural Standard, will be presenting a lecture on Dietary Supplement Interactions at the upcoming Annual Fall Preceptor Conference, hosted by Texas Southern University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

The conference will take place on Saturday, October 20, 2012 at the Texas Southern University Medical Center Campus. The conference provides 2.0 contact hours (0.20 CEU) of general pharmacy education credit in Knowledge and 2.0 contact hours (0.15 CEU) of general pharmacy education credit in Law.

The learning objectives of the program include discussing evidence-based information on dietary supplements as well as potential interactions with diagnostic/laboratory tests, food/nutrients and drugs/OTCs. Dr. Ulbricht will be speaking from 10:30am to 12:30pm.

Iona Grant, R.Ph, will also present on the Texas State Board of Pharmacy Law Updates from 8:10am to 10:10am.

For more information or to register for this event, please visit www.tsu.edu.

Natural Standard Featured CE/CME: Guggul

Natural Standard's featured CE/CME for the month of September is Guggul: Safety & Effectiveness.

Guggul (gum guggul) is the common name for the mukul myrrh tree (Commiphora mukul). Guggul is also the name of the sap-like product produced by the tree. Guggulipid, which is extracted from guggul, contains guggulsterones, which may have health benefits for humans..

Natural Standard offers CE/CME modules for multidisciplinary healthcare professionals. Students and other users may take courses for training purposes without generating credit certificates. Continuing Education requirements differ based on discipline, license and location. If you are unsure of your specific needs, please contact your local agency.

Acupuncture May Reduce Chronic Pain

Acupuncture may be an effective treatment for chronic pain, according to a new study.

There are many different varieties of the practice of acupuncture, both in the Orient and in the West. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) usually combines acupuncture with Chinese herbs. Research on the effectiveness of acupuncture has special challenges. These include the diversity of approaches, the practice of individualizing treatment for each patient, differing skill levels between practitioners, and difficulty separating out the effects of acupuncture from placebo effects.

In a recent study, researchers conducted a comprehensive literature search of well-designed clinical trials evaluating the effects of acupuncture on four different types of chronic pain, including back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, chronic headache and shoulder pain. Twenty-nine studies evaluating 17,922 patients were ultimately identified for inclusion.

The researchers found that when compared to sham acupuncture or no acupuncture treatment, true acupuncture was significantly more effective in reducing all four types of chronic pain. Pain scores were significantly reduced for all pain types when true acupuncture was compared to sham acupuncture and the effect sizes were greater when true acupuncture was compared to no acupuncture treatment at all. The authors noted that the significant differences between sham and true acupuncture indicate that the effects of acupuncture may be more than a suggested placebo effect.

The authors concluded that acupuncture may be an effective treatment for chronic pain. Additional research is warranted.

In addition to acupuncture, there is evidence that suggests acupressure using aromatic essential oils (lavender) may reduce pain intensity, stiffness and stress in patients with neck pain for up to one month.

For more information about integrative therapies for chronic pain, please visit Natural Standard's Comparative Effectiveness Database.

For more information about acupuncture, please visit Natural Standard's Health & Wellness Database.