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Alternative Approaches to Healing
Study Examples
Study Examples |
Key
Publications | Intro
Here are just a few examples of research projects on alternative
approaches to healing now underway, or recently completed, at Group Health
Center for Health Studies (CHS):
Efficacy of Acupuncture for Chronic Low Back Pain
- Principal Investigator: Daniel C. Cherkin, PhD
- Co-investigators: Karen J. Sherman, PhD, MPH; William E. Barlow, PhD
Chronic low back pain is the most common reason why people seek
acupuncture. Yet previous studies on whether acupuncture helps relieve this
pain have had inconclusive results and methodologic shortcomings. This
scientifically rigorous investigation is funded by a five-year, $4.4 million
grant from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
(NCCAM), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). At Group Health
and at Kaiser Permanente Northern California, it randomly assigns 640 people
with low back pain to four groups. One group will receive standard medical
care for back pain. The other three groups will each be treated using
different methods of stimulating specific points (called "acupoints") on the
body.
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Evaluating Yoga for Chronic Back Pain
- Principal Investigator: Karen J. Sherman, PhD, MPH
- Co-Investigators: Daniel C. Cherkin, PhD; Diana L. Miglioretti, PhD
This two-year pilot study was the first to explore how effective yoga is
as a treatment for low back pain. After developing protocols for yoga and
exercise classes, the researchers assigned 30–36 people randomly to each of
three groups: one doing yoga, another exercising conventionally, and a third
getting usual care. This study, funded by $250,000 from the NCCAM, measured
each group's symptoms, functioning, quality of life, and back pain-related
health care use after six weeks, 12 weeks, and six months. Study results
have been submitted for publication, and a grant application for a larger
trial has been submitted.
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Evaluating Therapeutic Massage for Chronic Neck Pain
- Principal Investigator: Karen J. Sherman, PhD, MPH
- Co-investigators: Daniel C. Cherkin, PhD; Diana L. Miglioretti, PhD
Therapeutic massage is one of the most popular complementary and
alternative medicine (CAM) treatments for neck pain, but little is known
about its effectiveness. This study, funded by a $250,000, two-year grant
from the NCCAM, was designed to lay the groundwork for a full-scale
randomized clinical trial to evaluate its effectiveness. As part of the
study, the researchers developed protocols for massage and a comparison
group, as well as a taxonomy for describing massage techniques to be used in
the study. A pilot trial randomly assigned 60 people with chronic neck pain
to two groups: one group receiving therapeutic massage; and the other
receiving a minimal self-care intervention. Effectiveness will be evaluated
by statistical analyses comparing changes in symptoms, function, and quality
of life in these two groups midway through treatment, at the end of
treatment, and at six months afterward.
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Alternative Therapies for Menopause Symptoms (HALT)
- Principal Investigator: Katherine M. Newton, PhD
- Co-investigators: Andrea Z. LaCroix, PhD; Susan D. Reed, MD, MPH
The purpose of this four-year randomized controlled trial is to compare
the efficacy of commonly used alternative herbal products to traditional
hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and placebo in relieving menopause
symptoms. These symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal
dryness. A total of 351 women are being followed for a year, and the effects
of these products on hot flashes, other menopause symptoms, bone density,
and levels of cholesterol and clotting factors in the blood are being
measured. Participants are peri- and postmenopausal women aged 45-55, who
are having moderate to severe hot flashes and who are not already taking
products for menopause. This study is funded by $3 million from the National
Institute on Aging (NIA) and the NCCAM.
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Optimizing Healing in Primary Care
- Principal Investigator: Daniel C. Cherkin, PhD
- Co-investigators: Karen J. Sherman, PhD, MPH; Zelda DiBlasi, PhD, MPH,
University of California, San Francisco; Clarissa Hsu, PhD, MPH; Larry
Mauksch, MEd; William Phillips, MD, MPH; Julia Smith, MD; Elizabeth
Strober, PhD, UW School of Medicine
The goal of this research is to develop, implement, and evaluate an
intervention designed to produce the best possible outcomes of primary care
for chronic conditions. In the first phase, focus groups will help identify
the current impediments to providing the best possible care within an
established health care system from the perspectives of both patients and
primary care providers. Based on the focus group findings and a review of
relevant literatures, the researchers will design a multi-modal intervention
to address the identified barriers to optimal care and identify appropriate
outcome measures to evaluate the intervention's effects. The second phase
will include collection of baseline data from patients and providers,
implementation of the intervention, and evaluation of the intervention on
patient, provider, and team outcomes. This research is co-funded by the
Samueli Institute and Group Health.
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Study Examples |
Key
Publications | Intro |
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Researchers in Alternative Approaches to
Healing |
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CHS
Affiliate Researcher
- Susan D. Reed, MD, MPH
Harborview Medical Center; University of Washington (UW) Department of
Obstetrics and Gynecology
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| Major CHS Research Interests |
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