Guided Meditation (Hypnosis) and Whole Person Health.

Whole person (holistic) health deals with the mind-body-spirit connection as a unified domain. Balancing the whole person's health makes it possible for cells, tissues, and fluids that are out of balance in disease to come back into balance as the person heals from illness. The Automatic Pattern Recognition and Interruption system can facilitate rapid change in people, once they are freed up from subconscious mind constraints. The goal of the modern, transformed health-care system should be to combine the best of conventional care and whole person health to produce the best health care on the planet.

Natural Alternatives and the Common Cold and Influenza.

The use of complementary and integrative medicine has increased . It is estimated that one-third of the population of the United States uses some form of alternative medicine. Physicians should consider integrative medicine therapies . Alternative medical therapies for the common cold and influenza include herbal supplements, dietary supplements, diet, and other adjunct therapies. However, it is important to research and study these therapies. Therefore, communication with patients and other health care providers is important. This will ensure effective and positive patient care experiences. Further randomized clinical trials are necessary to further establish the role of various alternative options.

Alternative Treatments of Tinnitus: Alternative Medicine.

"Because Western medicine has remained largely unsuccessful at treating tinnitus symptoms, many physicians as well as patients have turned to alternative treatment options to decrease patients' suffering and improve their quality of life. Although research in complementary/integrative medicine continues to be scarce and inconclusive, studies are pointing toward the positive effects of acupuncture, herbal remedies, dietary supplements, antioxidants, melatonin, and hypnosis on tinnitus. Although the efficacies of these treatments are inconsistent and may depend on a patient's unique circumstances, studies acknowledge that each treatment is worth trying in light of the potential benefits while being both noninvasive and well tolerated."

Clinical Practice Guideline: Nosebleed (Epistaxis).

OBJECTIVE: Nosebleed, also known as epistaxis, is a common problem that occurs at some point in at least 60% of people in the United States. While the majority of nosebleeds are limited in severity and duration, about 6% of people who experience nosebleeds will seek medical attention. For the purposes of this guideline, we define the target patient with a nosebleed as a patient with bleeding from the nostril, nasal cavity, or nasopharynx that is sufficient to warrant medical advice or care. This includes bleeding that is severe, persistent, and/or recurrent, as well as bleeding that impacts a patient's quality of life. Interventions for nosebleeds range from self-treatment and home remedies to more intensive procedural interventions in medical offices, emergency departments, hospitals, and operating rooms. Epistaxis has been estimated to account for 0.5% of all emergency department visits and up to one-third of all otolaryngology-related emergency department encounters. Inpatient hospitalization for aggressive treatment of severe nosebleeds has been reported in 0.2% of patients with nosebleeds. PURPOSE: The primary purpose of this multidisciplinary guideline is to identify quality improvement opportunities in the management of nosebleeds and to create clear and actionable recommendations to implement these opportunities in clinical practice. Specific goals of this guideline are to promote best practices, reduce unjustified variations in care of patients with nosebleeds, improve health outcomes, and minimize the potential harms of nosebleeds or interventions to treat nosebleeds. The target patient for the guideline is any individual aged ≥3 years with a nosebleed or history of nosebleed who needs medical treatment or seeks medical advice. The target audience of this guideline is clinicians who evaluate and treat patients with nosebleed. This includes primary care providers such as family medicine physicians, internists, pediatricians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. It also includes specialists such as emergency medicine providers, otolaryngologists, interventional radiologists/neuroradiologists and neurointerventionalists, hematologists, and cardiologists. The setting for this guideline includes any site of evaluation and treatment for a patient with nosebleed, including ambulatory medical sites, the emergency department, the inpatient hospital, and even remote outpatient encounters with phone calls and telemedicine. Outcomes to be considered for patients with nosebleed include control of acute bleeding, prevention of recurrent episodes of nasal bleeding, complications of treatment modalities, and accuracy of diagnostic measures. This guideline addresses the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of nosebleed. It focuses on nosebleeds that commonly present to clinicians via phone calls, office visits, and emergency room encounters. This guideline discusses first-line treatments such as nasal compression, application of vasoconstrictors, nasal packing, and nasal cautery. It also addresses more complex epistaxis management, which includes the use of endoscopic arterial ligation and interventional radiology procedures. Management options for 2 special groups of patients-patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia syndrome and patients taking medications that inhibit coagulation and/or platelet function-are included in this guideline. This guideline is intended to focus on evidence-based quality improvement opportunities judged most important by the guideline development group. It is not intended to be a comprehensive, general guide for managing patients with nosebleed. In this context, the purpose is to define useful actions for clinicians, generalists, and specialists from a variety of disciplines to improve quality of care. Conversely, the statements in this guideline are not intended to limit or restrict care provided by clinicians based on their experience and assessment of individual patients. ACTION STATEMENTS: The guideline development group made recommendations for the following key action statements: (1) At the time of initial contact, the clinician should distinguish the nosebleed patient who requires prompt management from the patient who does not. (2) The clinician should treat active bleeding for patients in need of prompt management with firm sustained compression to the lower third of the nose, with or without the assistance of the patient or caregiver, for 5 minutes or longer. (3a) For patients in whom bleeding precludes identification of a bleeding site despite nasal compression, the clinician should treat ongoing active bleeding with nasal packing. (3b) The clinician should use resorbable packing for patients with a suspected bleeding disorder or for patients who are using anticoagulation or antiplatelet medications. (4) The clinician should educate the patient who undergoes nasal packing about the type of packing placed, timing of and plan for removal of packing (if not resorbable), postprocedure care, and any signs or symptoms that would warrant prompt reassessment. (5) The clinician should document factors that increase the frequency or severity of bleeding for any patient with a nosebleed, including personal or family history of bleeding disorders, use of anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications, or intranasal drug use. (6) The clinician should perform anterior rhinoscopy to identify a source of bleeding after removal of any blood clot (if present) for patients with nosebleeds. (7a) The clinician should perform, or should refer to a clinician who can perform, nasal endoscopy to identify the site of bleeding and guide further management in patients with recurrent nasal bleeding, despite prior treatment with packing or cautery, or with recurrent unilateral nasal bleeding. (8) The clinician should treat patients with an identified site of bleeding with an appropriate intervention, which may include one or more of the following: topical vasoconstrictors, nasal cautery, and moisturizing or lubricating agents. (9) When nasal cautery is chosen for treatment, the clinician should anesthetize the bleeding site and restrict application of cautery only to the active or suspected site(s) of bleeding. (10) The clinician should evaluate, or refer to a clinician who can evaluate, candidacy for surgical arterial ligation or endovascular embolization for patients with persistent or recurrent bleeding not controlled by packing or nasal cauterization. (11) In the absence of life-threatening bleeding, the clinician should initiate first-line treatments prior to transfusion, reversal of anticoagulation, or withdrawal of anticoagulation/antiplatelet medications for patients using these medications. (12) The clinician should assess, or refer to a specialist who can assess, the presence of nasal telangiectasias and/or oral mucosal telangiectasias in patients who have a history of recurrent bilateral nosebleeds or a family history of recurrent nosebleeds to diagnose hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia syndrome. (13) The clinician should educate patients with nosebleeds and their caregivers about preventive measures for nosebleeds, home treatment for nosebleeds, and indications to seek additional medical care. (14) The clinician or designee should document the outcome of intervention within 30 days or document transition of care in patients who had a nosebleed treated with nonresorbable packing, surgery, or arterial ligation/embolization. The policy level for the following recommendation, about examination of the nasal cavity and nasopharynx using nasal endoscopy, was an option: (7b) The clinician may perform, or may refer to a clinician who can perform, nasal endoscopy to examine the nasal cavity and nasopharynx in patients with epistaxis that is difficult to control or when there is concern for unrecognized pathology contributing to epistaxis.

Clinical Practice Guideline: Nosebleed (Epistaxis) Executive Summary.

OBJECTIVE: Nosebleed, also known as epistaxis, is a common problem that occurs at some point in at least 60% of people in the United States. While the great majority of nosebleeds are limited in severity and duration, about 6% of people who experience nosebleeds will seek medical attention. For the purposes of this guideline, we define the target patient with a nosebleed as a patient with bleeding from the nostril, nasal cavity, or nasopharynx that is sufficient to warrant medical advice or care. This includes bleeding that is severe, persistent, and/or recurrent, as well as bleeding that impacts a patient's quality of life. Interventions for nosebleeds range from self-treatment and home remedies to more intensive procedural interventions in medical offices, emergency departments, hospitals, and operating rooms. Epistaxis has been estimated to account for 0.5% of all emergency department visits and up to one-third of all otolaryngology-related emergency department encounters. Inpatient hospitalization for aggressive treatment of severe nosebleeds has been reported in 0.2% of patients with nosebleeds. PURPOSE: The primary purpose of this multidisciplinary guideline is to identify quality improvement opportunities in the management of nosebleeds and to create clear and actionable recommendations to implement these opportunities in clinical practice. Specific goals of this guideline are to promote best practices, reduce unjustified variations in care of patients with nosebleeds, improve health outcomes, and minimize the potential harms of nosebleeds or interventions to treat nosebleeds. The target patient for the guideline is any individual aged ≥3 years with a nosebleed or history of nosebleed who needs medical treatment or seeks medical advice. The target audience of this guideline is clinicians who evaluate and treat patients with nosebleed. This includes primary care providers such as family medicine physicians, internists, pediatricians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. It also includes specialists such as emergency medicine providers, otolaryngologists, interventional radiologists/neuroradiologists and neurointerventionalists, hematologists, and cardiologists. The setting for this guideline includes any site of evaluation and treatment for a patient with nosebleed, including ambulatory medical sites, the emergency department, the inpatient hospital, and even remote outpatient encounters with phone calls and telemedicine. Outcomes to be considered for patients with nosebleed include control of acute bleeding, prevention of recurrent episodes of nasal bleeding, complications of treatment modalities, and accuracy of diagnostic measures. This guideline addresses the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of nosebleed. It will focus on nosebleeds that commonly present to clinicians with phone calls, office visits, and emergency room encounters. This guideline discusses first-line treatments such as nasal compression, application of vasoconstrictors, nasal packing, and nasal cautery. It also addresses more complex epistaxis management, which includes the use of endoscopic arterial ligation and interventional radiology procedures. Management options for 2 special groups of patients, patients with hemorrhagic telangiectasia syndrome (HHT) and patients taking medications that inhibit coagulation and/or platelet function, are included in this guideline. This guideline is intended to focus on evidence-based quality improvement opportunities judged most important by the working group. It is not intended to be a comprehensive, general guide for managing patients with nosebleed. In this context, the purpose is to define useful actions for clinicians, generalists, and specialists from a variety of disciplines to improve quality of care. Conversely, the statements in this guideline are not intended to limit or restrict care provided by clinicians based upon their experience and assessment of individual patients. ACTION STATEMENTS: The guideline development group made recommendations for the following key action statements: (1) At the time of initial contact, the clinician should distinguish the nosebleed patient who requires prompt management from the patient who does not. (2) The clinician should treat active bleeding for patients in need of prompt management with firm sustained compression to the lower third of the nose, with or without the assistance of the patient or caregiver, for 5 minutes or longer. (3a) For patients in whom bleeding precludes identification of a bleeding site despite nasal compression, the clinician should treat ongoing active bleeding with nasal packing. (3b) The clinician should use resorbable packing for patients with a suspected bleeding disorder or for patients who are using anticoagulation or antiplatelet medications. (4) The clinician should educate the patient who undergoes nasal packing about the type of packing placed, timing of and plan for removal of packing (if not resorbable), postprocedure care, and any signs or symptoms that would warrant prompt reassessment. (5) The clinician should document factors that increase the frequency or severity of bleeding for any patient with a nosebleed, including personal or family history of bleeding disorders, use of anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications, or intranasal drug use. (6) The clinician should perform anterior rhinoscopy to identify a source of bleeding after removal of any blood clot (if present) for patients with nosebleeds. (7a) The clinician should perform, or should refer to a clinician who can perform, nasal endoscopy to identify the site of bleeding and guide further management in patients with recurrent nasal bleeding, despite prior treatment with packing or cautery, or with recurrent unilateral nasal bleeding. (8) The clinician should treat patients with an identified site of bleeding with an appropriate intervention, which may include 1 or more of the following: topical vasoconstrictors, nasal cautery, and moisturizing or lubricating agents. (9) When nasal cautery is chosen for treatment, the clinician should anesthetize the bleeding site and restrict application of cautery only to the active or suspected site(s) of bleeding. (10) The clinician should evaluate, or refer to a clinician who can evaluate, candidacy for surgical arterial ligation or endovascular embolization for patients with persistent or recurrent bleeding not controlled by packing or nasal cauterization. (11) In the absence of life-threatening bleeding, the clinician should initiate first-line treatments prior to transfusion, reversal of anticoagulation, or withdrawal of anticoagulation/antiplatelet medications for patients using these medications. (12) The clinician should assess, or refer to a specialist who can assess, the presence of nasal telangiectasias and/or oral mucosal telangiectasias in patients who have a history of recurrent bilateral nosebleeds or a family history of recurrent nosebleeds to diagnose hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia syndrome (HHT). (13) The clinician should educate patients with nosebleeds and their caregivers about preventive measures for nosebleeds, home treatment for nosebleeds, and indications to seek additional medical care. (14) The clinician or designee should document the outcome of intervention within 30 days or document transition of care in patients who had a nosebleed treated with nonresorbable packing, surgery, or arterial ligation/embolization. The policy level for the following recommendation about examination of the nasal cavity and nasopharynx using nasal endoscopy was an option: (7b) The clinician may perform, or may refer to a clinician who can perform, nasal endoscopy to examine the nasal cavity and nasopharynx in patients with epistaxis that is difficult to control or when there is concern for unrecognized pathology contributing to epistaxis.

Surgical Neuromodulation of Tinnitus: A Review of Current Therapies and Future Applications.

INTRODUCTION: Tinnitus is the conscious perception of an auditory sensation in the absence of external stimulus. Proposed theories are based on neuroplastic changes that occur due to sensory deprivation. The authors review the relevant literature on functional imaging and neuromodulation of tinnitus and describe potential targets for deep brain stimulation (DBS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A MEDLINE keyword and Medical Subject Heading term literature search was performed using PubMed for tinnitus, neuromodulation, DBS, transcranial magnetic stimulation, epidural electrode stimulation, intradural electrode stimulation, functional imaging, and connectivity. Data from these reports were extracted and reviewed. RESULTS: Multiple imaging studies are employed to understand the pathophysiology of tinnitus. Abnormal regions and altered connectivity implicated in tinnitus include auditory pathway and limbic structures. Neuromodulation attempts to correct this hyperexcitable state by disrupting these aberrant oscillations and returning activity to baseline. Applied treatment modalities include transcranial magnetic stimulation, epidural/intradural electrode stimulation, and DBS. More recently, modulation of autonomic pathways through vagus nerve stimulation and paired auditory sounds has demonstrated tinnitus improvement via plasticity changes. CONCLUSIONS: DBS shows much promise as a therapeutic option for tinnitus. Stimulation of the auditory pathway, particularly the medial geniculate body, could counteract thalamocortical dysrhythmias and reduce gamma activity implicated in the tinnitus percept. Stimulation of the limbic pathway could decrease attention to and perception of tinnitus. Additional studies, focusing on the involvement of thalamic and limbic structures in the pathophysiology of tinnitus, are needed to support the use of DBS.

Collaborative care for a patient with complex low back pain and long-term tobacco use: a case report.

Few examples of interprofessional collaboration by chiropractors and other healthcare professionals are available. This case report describes an older adult with complex low back pain and longstanding tobacco use who received collaborative healthcare while enrolled in a clinical trial. This 65 year-old female retired office worker presented with chronic back pain. Imaging findings included disc extrusion and spinal stenosis. Multiple co-morbidities and the complex nature of this case substantiated the need for multidisciplinary collaboration. A doctor of chiropractic and a doctor of osteopathy provided collaborative care based on patient goal setting and supported by structured interdisciplinary communication, including record sharing and telephone consultations. Chiropractic and medical interventions included spinal manipulation, exercise, tobacco reduction counseling, analgesic use, nicotine replacement, dietary and ergonomic recommendations, and stress reduction strategies. Collaborative care facilitated active involvement of the patient and resulted in decreased radicular symptoms, improvements in activities of daily living, and tobacco use reduction.

Il y a peu d'exemples de collaboration interprofessionnelle entre les chiropraticiens et d'autres professionnels de la santé. Cette étude de cas décrit une personne âgée souffrant d'une lombalgie complexe et de tabagisme de longue date qui a reçu des soins de santé en collaboration pendant qu'elle participait à un essai clinique. Cette employée de bureau à la retraite âgée de 65 ans souffrait d'une lombalgie chronique. Les examens d'imagerie ont révélé des extrusions discales et une sténose rachidienne. Des comorbidités multiples et la nature complexe de ce cas ont justifié la nécessité d'une collaboration multidisciplinaire. Un chiropraticien et un ostéopathe ont fourni des soins en collaboration selon les objectifs établis pour la patiente et soutenus par une communication interdisciplinaire structurée, y compris le partage du dossier et des consultations téléphoniques. Les interventions chiropratiques et médicales étaient notamment axées sur la manipulation vertébrale, l'exercice, des conseils sur la réduction de l'usage du tabac, l'utilisation d'analgésiques, le remplacement de la nicotine, des recommandations diététiques et ergonomiques, et des stratégies de réduction du stress. Les soins en collaboration ont facilité la participation active de la patiente et ont entraîné une diminution des symptômes radiculaires, des améliorations dans les activités de la vie quotidienne, et la réduction de l'usage du tabac.

Current opinion: the management of tinnitus.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to describe our experience with management of chronic tinnitus and to review the recent literature on the best treatment options available for treating patients who are troubled by their tinnitus. In addition, we want to highlight our experience and approach to this very common problem. RECENT FINDINGS: Treatment options for patients are based on the severity of the tinnitus and any associated problems. The use of nutritional supplements has a place in the treatment of mild-to-moderate tinnitus. Ginkgo biloba and B-complex vitamins may have an impact on selected patients. Treatment of underlying or accompanying anxiety disorders especially with cognitive behavior therapy can help to reduce the distress associated with tinnitus. Surgical treatment options, such as cochlear implant, have been shown to be very effective in reducing tinnitus in patients with sudden unilateral hearing loss as the cause of tinnitus. Other surgical approaches, such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and vagal stimulator, have had some limited benefits. SUMMARY: Treatment for subjective tinnitus can range from the conventional to the investigational modalities. Best treatment options take into account the possible cause of the tinnitus and other associated symptoms.

Acupuncture and allergic rhinitis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Allergic rhinitis has a high prevalence and negatively impacts quality of life. Patients commonly use complementary and integrative modalities to help alleviate their symptoms of allergic rhinitis, with approximately one in five receiving acupuncture. This article reviews the evidence base on the efficacy/effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of acupuncture for allergic rhinitis. RECENT FINDINGS: Our review of the medical literature from January 2013 through December 2014 revealed that there is research demonstrating efficacy and effectiveness for acupuncture in the treatment of allergic rhinitis, as well as improvement of quality of life and quality-adjusted life-years. SUMMARY: There are high-quality randomized controlled trials that demonstrate efficacy and effectiveness for acupuncture in the treatment of both seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis. Smaller head-to-head studies also show some preliminary benefit of acupuncture when compared with antihistamines, but these had a variety of methodological limitations. Further studies of higher quality are needed, particularly with a focus on comparative effectiveness research.

Integrative medical approaches to allergic rhinitis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Complementary and integrative medicine (CIM), formerly known as alternative medicine, is now part of the mainstream management for patients with a host of medical issues. This current opinion focuses on the use of CIM, more specifically, the use of nutritional and herbal therapies and homeopathic medications for patients with allergic symptoms. RECENT FINDINGS: The literature review revealed that naturally occurring substances when compared with placebo more often than not resulted in significant improvement of the allergic rhinitis symptoms. SUMMARY: Despite encouraging results, additional studies with greater rigor are needed.

Clinical practice guideline: Allergic rhinitis.

OBJECTIVE: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is one of the most common diseases affecting adults. It is the most common chronic disease in children in the United States today and the fifth most common chronic disease in the United States overall. AR is estimated to affect nearly 1 in every 6 Americans and generates $2 to $5 billion in direct health expenditures annually. It can impair quality of life and, through loss of work and school attendance, is responsible for as much as $2 to $4 billion in lost productivity annually. Not surprisingly, myriad diagnostic tests and treatments are used in managing this disorder, yet there is considerable variation in their use. This clinical practice guideline was undertaken to optimize the care of patients with AR by addressing quality improvement opportunities through an evaluation of the available evidence and an assessment of the harm-benefit balance of various diagnostic and management options. PURPOSE: The primary purpose of this guideline is to address quality improvement opportunities for all clinicians, in any setting, who are likely to manage patients with AR as well as to optimize patient care, promote effective diagnosis and therapy, and reduce harmful or unnecessary variations in care. The guideline is intended to be applicable for both pediatric and adult patients with AR. Children under the age of 2 years were excluded from the clinical practice guideline because rhinitis in this population may be different than in older patients and is not informed by the same evidence base. The guideline is intended to focus on a limited number of quality improvement opportunities deemed most important by the working group and is not intended to be a comprehensive reference for diagnosing and managing AR. The recommendations outlined in the guideline are not intended to represent the standard of care for patient management, nor are the recommendations intended to limit treatment or care provided to individual patients. ACTION STATEMENTS: The development group made a strong recommendation that clinicians recommend intranasal steroids for patients with a clinical diagnosis of AR whose symptoms affect their quality of life. The development group also made a strong recommendation that clinicians recommend oral second-generation/less sedating antihistamines for patients with AR and primary complaints of sneezing and itching. The panel made the following recommendations: (1) Clinicians should make the clinical diagnosis of AR when patients present with a history and physical examination consistent with an allergic cause and 1 or more of the following symptoms: nasal congestion, runny nose, itchy nose, or sneezing. Findings of AR consistent with an allergic cause include, but are not limited to, clear rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, pale discoloration of the nasal mucosa, and red and watery eyes. (2) Clinicians should perform and interpret, or refer to a clinician who can perform and interpret, specific IgE (skin or blood) allergy testing for patients with a clinical diagnosis of AR who do not respond to empiric treatment, or when the diagnosis is uncertain, or when knowledge of the specific causative allergen is needed to target therapy. (3) Clinicians should assess patients with a clinical diagnosis of AR for, and document in the medical record, the presence of associated conditions such as asthma, atopic dermatitis, sleep-disordered breathing, conjunctivitis, rhinosinusitis, and otitis media. (4) Clinicians should offer, or refer to a clinician who can offer, immunotherapy (sublingual or subcutaneous) for patients with AR who have inadequate response to symptoms with pharmacologic therapy with or without environmental controls. The panel recommended against (1) clinicians routinely performing sinonasal imaging in patients presenting with symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of AR and (2) clinicians offering oral leukotriene receptor antagonists as primary therapy for patients with AR. The panel group made the following options: (1) Clinicians may advise avoidance of known allergens or may advise environmental controls (ie, removal of pets; the use of air filtration systems, bed covers, and acaricides [chemical agents formulated to kill dust mites]) in patients with AR who have identified allergens that correlate with clinical symptoms. (2) Clinicians may offer intranasal antihistamines for patients with seasonal, perennial, or episodic AR. (3) Clinicians may offer combination pharmacologic therapy in patients with AR who have inadequate response to pharmacologic monotherapy. (4) Clinicians may offer, or refer to a surgeon who can offer, inferior turbinate reduction in patients with AR with nasal airway obstruction and enlarged inferior turbinates who have failed medical management. (5) Clinicians may offer acupuncture, or refer to a clinician who can offer acupuncture, for patients with AR who are interested in nonpharmacologic therapy. The development group provided no recommendation regarding the use of herbal therapy for patients with AR.

Contralateral hearing loss after vestibular schwannoma excision: a rare complication of neurotologic surgery.

We report a rare case of contralateral hearing loss after vestibular schwannoma excision in a 48-year-old man who underwent surgery via a suboccipital approach for removal of a nearly 2-cm lesion involving the right cerebellopontine angle. Postoperatively, the patient awoke with bilateral deafness, confirmed by both audiometry and spontaneous otoacoustic emissions. The patient was treated aggressively with high-dose intravenous steroids, vitamins E and C, and oxygen. Over the next several months he had gradual recovery of most of the hearing in his left (unoperated) ear. Contralateral hearing loss may develop after vestibular schwannoma excision; multiple pathophysiologic mechanisms for this occurrence have been proposed.

Chiropractor interaction and treatment equivalence in a pilot randomized controlled trial: an observational analysis of clinical encounter video-recordings.

BACKGROUND: Chiropractic care is a complex health intervention composed of both treatment effects and non-specific, or placebo, effects. While doctor-patient interactions are a component of the non-specific effects of chiropractic, these effects are not evaluated in most clinical trials. This study aimed to: 1) develop an instrument to assess practitioner-patient interactions; 2) determine the equivalence of a chiropractor's verbal interactions and treatment delivery for participants allocated to active or sham chiropractic groups; and 3) describe the perceptions of a treatment-masked evaluator and study participants regarding treatment group assignment. METHODS: We conducted an observational analysis of digital video-recordings derived from study visits conducted during a pilot randomized trial of conservative therapies for temporomandibular pain. A theory-based, iterative process developed the 13-item Chiropractor Interaction and Treatment Equivalence Instrument. A trained evaluator masked to treatment assignment coded video-recordings of clinical encounters between one chiropractor and multiple visits of 26 participants allocated to active or sham chiropractic treatment groups. Non-parametric statistics were calculated. RESULTS: The trial ran from January 2010 to October 2011. We analyzed 111 complete video-recordings (54 active, 57 sham). Chiropractor interactions differed between the treatment groups in 7 categories. Active participants received more interactions with clinical information (8 vs. 4) or explanations (3.5 vs. 1) than sham participants within the therapeutic domain. Active participants received more directions (63 vs. 58) and adjusting instrument thrusts (41.5 vs. 23) in the procedural domain and more optimistic (2.5 vs. 0) or neutral (7.5 vs. 5) outcome statements in the treatment effectiveness domain. Active participants recorded longer visit durations (13.5 vs. 10 minutes). The evaluator correctly identified 61% of active care video-recordings as active treatments but categorized only 31% of the sham treatments correctly. Following the first treatment, 82% of active and 11% of sham participants correctly identified their treatment group. At 2-months, 93% of active and 42% of sham participants correctly identified their group assignment. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show the feasibility of evaluating doctor-patient interactions in chiropractic clinical trials using video-recordings and standardized instrumentation. Clinical trial design and clinician training protocols should improve and assess the equivalence of doctor-patient interactions between treatment groups. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT01021306 on 24 November 2009.

Prevalence of radiographic findings in individuals with chronic low back pain screened for a randomized controlled trial: secondary analysis and clinical implications.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to measure the prevalence of graded disc degeneration, spondylolisthesis, transitional segmentation, and the distribution of sacral slope in patients 21 to 65 years of age with chronic low back pain (CLBP). METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed 247 digital lumbar radiographic series obtained during a randomized controlled trial of chiropractic patients with CLBP. Chronic low back pain was defined as pain in the low back lasting 12 weeks or longer. Radiographic findings of disc degeneration, spondylolisthesis, and lumbosacral transitional segmentation were graded by 2 authors using established classification criteria. Sacral slope was measured with a digital tool contained within imaging software. RESULTS: Lumbosacral transitional segments graded I to IV (Castellvi classification) were present in 14% of cases. Lumbar disc degeneration was most prevalent at L3-4 (49%), followed by L4-5 (42%), L2-3 (41%), L5-S1 (37%), and L1-2 (29%). Isthmic spondylolisthesis was present in 5% of cases, with L5 the most common location. Degenerative spondylolisthesis demonstrated a prevalence of 18%, most commonly occurring at L4. The prevalence of degenerative spondylolisthesis was 51% for women aged 50 to 59 years and 24% for men in the same age range. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate-severe disc degeneration, multilevel disc narrowing, and degenerative spondylolisthesis were common in individuals with CLBP with age more than 40 years. Isthmic spondylolisthesis was not more prevalent than what has been reported in other populations. Transitional segmentation was identified in a minority of participants, with some of these exhibiting accessory joints or fusion. Mean sacral slope in individuals with CLBP was not substantially different from mean slopes reported in other populations.

Complementary and integrative treatments: healthy living: strategies to live longer.

This article discusses the mechanisms of aging, future areas of exploration, and strategies to achieve successful aging given the current state of medical knowledge. The article begins with mitochondrial function and cell growth and decline, then presents aspects over which humans have control over their health: nutrition, use of nutritional supplementation, body posture, exercise, lifestyle choices, and use of traditional Chinese medicine. The discussion concludes with the role of the physician in offering patient education regarding behaviors for a healthy life.

Complementary and integrative treatments: integrative care centers and hospitals: one center's perspective.

This article discusses the mechanisms of aging and future areas of exploration, and addresses strategies to achieve successful aging given the current state of medical knowledge. The authors begin at the beginning, with mitochondrial function and cell growth and decline, then continue to present aspects over which humans have control over their health: nutrition, body posture, exercise, lifestyle choices, and Traditional Eastern medicine. The discussion concludes with the role of the physician in offering patient education regarding behaviors for a healthy life.

Direct electrical stimulation of Heschl's gyrus for tinnitus treatment.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of electrical stimulation of the auditory cortex in patients with tinnitus. STUDY DESIGN: Nonrandomized clinical trial. METHODS: Two patients with debilitating tinnitus refractory to conventional therapies were treated. Patients were evaluated with validated questionnaires and psychoacoustic measures to determine the frequency and pitch of their tinnitus. Tones at these frequencies were then presented to the first patient (RP) under magnetoencephalography (MEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to determine the tonotopic map for these frequencies in Heschl's gyrus. These tonotopic sites were targeted for implant with a quadripolar electrode. In the second patient (MV), only the fMRI tonotopic map was performed. These fMRI results detected an area of increased activity, which was selected as the site for the implanted bipolar electrode. RESULTS: Patient RP (bilateral tinnitus for 2 years) has experienced a sustained reduction to near elimination of tinnitus with intracerebral implanted electrodes, whereas patient MV (unilateral tinnitus for 7 years) had an unsustained reduction in her tinnitus. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the perception and annoyance of tinnitus may be modulated or reduced through electrical stimulation of the auditory cortex. These unsustained effects for patient MV may have been influenced by the longstanding nature of her tinnitus or by another reason as yet undetermined.