Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/68005
NEWS NOTES Career, Community Website for MTs Health Shoppr, Inc. has launched a website for massage therapists called Healthprovidr.com (http://massage. healthprovidr.com). The site includes career resources for those in the massage industry and is intended to foster community participation among professionals with a job board, discussion forum, and Q&A sessions with experts and peers. The website plans to expand its services to other healthcare fields as well. Health Shoppr, is a new consumer-oriented company that seeks to assist the public in making informed decisions regarding their healthcare and increase the visibility of healthcare providers across the nation. NEW NCCAM LEADERSHIP Dr. John Killen, Jr., is the new deputy director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). Killen was directing NCCAM's Office of International Health Research, where he was responsible for international collaborations in the study of traditional and nontraditional medicine. Killen joins Dr. Josephine P. Briggs, the recently installed NCCAM director. NCCAM was established in 1998 as part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and funds rigorous scientific investigations into the efficacy of alternative healing practices. Acupuncture for Hot Flashes Acupuncture has proven itself to be the equal of prescription drug venlafaxine when it comes to controlling hot flashes in breast cancer patients. A test conducted at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, studied 47 patients over three months to compare the efficacy of acupuncture against the drug, an antidepressant that is marketed under the name Effexor. Half the patients were given regular acupuncture sessions during the 12- week study, while the control group received only the drug. Both groups reported the same decrease in hot flashes, but the drug group experienced some adverse side effects. The acupuncture-only group meanwhile reported enhanced sex drive and longer- lasting relief from their symptoms. visit massageandbodywork.com to access your digital magazine 19