Once someone is infected, the virus hides in nerve cells. It periodically becomes active, moving to the skin, where shedding occurs.
Efforts by GlaxoSmithKline and others to develop a herpes vaccine have so far failed. Still, the authors of the study, published in last week's Lancet, conclude that vaccines and more potent antiviral drugs "are needed to provide substantial public health benefits." - Marie McCullough
Hands-on treatment seems best for pain in the neck
Drugs may not be the best way to treat pain in the neck. New research finds that patients got better results with spinal manipulation and home exercises than with pain medicines and muscle relaxants.
The study, published last week in the Annals of Internal Medicine, followed 272 patients for a year who were split into three treatment groups. It was funded by the National Institutes of Health and led by researchers at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Minnesota, which trains chiropractors, acupuncturists, and massage therapists, and the Berman Center for Outcomes and Clinical Research in Minneapolis.
Over the course of the year, average pain scores on a scale of 0 to 10 dropped by 3.57 points for patients receiving manipulation, an approach used by chiropractors, physical therapists, and osteopaths. Scores improved by 3.07 points for people receiving education and home exercises and 2.7 points for people who took medicines.
