Friday, June 6, 2008
Time To Talk About CAM:
Health Care Providers and Patients Need To Ask and Tell
Provided by: NIH News

Morning sickness can make the first trimester of pregnancy uncomfortable for many women. Although Zantac, Pepcid, and stronger prescriptions are common recommendations to help control the nausea and vomiting, taking as few medications as possible is in the best interest of the baby. Thankfully, a couple of alternative methods that originate from Traditional Chinese Medicine can help one relieve nausea. These safer substitutes are better for prenatal care and can be acquired cheaply and easily.

St. John’s Wort (or Hypericum perforatum to the botanists, herbalists, and Latin lovers out there) is an herb commonly used to combat depression or serve as a ‘mood booster’. However, the herb will not work for every type of depression and is not recommended for use by everyone. In many ways, St. John’s wort presents a number of potential problems, especially for women.

Simply stated, osteoporosis is a misbalance between bone construction and destruction, where the building activity of bone is greatly diminished resulting in an overall loss of bone density and ultimately, weaker bones. The bone deteriorating disease is preventable, yet over 44 million Americans, most of which are women, currently suffer from the disease making it a common concern among women of all ages, but particularly those over 50.