Alternative Medicine Alone as Cancer Treatment Linked to Lowered Survival

THURSDAY, Aug. 17, 2017 -- People who choose alternative medicine over traditional cancer treatments for curable cancers have a higher risk of dying early, researchers report.

"We now have evidence to suggest that using alternative medicine in place of proven cancer therapies results in worse survival," said study lead author Dr. Skyler Johnson from Yale School of Medicine and Yale Cancer Center.

Supplement May Help Against Vision-Robbing Disease in Seniors

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 23, 2017 -- An inexpensive over-the-counter antioxidant/zinc supplement that may help preserve vision in older people is also cost effective, a new study suggests.

The combo pill has been dubbed the "Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS)" supplement, based on trial in which it was studied previously.

Many Parents Don't Tell Doctor About 'Complementary' Therapy Use in Kids

TUESDAY, Aug. 29, 2017 -- Parents often try unconventional treatments -- such as acupuncture and herbal products -- when their kids are sick, but many don't tell their pediatricians about it, a new report shows.

Such omissions could be risky, especially when these young patients are already taking traditional medications, the report authors said.

Study Finds Options to Opioid Use After Knee Surgery

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 16, 2017 -- Alternative drug-free interventions to manage pain, including acupuncture and electrotherapy, may help reduce the need for prescription painkillers after knee replacement surgery, a new review suggests.

"As prescription opioid use is under national scrutiny and because surgery has been identified as an avenue for addiction, it is important to recognize effective alternatives to standard pharmacological therapy, which remains the first option for treatment," the study team wrote.

Yoga May Boost Aging Brains

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 9, 2017 -- Older women who practice yoga may have greater "thickness" in areas of the brain involved in memory and attention, a small study suggests.

Researchers found that even compared with other healthy, active women their age, yoga practitioners typically had greater cortical thickness in the brain's left prefrontal cortex.

As Many as 1 in 3 Experience New or Worse Pain With Yoga

THURSDAY, Aug. 3, 2017 -- Many people try yoga hoping to heal an injury, but some wind up with more aches and pains, a new study finds.

The study, which surveyed hundreds of people doing yoga for more than a year, found that two-thirds said that some existing aches improved because of yoga -- most often, lower back and neck pain.