News Archive

Welcome to the News Archive of the UCSF Osher Center.

2007

Stress Makes us Depressed, Fat, Sick, and We Do It to Ourselves
By Erin Allday, San Francisco Chronicle
December 10, 2007

Judy Moskowitz and Elissa Epel, are quoted in this article regarding their work at Osher on the physiological effects of stress and how positive thinking can effect stress. Read article.

Rx: A Healing Touch for Post-Op Pain
Alternative Medicine Magazine
October 2007

Osher Center's Wolf Mehling, MD discusses es a recent clinical trail on the effectiveness of Acupuncture and Massage for post surgical pain in this article by Victoria L. Freeman, PhD. Read article.

The Breath: Bodywork's Companion in Healing
Massage & Bodywork
June/July 2007

Osher Center's Wolf Mehling, MD explores the roots and evolution of Breathwork in this article by Shirley Vanderbilt. Read article.

Massage and Acupuncture Reduce Pain After Cancer Surgery
By Kristen Bole, UCSF News Office
March 29, 2007

Massage and acupuncture are effective in decreasing pain and depression following surgery in cancer patients, according to a UCSF study. Read article.

2006

On the Spot: Donald Abrams, MD
October 9, 2006

Donald Abrams, MD, Director of Clinical Programs at the UCSF Osher Center was interviewed by UCSF Today. Read more.

Osher Center Announces Donald Abrams, MD as Director of Clinical Programs
August 1, 2006

Donald I. Abrams, MD, Professor of Clinical Medicine, was appointed the new Director of Clinical Programs at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine as of August 1, 2006. A long-time member of the faculty at UCSF, Dr. Abrams has been part of the Osher Center clinical group since 2005, providing integrative medicine consultations for patients living with and beyond cancer. In addition to his position at the Osher Center, Dr. Abrams remains Chief of the Hematology/Oncology Division at San Francisco General Hospital and a member of the UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center Executive Committee.

Read the article (August 9, 2006) in the San Francisco Chronicle which features Dr. Abrams and his transition from HIV care to focus on Integrative Medicine programs.

Chinese Medicine Gaining Respectability in West
by Suzanne B. Thompson and Eugenia Chien, San Francisco Chronicle
June 27, 2006

The Osher Center for Integrative Medicine and two of the Center's providers, Bradly Jacobs, MD, MPH and Joseph Acquah, LAc, OMD, are featured in an article exploring the recent FDA support for testing botanical drugs and the credibility it will lend to ancient herbal treatments.

The New Medicine
Aired locally on PBS
March 29, 2006

The New Medicine explores the burgeoning movement of integrative medicine. This two-hour documentary highlights the latest scientific research into the relationship between the mind and body and the new emphasis on treating the whole patient: mind, body, and spirit. The program features Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, Clinical Professor, Family and Community Medicine at UCSF and member of the Advisory Board for UCSF’s Osher Center for Integrative Medicine.

View excerpts of The New Medicine.
Watch the interview with Dr. Remen.

A companion website for The New Medicine offers concrete tools and resources that empower consumers to take charge of their health and pursue a more integrated approach to their healthcare.

NEJM article on Saw Palmetto by UCSF Faculty
February 9, 2006

Saw Palmetto is shown to have little effect with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in the largest study to date on the subject by Osher affiliated faculty Stephen Bent, MD and Andrew Avins, MD, MPH. Their study results are published in the February issue of the The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). Read more.

Jefferson Award Winner: Beverly Burns, MS, LAc
Aired on CBS5.com
January 11, 2006

Beverly Burns

The UCSF Osher Center's Acupuncturist Beverly Burns received the Jefferson Award for outstanding community service. Beverly has been practicing Chinese medicine since 1991, specializing in women's health and cancer. In addition, she is Clinical Director and co-founder of the Charlotte Maxwell Complementary Clinic in Oakland, a clinic for low-income women with cancer. Read more or watch the video.

2005

Institute of Medicine Report on the Use of CAM by the American Public
January 12, 2005

The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies released a report on the use of complementary and alternative medicine in the United States. They recommended “health profession schools incorporate sufficient information about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) into the standard curriculum at all levels to enable licensed professionals to competently advise their patients about CAM. Read full report.

2004

CDC National Health Interview Survey shows more than one third of U.S. adults use some form of CAM
May 27, 2004

The survey was performed in 2002 in which a diverse population of 31,000 American adults was interviewed about their use of CAM. Thirty-six percent reported using some form of CAM in the previous 12 months. When prayer (used specifically for health reasons) was included in the definition of CAM, this percentage increased to 62% (Barnes et al 2004).

Barnes P, Powell-Griner E, McFann K, Nahin R. CDC Advance Data Report #343. Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Adults: United States, 2002. May 27, 2004.

Full Report
Press Release
Statistics on CAM Use
Graphics and Charts

2002

White House Commission on CAM Policy
March 2002

The White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy (WHCCAMP) was established in March 2000 to address issues related to access and delivery of CAM, priorities for research, and the need for better education of consumers and health care professionals about CAM. Read more.