- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- New Spray Could Benefit Cystic Fibrosis Patients
- Molecule in Skin May Link Eczema and Asthma
- Asthmatics Who Quit Smoking May Reverse Lung Damage
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- The Zen Way to Pain Relief
- Spot light on Dani Antman New Lionheart teacher
- Pain-Relieving Powers of Acupuncture Unclear
- ANIMAL CARE
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Beware of Dog Bites
- BONES & JOINTS
- Childhood Dairy Intake Boosts Bone Health Later On
- Extra Pounds in Mid-Life Affect Later Mobility
- B Cells Can Act Alone in Autoimmune Diseases
- CANCER
- Multiple Screening Strategy Boosts Cervical Cancer Detection
- Hypnosis Cuts Hot Flashes for Breast Cancer Survivors
- Many Cancer Survivors Don't Adopt Healthy Lifestyle
- CAREGIVING
- Recession Scrambling Health Spending in U.S.
- Caregivers Face Multiple Strains Tending Older Parents
- Moms Who Breast-Feed Less Likely to Neglect Child
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Vitamins Do Older Women Little Good
- Obesity Linked to Heart Failure Risk
- Support Network May Play Role in Benefits of Drinking
- COSMETIC
- Gum Chewing May Cut Craving for Snacks
- Contact Lenses Boost Kids' Self-Image
- Health Tip: After Liposuction
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Rheumatoid Arthritis May Harm Gums
- Scientists Find Gene for Tooth Enamel
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- DIABETES
- Abnormal Heart Rhythm Boosts Death Risk for Diabetics
- Whole Grains Take a Bite Out of Type 2 Diabetes Risk
- 24 Million Americans Had Diabetes in 2007
- DIET, NUTRITION
- HELP TO LOSE WEIGHT ON A LOW CAL BUDGET
- Shedding Light on Why Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Help the Heart
- The Food Irradiation Story
- DISABILITIES
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Years of Exposure to Traffic Pollution Raises Blood Pressure
- Staying Slim Is Good for the Environment
- Pollution Particles Impair Blood Vessel Function
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Eye Test Could Spot Diabetes Vision Trouble Early
- Guard Kids' Eyes Against Long-Term Sun Damage
- High Temps Degrade Contact Lens Solution: Study
- FITNESS
- Walking Golf Course Affects Swing, Performance
- Early Exercise Boosts Outcomes for ICU Patients
- Fitness Fades Fast After 45
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Soothing Imagery May Help Rid Some Kids of Stomach Pain
- Traditional Nonsurgical GERD Treatments Not Impressive
- New Yogurt May Ease Stomach Ulcers
- GENERAL HEALTH
- What you need to know about swine flu.
- Swine Flu May Pose Problems for Pregnant Women
- Workplace Wellness Seems to Really Work
- HEAD & NECK
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Using Light Therapy to Silence Harmful Brain Activity
- 'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age
- Imaging Sheds Light on How Acupuncture Works
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Brown Rice Tied to Better Heart Health in Study
- Risk Factor for Stroke More Common Among Whites
- Lack of Vitamin D Linked to High Blood Pressure
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Swine Flu Now Reported in All 50 States
- Swine Flu Loves a Crowd
- Viral Infection Might Trigger High Blood Pressure
- KID'S HEALTH
- When It Comes to Toys, Shop Smart, Shop Safe
- Decline of Underweight Children in U.S. Continue to Fall
- St. John's Wort Doesn't Work for ADHD
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Strenuous Daily Workout May Keep Cancer at Bay
- Physical Activity May Prolong Survival After Colon Cancer
- Exercise May Prevent Prostate Cancer: Study Shows
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Consciousness Helps the Mind and Body Work Together
- Have a Goal in Life? You Might Live Longer
- Man's Best Friend Helps Mend Broken Hearts
- PREGNANCY
- Breast-Feeding May Protect a Woman's Heart
- Sleeping Could Help Women Lose The Baby Fat
- Before Conceiving, Take Folic Acid for One Full Year
- SENIORS
- Seniors Who Volunteer May Live Longer
- Older People at Greater Risk of Swine Flu Death
- Rapid Weight Loss in Seniors Signals Higher Dementia Risk
Naprapathy: A Hands-On Approach to Pain Management
By eHolistic.com Published: 12/31/2008
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 31 (HealthDay News) -- If you struggle with aches and pains that refuse to go away, you just might find relief from a long-practiced but relatively obscure alternative therapy called naprapathy.
Naprapathic medicine treats connective-tissue pain by using hands-on manipulation, nutritional counseling and, sometimes, therapeutic "modalities," such as heat, ultrasound, or cold laser therapy. Connective tissue, which includes ligaments, tendons and muscle, is the material inside the body that supports many of its parts.
"Naprapathy is hands-on connective tissue manipulation therapy, plus nutritional counseling," said Dr. Paul Maguire, president of the National College of Naprapathic Medicine in Chicago.
"It's noninvasive, so there's no downside to it, and it's a feel-good type of treatment that gets results," he said. Plus, it's a treatment that's been around for a long time, he added, noting that his school is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
"Naprapathy is a gentle system of manipulation that can relieve the pinching of areas causing restriction to nerves," Maguire explained.
Conditions that may be helped by naprapathy include carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, headaches, neck pain, knee strain, sciatica, shoulder pain and tennis elbow, according to Maguire.
A recent study published in The Clinical Journal of Pain that included more than 400 people with back or neck pain found that those treated with naprapathic medicine were more likely to have symptom relief and less disability. Compared to standard medical advice, including recommendations for coping with pain and staying active, treatment with naprapathic medicine was 27 percent more likely to cause a reduction in pain and 18 percent more likely to cause a reduction in the risk of disability, the study found.
Overall, those who underwent naprapathic treatments were 44 percent more likely to perceive that they were recovered than those in the standard group, according to the study.
Naprapathic practitioners are currently licensed in just two states -- Illinois and New Mexico. Maguire said many practitioners become licensed in those states and then practice in others, sometimes obtaining other licenses, such as massage-therapy licenses, in their own states.
"This therapy is on the fringe of medical treatment and seems to be picking up pieces that other modalities have left behind," said Dr. Gerard Varlotta, director of sports rehabilitation at New York University Langone Medical Center's Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine/Hospital for Joint Disease in New York City.
Manual manipulation of connective tissue could be useful for conditions such as fibromyalgia, some rheumatological disorders, and in sports medicine, he said.
But Varlotta offered certain cautions.
"Make sure the practitioner is educated, and that what they say makes sense," he said. "If they promise to cure cancer, that's not what they're going to be doing. But, if you have realistic expectations, that they'll try to free up areas that have become restricted over time, that's reasonable."
Maguire said many preferred provider organizations (PPOs) will pay for naprapathy, although Medicare/Medicaid does not, unless it's specifically prescribed by a doctor.
-Serena Gordon
More information
To learn more about naprapathic medicine, visit the National College of Naprapathic Medicine.
SOURCES: Paul Maguire, D.N., president, National College of Naprapathic Medicine, Chicago; Gerard Varlotta, D.O., director, sports rehabilitation, New York University Langone Medical Centers Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine/Hospital for Joint Disease, and clinical associate professor, New York University School of Medicine, New York City; June 2007, The Clinical Journal of Pain
Last Updated: Dec. 31, 2008
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