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Study Shows Ginkgo Helpful in Intermittent Claudication

Ginkgo showed superior to placebo in a 1998 randomized, controlled, double-blind German study on its effects on improving symptoms related to a peripheral arterial disease known as intermittent claudication.  Characteristic of this disease is pain in the legs due to a blockage of blood flow.

The study involved 111 subjects who were divided into two groups who were given a placebo for two weeks and then  either continued with placebo or were given 120 mg. standardized ginkgo extract, three times a day.  After 26 weeks, the subjects among the ginkgo-supplemented group were able to walk greater distances and were pain free at twice the rate of the placebo group.  No negative side effects were reported.

Peters H, Kieser M, Holscher U. Demonstration of the efficacy of ginkgo biloba special extract EGb 761 on intermittent claudication--a placebo-controlled, double-blind multicenter trial. Vasa 1998 May;27(2):106-10

A New Look at Cannabis as a Treatment for Migraine

From the late 1860s until the early 1940s, many prominent physicians advocated the use of cannabis to alleviate headache and migraine.  In more recent times, minor pain-relief studies indicate that certain constituents of cannabis, namely the compound delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), demonstrate analgesic qualities and may also interfere with pain transmission in the brain to provide symptom relief of migraine. 

The author of this review asserts that due to the history of use of cannabis, and its success in preliminary studies in treating pain, that this plant has a practical application in the further study and treatment of migraine headaches.

Russo E. Cannabis for migraine treatment: the once and future prescription? An historical and scientific review. Pain 1998 May;76(1-2):3-8

Survey Results on Prevalence of Complimentary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine Programs (CAVM) in Schools

A recent survey reported in the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association indicates that there are few CAVM programs in place in U.S. veterinarian schools, but that there is an interest in putting more in place.

Responses were received from 23 of 27 schools, but individuals from each varied widely, with only 41 of 120 questionnaires being returned.  Of the institutions themselves, 7 have a CAVM program included in their curriculum.  Of the individual responses, 87% expressed a belief that acupuncture, nutritional supplements, and physical therapy should be included in their curriculum, 61% favored botanical therapies, 61% said that chiropractics should be included, and 44% thought that homeopathy should be offered.  Six of the schools that participated in this survey have conducted research in CAVM.

Schoen AM. Results of a survey on educational and research programs in complementary and alternative veterinary medicine at veterinary medical schools in the United States.   J Am Vet Med Assoc 2000 Feb 15;216(4):502-9

Did you know that the American Medical Association actively protested measures to make cannabis illegal in the U.S. in 1937 and its removal of from the U.S. Pharmacopeia in 1941?