Blog Posts: Complementary and alternative medicine

Calcium and vitamin D supplements help keep bones healthy and may reduce the risk of bone breaks in older adults.

Treatments including Alzheimer's medications, vitamins, exercise, and memory training, are not effective in improving cognitive decline in people with mild cognitive impairment.

Vitamin C taken regularly as a supplement doesn't change the frequency of catching a cold but may help a little with the duration and the severity of your symptoms.

Studies have concluded that yoga is effective in reducing back pain and related disability, particularly in the short term.

Periodically ask a healthcare provider to check your medications. This can ensure the least harm and most benefit overall, and reduce drugs taken and interactions in polypharmacy.

Online drug interaction checkers are useful, but have some problems with identifying adverse effects. Always talk to a healthcare provider to confirm your risk for side effects.

Aging may change the effects and risk profile of different drugs. Polypharmacy may increase, decrease, or cancel effects of different drugs, foods, and supplements.

Many older Canadians are taking multiple medications (polypharmacy) to manage their health conditions. Taking 5 or more medications can increase your risk of drug interactions.