Betsy B Singh

Bio: Betsy B Singh is an academic researcher from Southern California University of Health Sciences. The author has contributed to research in topics: Acupuncture & Randomized controlled trial. The author has an hindex of 22, co-authored 38 publications receiving 2645 citations.

Scientific basis for the therapeutic use of Withania somnifera (ashwagandha): a review.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper is to review the literature regarding Withania somnifera (ashwagandha, WS) a commonly used herb in Ayurvedic medicine. Specifically, the literature was reviewed for articles pertaining to chemical properties, therapeutic benefits, and toxicity. DESIGN: This review is in a narrative format and consists of all publications relevant to ashwagandha that were identified by the authors through a systematic search of major computerized medical databases; no statistical pooling of results or evaluation of the quality of the studies was performed due to the widely different methods employed by each study. RESULTS: Studies indicate ashwagandha possesses anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antistress, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hemopoetic, and rejuvenating properties. It also appears to exert a positive influence on the endocrine, cardiopulmonary, and central nervous systems. The mechanisms of action for these properties are not fully understood. Toxicity studies reveal that ashwagandha appears to be a safe compound. CONCLUSION: Preliminary studies have found various constituents of ashwagandha exhibit a variety of therapeutic effects with little or no associated toxicity. These results are very encouraging and indicate this herb should be studied more extensively to confirm these results and reveal other potential therapeutic effects. Clinical trials using ashwagandha for a variety of conditions should also be conducted. (Altern Med Rev 2000;5(4) 334-346)

Is acupuncture effective for the treatment of chronic pain? A systematic review

Abstract: Pain is the major complaint of the estimated one million U.S. consumers who use acupuncture each year. Although acupuncture is widely available in chronic pain clinics, the effectiveness of acupuncture for chronic pain remains in question. Our aim was to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment for chronic pain within the context of the methodological quality of the studies. MEDLINE (1966–99), two complementary medicine databases, 69 conference proceedings, and the bibliographies of other articles and reviews were searched. Trials were included if they were randomized, had populations with pain longer than three months, used needles rather than surface electrodes, and were in English. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers using a validated instrument. Inter-rater disagreements were resolved by discussion. Fifty one studies met inclusion criteria. Clinical heterogeneity precluded statistical pooling. Results were positive in 21 studies, negative in 3 and neutral in 27. Three fourths of the studies received a low-quality score and low-quality trials were significantly associated with positive results ( P =0.05). High-quality studies clustered in designs using sham acupuncture as the control group, where the risk of false negative (type II) errors is high due to large sample size requirements. Six or more acupuncture treatments were significantly associated with positive outcomes ( P =0.03) even after adjusting for study quality. We conclude there is limited evidence that acupuncture is more effective than no treatment for chronic pain; and inconclusive evidence that acupuncture is more effective than placebo, sham acupuncture or standard care. However, we have found an important relationship between the methodology of the studies and their results that should guide future research.

A randomized trial of acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy in osteoarthritis of the knee.

Abstract: Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate the eYcacy of acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy to standard care for the relief of pain and dysfunction in elderly patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Methods. Seventy-three patients with symptomatic OA of the knee were randomly assigned to treatment (acupuncture) or standard care (control ). Analysis was performed on last score carried forward to account for patients who dropped out before completion. Patients selfscored Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index ( WOMAC ) and Lequesne indices at baseline and at 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Patients in the control group were oVered acupuncture treatment after 12 weeks. The data for these patients are pooled with those from the original acupuncture group for within-group analysis. Results. Patients randomized to acupuncture improved on both WOMAC and Lequesne indices compared to those who received standard treatment alone. Significant diVerences on total WOMAC Scale were seen at 4 and 8 weeks. There appears to be a slight decline in eVect at 4 weeks after cessation of treatment (12 weeks after first treatment). No adverse eVects of acupuncture were reported. Conclusion. These data suggest that acupuncture is an eVective and safe adjunctive therapy to conventional care for patients with OA of the knee.

Effects of Açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) berry preparation on metabolic parameters in a healthy overweight population: a pilot study

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of acai fruit pulp on risk factors for metabolic disorders in overweight subjects. The acai palm (Euterpe oleracea Mart.), which is native to South America, produces a small, black-purple fruit which is edible. The fruit has recently become popular as a functional food due to its antioxidant potential. Although several studies have been conducted in vitro and with animals, little is known about the potential health benefits in humans aside from an increase in plasma anti-oxidant capacity. Metabolic syndrome is a condition which is defined by a cluster of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and/or type-2 diabetes. Preliminary studies indicate that a reduction in reactive oxygen species can assist in the normalization of the metabolic pathways involved in this syndrome. This was an open label pilot study conducted with 10 overweight adults (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 and ≤ 30 kg/m2) who took 100 g acai pulp twice daily for 1 month. The study endpoints included levels of fasting plasma glucose, insulin, cholesterol, triglycerides, exhaled (breath) nitric oxide metabolites (eNO) and plasma levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). The response of blood glucose, blood pressure and eNO to a standardized meal was determined at baseline and following the 30 day treatment. Compared to baseline, there were reductions in fasting glucose and insulin levels following the 30 day treatment (both p < 0.02). There was also a reduction in total cholesterol (p = 0.03), as well as borderline significant reductions in LDL-cholesterol and the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol (both p = 0.051). Compared to baseline, treatment with acai ameliorated the post-prandial increase in plasma glucose following the standardized meal, measured as the area under the curve (p = 0.047). There was no effect on blood pressure, hs-CRP or eNO. In this uncontrolled pilot study, consumption of acai fruit pulp reduced levels of selected markers of metabolic disease risk in overweight adults, indicating that further studies are warranted.

Homeopathy and conventional medicine: an outcomes study comparing effectiveness in a primary care setting.

Abstract: Background: Recent meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials in homeopathy have suggested that homeopathy is more than a placebo response. Objective: Comparison of the effectiveness of homeopathy in primary care with conventional medicine in primary care for three commonly encountered clinical conditions. Design: An international multicenter, prospective, observational study in a real world medical setting comparing the effectiveness of homeopathy with conventional medicine. Participants: Thirty (30) investigators with conventional medical licenses at six clinical sites in four countries enrolled 500 consecutive patients with at least one of the following three complaints: (1) upper respiratory tract complaints including allergies; (2) lower respiratory tract complaints including allergies; or (3) ear complaints. Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcomes criterion was the response to treatment, defined as cured or major improvement after 14 days of treatment. Secondary outcomes criteria were: (1) ra...

Nonpharmacologic Therapies for Acute and Chronic Low Back Pain: A Review of the Evidence for an American Pain Society/American College of Physicians Clinical Practice Guideline

Abstract: This evidence review assesses the benefits and harms of diverse nonpharmacologic treatments for acute or chronic low back pain with or without leg pain. Therapies with good evidence of moderate eff...

Acupuncture for Chronic Pain: Individual Patient Data Meta-analysis

Abstract: Methods: We conducted a systematic review to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture for chronic pain in which allocation concealment was determined unambiguously to be adequate. Individual patient data meta-analyses were conducted using data from 29 of 31 eligible RCTs, with a total of 17922 patients analyzed. Results: In the primary analysis, including all eligible RCTs, acupuncture was superior to both sham and noacupuncture control for each pain condition (P.001 for all comparisons). After exclusion of an outlying set ofRCTsthatstronglyfavoredacupuncture,theeffectsizes were similar across pain conditions. Patients receiving acupuncture had less pain, with scores that were 0.23 (95% CI, 0.13-0.33), 0.16 (95% CI, 0.07-0.25), and 0.15 (95% CI, 0.07-0.24) SDs lower than sham controls for back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, and chronic headache, respectively; the effect sizes in comparison to noacupuncturecontrolswere0.55(95%CI,0.51-0.58),0.57 (95% CI, 0.50-0.64), and 0.42 (95% CI, 0.37-0.46) SDs. Theseresultswererobusttoavarietyofsensitivityanalyses, including those related to publication bias. Conclusions: Acupuncture is effective for the treatment of chronic pain and is therefore a reasonable referraloption.Significantdifferencesbetweentrueandsham acupunctureindicatethatacupunctureismorethanaplacebo. However, these differences are relatively modest, suggesting that factors in addition to the specific effects of needling are important contributors to the therapeutic effects of acupuncture.