To analyze the effects of a Qigong program on various parameters of unstimulated saliva, including volume, pH and secretory immunoglobulin A (S-IgA) level.

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The mother of a 3-month old girl presented her daughter for chiropractic care with a medical diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Her complaints included frequently interrupted sleep, excessive intestinal gas, frequent vomiting, excessive crying, difficulty breastfeeding, plagiocephaly and torticollis. Previous medical care consisted of Prilosec prescription medication. Notable improvement in the patient's symptoms was observed within four visits and total resolution of symptoms within three months of care. This case study suggests that patients with complaints associated with both musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal origin may benefit from chiropractic care.

JCCA J Can Chiropr Assoc. 2008 Dec;52(4):248-55. Alcantara J, Anderson R. Research Director, International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, Media, Pa and Private Practice of Chiropractic, San Jose, CA, USA.

The development of psychotherapy has been based on psychological theories and clinical effects. However, an investigation of the neurobiological mechanisms of psychological interventions is also needed in order to improve indication and prognosis, inform the choice of parallel pharmacotherapy, provide outcome measures and potentially even aid the development of new treatment protocols. This neurobiological investigation can be informed by animal models, for example of learning and conditioning, but will essentially need the non-invasive techniques of functional neuroimaging in order to assess psychotherapy effects on patients' brains, which will be reviewed here. Most research so far has been conducted in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders and depression. Effects in OCD were particularly exciting in that both cognitive behavioural therapy and medication with a selective serotonin inhibitor led to a reduction in blood flow in the caudate nucleus. In phobia, brief courses of behavioural therapy produced marked reductions of paralimbic responses to offensive stimuli in line with the clinical improvement. Findings in depression are less consistent, with both increases and decreases in prefrontal metabolism being reported. However, they are important in pointing to different mechanisms for the clinical effects of pharmacotherapy (more "bottom up") and psychotherapy (more "top down"). For the future it would be desirable if the findings of psychotherapy changes to brain activation patterns were confirmed in larger groups with homogenous imaging protocols. Functional imaging has already made great contributions to the understanding of the neural correlates of psychopathology. For example, evidence converges to suggest that the subgenual cingulate is crucial for mood regulation. One current clinical application of these findings is deep brain stimulation in areas highlighted by such imaging studies. I will discuss their initial application in depression and OCD, and suggest potential alternative options based on recent developments in neurofeedback technology.

Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2008 Nov;258 Suppl 5:71-5. Linden DE. School of Psychology and North Wales Clinical School, Bangor University, Brigantia Building, Bangor, Wales, UK. d.linden@bangor.ac.uk

This study explores the extent to which consumers seek wellness care when choosing chiropractors whose practice methods are known to include periodic evaluative and interventional methods to maintain wellness and prevent illness. METHODS: Using an international convenience sample of Sacro-Occipital Technique (SOT) practitioners, 1316 consecutive patients attending 27 different chiropractic clinics in the USA, Europe and Australia completed a one-page survey on intake to assess reason for seeking care. A forced choice response was obtained characterizing the patient's reason for seeking chiropractic care. RESULTS: More than 40% of chiropractic patient visits were initiated for the purposes of health enhancement and/or disease prevention. CONCLUSION: Although prudence dictates great caution when generalizing from this study, if confirmed by subsequent research among other similar cohorts, the present results may lend support to continued arguments of consumer demand for a more comprehensive paradigm of chiropractic care, beyond routine musculoskeletal complaints, that conceptualizes the systemic, nonspecific effects of the chiropractic encounter in much broader terms.

JCCA J Can Chiropr Assoc. 2008 Aug;52(3):175-84. Blum C, Globe G, Terre L, Mirtz TA, Greene L, Globe D. Sacro Occipital Technique Organization - USA.

The tonic immobility state (TIS) in rabbit has great potential as an animal model of hypnosis in humans, due to the strong similarities between TIS and hypnosis. It is additionally the only mammalian model available for studying mechanisms of hypnosis. However, its ability to modulate pain perception has yet to be clearly determined. The present experiment examined the effect of nociceptive conditioning in normal, TIS and lidocaine-treated rabbits. This involved three separate phases. In phase one all animals were trained on a continuous performance test (CPT). In the second phase animals were given Pavlovian conditioning to an auditory CS paired with a nociceptive US. In the third phase the animals are given a sensory recognition test. The control group were conditioned during a normal state, the TIS group were conditioned during TIS, the pain control animals were conditioned after lidocaine injection in the skin area stimulated by the nociceptive US. All animals in the normal group showed the greatest amount of pain conditioning, with an average disruption time (dt) of 175s. Animals in the lidocaine group showed little signs of conditioning with an average dt of 16s. Animals conditioned during TIS had an average dt of 42s. These results show that TIS can modulate pain perception similar to animals that did not experience a pain CS. They additionally argue that tonic immobility can produce attenuation of pain perception similar to hypnosis in humans.

Behav Brain Res. 2008 Aug 27. Castiglioni JA, Russell MI, Setlow B, Young KA, Welsh JC, Li LH, Steele-Russell I. Sensory Neuroscience Laboratory, TAMUS HSC and S&W Hospital, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.

Children are more easily hypnotized than adults, and hypnotherapy as a method responds to the general developmental needs of children by addressing their ability for fantasy and imagination. Hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis are tools with which to assess and develop protective factors, and enhance positive adjustment. Meta-analyses and overviews have demonstrated the effect of hypnotherapy in paediatric disorders like asthma, chronic and acute pain, and in procedure-related distress in cancer patients. We wanted to examine the use and benefits of hypnotherapy when applied to child psychiatric disorders. A review of a literature search from PubMed, PsychINFO and the Cochrane databases revealed 60 publications, mostly case reports based on 2-60 cases, addressing the use of hypnotherapy in various child psychiatric conditions. Findings indicate that hypnotherapy may be useful for a wide range of disorders and problems, and may be particularly valuable in the treatment of anxiety disorders and trauma-related conditions. In conclusion, knowledge of hypnosis is useful in clinical practice and hypnotherapy may play an important role as an adjunctive therapy in cognitive-behavioural treatment and family therapy. Additional qualitative and quantitative studies are needed to assess the place for hypnosis/hypnotherapy in child psychiatry.

Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2008 Jul;13(3):377-93. Huynh ME, Vandvik IH, Diseth TH. Section for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rikshospitalet University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. huynh.melanie@gmail.com

Janet Attwood combines a unique blend of spirituality and practical, useful knowledge that can be put to use immediately. Her passion and focus is supporting people, in every part of the world, in knowing their personal greatness.

She shows her students how it's possible to have a life of abundance while living their dreams. Janet is sought after because of her authenticity, clarity and the power of the tools she shares.

For more information visit: www.StayingInLove.com.

Obesity is associated with higher health-care costs due, in part, to higher use of traditional health care. Few data are available on the relationship between obesity and the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). METHODS AND PROCEDURES: We analyzed data on CAM use from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Alternative Medicine Supplement (n=31,044). We compared the use of CAM overall, within the past 12 months, between normal weight (BMI from 18 to <25), overweight (from 25 to <30), mildly obese (from 30 to <35), moderately obese (from 35 to <40), and extremely obese (>40) adults. For the primary analysis, our multivariable model was adjusted for sociodemographic factors, insurance status, medical conditions, and health behaviors. We performed additional analyses to explore the association of BMI and the use of seven CAM modalities. RESULTS: We found that adults with obesity have lower prevalence of use of yoga therapy, and similar prevalence of use of several CAM modalities, including relaxation techniques, natural herbs, massage, chiropractic medicine, tai chi, and acupuncture, compared to normal-weight individuals. After adjustment for sociodemographic factors, insurance status, medical conditions, and health behaviors, adults with obesity were generally less likely to use most individual CAM modalities, although the magnitude of these differences were quite modest in many cases. DISCUSSION: Even though adults with obesity have a greater illness burden and higher utilization of traditional medical care, adults with higher BMIs were no more likely to use each of the individual CAM therapies studied. Additional research is needed to improve our understanding of CAM use by adults with obesity.

Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008 Jul;16(7):1610-5. Bertisch SM, Wee CC, McCarthy EP. Division for Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies, Osher Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts,

USA. Suzanne_Bertisch@hms.harvard.edu

Pain may cause physical and emotional distress in children experiencing medical procedures. Complementary and alternative medical (CAM) therapies have become increasingly important in treating children's painful conditions, yet it is still unclear whether CAM has a place in acute pediatric pain analgesia. This review aims to present an overview of the available published evidence. Most research has examined the efficacy of hypnosis, which has emerged as useful in alleviating acute pain associated with a number of medical procedures. Music therapy also has gained some attention and for the most part shows promise in the pediatric acute pain setting. Acupuncture, laughter therapy, and massage also may prove beneficial. Despite the promise of many of these modalities, we conclude that further empirical research into safety and efficacy using well-designed studies and large samples is required before guidelines can be established. In addition, further work is needed in standardizing interventions, creating treatment manuals, and determining treatment efficacy as a function of the child's development, his or her individual characteristics, and the type of procedure the child is undergoing.

Altern Ther Health Med. 2008 Sep-Oct;14(5):52-6. Evans S, Tsao JC, Zeltzer LK. Pediatric Pain Program, Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.

David Shephard is founder of the Performance Partnership one of the leading providers of Personal Development Products in the World. He is a Master Trainer of NLP, Time Line Therapy and Hypnotherapy he is also a Doctor of esoteric studies. David recently participated in an academic study of the neuro-linguistic patterns in the work of best selling author Agatha Christie along with experts from the universities of London, Birmingham and Warwick . David was sought out by Dr Roland Kapferer, team leader of the project because of his mastery of linguistic patterns.

One of David's driving passions is the study of ancient spirituality and how in the modern world we could all benefit from a little ancient wisdom.

David believes in the subject so strongly that he has incorporated elements of spirituality into The Performance Partnerships seminars, he has also developed a very special course to teach ancient wisdom to modern people.

For more information visit: www.DavidShephard.com.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States and in highly industrialized countries. Many modifiable psychosocial risk factors have been identified and can affect the course of cardiac illness. These include the negative emotional states of depression, anxiety, stress, anger/hostility, and social isolation. Anxiety has been found to increase the risk of developing CHD in healthy subjects and can lead to worsening of existing CHD. There is much overlap and confusion throughout the research literature between what authors define as anxiety, stress, Type A behavioral pattern, and anger/hostility.There is a need for better screening within the practice of cardiology for these psychosocial risk factors to ensure better integration of mental health services. Established screening tools such as the Beck Anxiety Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, and the Hamilton Anxiety Scale are described and compared with the newer Screening Tool for Psychologic Distress as part of the initial work-up of every cardiac patient. Recommendations are made using the author's Anxiety Treatment Algorithm regarding when to refer to a mental health professional along with how to reduce stigma and provide more integrated care. The diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders is reviewed, with attention to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, benzodiazepines, cognitive-behavioral therapy, stress reduction, and behavioral medicine group programs. These group programs are recommended because they help to overcome social isolation and counsel patients on how to adapt to a healthy lifestyle. Better clinical outcome research is needed that specifically addresses the question of whether the treatment of anxiety and anxiety disorders can affect the course of cardiac illness.

Cardiol Rev. 2009 Jan-Feb;17(1):36-43. Janeway D. Department of Psychiatry, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA. DavidJaneway@aol.com

BACKGROUND: Since no pre-medication has been widely accepted especially in spinal anesthesia, anesthesiologists should manage the control of patient's anxiety during surgery. Instead of sedatives, we have been using music-therapy during spinal anesthesia. Bispectral index monitoring (BIS) is used as one of the sedation indices in spinal anesthesia. The aim of this study was to assess the music-therapy on reducing anxiety of patients under spinal anesthesia using BIS and interview type psychology test, State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). METHODS: Fifty-eight ASA physical status I-II patients scheduled for spinal anesthesia, were randomly allocated into M group (music group, n=29) or C group (control, n=29). BIS, EMG, and SQI of both groups were obtained continuously with computer system. Patients in M group listened to music by head phone and those in C group were left free under ordinary operating theater environment. Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-TA) score was obtained preoperatively for property-based anxiety and the State Anxiety Inventory (STAI-SA) score was obtained postoperatively for condition-based anxiety. Time averaged BIS scores (pre-surgery, during-surgery and post-surgery period)were obtained during operation. RESULTS: Time averaged BIS values of M and C group in pre-surgery period, during-surgery period, and post-surgery period were 95.3+/-0.4 vs 95.8+/-0.4 (NS), 87.6+/-7.5 vs 95.1+/-2.8 (P<0.01) and 96.0+/-0.4 vs. 96.2+/-0.4 (NS), respectively. Post-surgery STAI-SA was 29.7+/-7.2 in M group vs 38.8+/-10.3 in C group (P<0.01) while pre-surgery STAI-SA scores of both groups were not different. CONCLUSIONS: Music-therapy reduced BIS value and was effective to reduce patient's anxiety during spinal anesthesia.

Masui. 2009 Jun;58(6):684-91. Maeyama A, Kodaka M, Miyao H. Department of Anesthesiology, Saitama Medical Center Saitama Medical University, Kawagoe.

Psychophysiological factors in maintaining tinnitus-related distress have been emphasized in current tinnitus models. Hyperreactivity in the autonomous nervous system is supposed to hinder habituation processes and might contribute to maladjustment to tinnitus symptoms in the long run.

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A Book Review by Tim Brunson DCH

I clearly remember my college psychology professors introducing me to the "nature versus nurture" dilemma. Can experience alter the essential traits of human beings? Are we doomed to the limits of our genetics (as Watson and Crick's "Central Dogma" would have us believe)? Newsweek's science editor Sharon Begley's book, Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves dares to take a look this controversy from two very interesting perspectives. Inspired by the annual Mind & Life Institute meetings between His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, other senior Buddhist monks, and top Western neurologists, philosophers, and psychologists, this book's central theme is that the human mind can change. And, it postulates that once changed, the mind can change the biological organ we know as the human brain.

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Dr. Manceaux completed his undergraduate sutdies at McNeese State University in Lake Charles. He was accepted into the LSU Medical Center School of Physical Therapy. He graduated magna cum laude in 1984 from the Logan College of Chiropractic. He is the only practicing physical therapist and certified chiropractic sports physician in Louisiana. He served on the 1992 US Olypmic Trials, 1993 and 2001 NCAA Track & Feield Championship Medical Teams. He regularly treats many area high school and collegiate athletes. He has taught seminars in over 40 states on subjects of physical therapy, sports injuries, and risk management.

For more information visit: Road2Wellness.com.

Three articles of special interest to the hypnosis community recently appeared in the general scientific and medical literatures. The first paper is a thoughtful review of the clinical applications of hypnosis in pediatric settings. The second article reports the findings of a randomized, controlled trial of hypnosis for burn-wound care, carried out at the University of Washington Medical School. The third article describes an innovative EEG laboratory case study tracking the cortex functional connectivity of a highly hypnotizable subject across various baseline and experimental conditions. These three articles are sturdy examples of how hypnosis illuminates (and is illuminated by) medical and psychological science.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2008 Oct;56(4):463-9. Nash MR, Levy JJ, Tasso A, Perez N. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-0900, USA. mnash@utk.edu

RATIONALE: Imaginative suggestibility, a trait closely related to hypnotic suggestibility, is modifiable under some circumstances. Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is commonly used for sedation in dentistry and is reported to be more effective when combined with appropriate suggestions. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether nitrous oxide inhalation alters imaginative suggestibility and imagery vividness. METHODS: Thirty participants were tested twice in a within-subjects design, once during inhalation of 25% nitrous oxide and once during inhalation of air plus oxygen. Before the study, participants' expectancies regarding the effects of nitrous oxide were assessed. Participants were blinded to drug administration. During each session, participants were verbally administered detailed measures of imagination and suggestibility: the Sheehan-Betts Quality of Mental Imagery scale and the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale Form C, minus the hypnotic induction. RESULTS: Imaginative suggestibility and imaginative ability (imagery vividness) were both elevated in the nitrous oxide condition. This effect was unrelated to participants' expectations regarding the effects of the drug. CONCLUSIONS: Nitrous oxide increased imaginative suggestibility and imaginative ability. Possible explanations of these findings are discussed with respect to the effects of N-methyl-d-aspartate antagonists and to other pharmacological effects upon suggestibility and imagination.

Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2008 Dec 5. Whalley MG, Brooks GB. Hypnosis Unit, Department of Psychology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK, matwhalley@gmail.com.

The manual muscle test (MMT) has been offered as a chiropractic assessment tool that may help diagnose neuromusculoskeletal dysfunction. We contend that due to the number of manipulative practitioners using this test as part of the assessment of patients, clinical guidelines for the MMT are required to heighten the accuracy in the use of this tool. OBJECTIVE: To present essential operational definitions of the MMT for chiropractors and other clinicians that should improve the reliability of the MMT as a diagnostic test. Controversy about the usefulness and reliability of the MMT for chiropractic diagnosis is ongoing, and clinical guidelines about the MMT are needed to resolve confusion regarding the MMT as used in clinical practice as well as the evaluation of experimental evidence concerning its use. DISCUSSION: We expect that the resistance to accept the MMT as a reliable and valid diagnostic tool will continue within some portions of the manipulative professions if clinical guidelines for the use of MMT methods are not established and accepted. Unreliable assessments of this method of diagnosis will continue when non-standard MMT research papers are considered representative of the methods used by properly trained clinicians. CONCLUSION: Practitioners who employ the MMT should use these clinical guidelines for improving their use of the MMT in their assessments of muscle dysfunction in patients with musculoskeletal pain.

Chiropr Osteopat. 2008 Dec 19;16(1):16. Schmitt WH Jr, Cuthbert SC.

January 4th, 2009 will mark the 5th annual World Hypnotism Day when hypnotists around the world support hypnotism. WHD's mission is the promote the truth and benefits about hypnosis to the people of the world while removing the myths and misconceptions that have clouded this honorable and timeless practice.

Hypnotists benefit not only by supporting the profession of hypnotism but by gaining recognition ansd exposure during World Hypnotism Day events in order to build and increase their businesses. And to make it easy the World Hypnotism Day Committess have provided valuable and free Member Resources which are available.

"This is the biggest hypnosis event on the planet," says WHD Chairman, Tom Nicoli. "Hypnotists in twenty two countries have participated in World Hypnotism Day and it continues to grow. Last year 26 USA Mayors, 1 Canadian Mayor and a US State Governor proclaimed Jnauray 4th World Hypnotism Day. We invite all professional hypnotists to join."

Any professional hypnotists can join in the support and gain access to the Members Area by going here: http://www.worldhypnotismday.com/participant-signup-form.shtml

And the public also benefits. At the WHD website, www.worldhypnotismday.com there are 4 hypnosis audio downloads, 2 Success Stories ebooks and information and research facts about hypnosis all for free. There is also a WHD Events search engine so you can see if there is a WHD event in your area.

Tell everyone about World Hypnotism Day and get involved. You wilol be quite surprised to see the types of Member Resources that are available from teleseminars to Power Point presentations to press releases all for you to download and use.

Harmonic Medicine is the model using the theory that the body rhythms synchronize to an outer rhythm applied for therapeutic purpose, can restores the energy balance in acupuncture channels and organs and the condition of well-being. The purpose of this scientific work was to demonstrate the role played by harmonic sounds in the stimulation of the Lung (LU) Meridian (Shoutaiyin Feijing) and of the Kidney (KI) Meridian (Zushaoyin Shenjing).

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