Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/68008
news notes COMPILED BY SEAN EADS The Alexander Technique ... involves hands- on guidance designed to change the participant's physical habits. ONLINE ENCYCLOPEDIA An Internet encyclopedia specifically for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) subjects is now available. The site, www.wiki4cam.org, uses the same format as Wikipedia, allowing CAM practitioners to write, edit, and monitor entries they deem fit. Wiki4Cam will focus its attention on the wide variety of CAM offerings and is meant to respond to perceived biases against alternative medicine highlighted in many CAM-related Wikipedia articles. Its creators (homeopaths from Rajasthan, India) encourage all CAM practitioners to assist them in writing well-researched entries to build the database. Yoga Helps Menopause Transition Researchers at the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana in Bangalore, India, found regular yoga sessions reduce hot flashes and night sweats in menopausal women. The study involved 120 women between the ages of 40 and 55 performing yoga routines five days a week for eight weeks. The women also listened to lectures on the benefits of yoga. The control group, which did only some stretching and strengthening exercises and received standard information lectures on menopause, reported a slight reduction in menopausal symptoms and some increased mental acuity. The yoga group also showed great increases in their concentration and mental alertness. Technique Effective for Back Pain British researchers have concluded the Alexander Technique, a therapy involving posture and self-perception, significantly eases chronic back pain. The researchers compared a variety of therapies on more than 500 patients at the University of Southampton, conducting their analysis over a full year, and giving patients two treatments a month. The findings showed that patients who received 24 Alexander Technique sessions experienced only three days of back pain, while those receiving traditional therapies reported up to 21 days of discomfort. The Alexander Technique, named for its creator, Shakespearean actor Frederick Alexander, involves hands-on guidance designed to change the participant's physical habits. Results from the study are available online at www.bmj.com/ cgi/content/full/337/aug19_2/a884. visit massageandbodywork.com to access your digital magazine 17