Complementary therapies in clinical practice
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Complement Ther Clin Pract · Feb 2021
Meta AnalysisEfficacy and safety of yinqiao powder combined with western medicine in the treatment of pneumonia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
This review aimed at systematically evaluating the efficacy and safety of Yinqiao powder combined with western medicine in the treatment of pneumonia. ⋯ The current evidence indicated that the Yinqiao powder combined with western medicine can improve total efficiency in the treatment of pneumonia patients. The combination therapy performed better when compared to western medicine alone in the cooling time, bacterial clearance rate, T cell count, decline rates of CRP and PCT as well as in the incidences of adverse reactions. However, there was no significant difference in the decline rates of neutrophils and leucocytes between the two groups. The funnel plot, Egger's test and Begg's test indicated publication bias, which may be associated with unpublished negative study results. Due to the limitation of the quality and quantity of the included studies, more high-quality studies should be performed to verify our conclusions.
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Complement Ther Clin Pract · Feb 2021
Mindfulness-based interventions for military veterans: A systematic review and analysis of the literature.
In recent years, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have experienced exponential growth in terms of development, application, and research. However, few studies have examined implementation and efficacy of these interventions in particular populations, such as military Veterans. Such studies are needed as one cannot assume that the literature on MBIs implemented with the general population or other specific populations apply equally well to Veterans. This population is unique regarding professional competencies, military ethos, high degrees of medical comorbidities and barriers to treatment. The aim of this work was to review and summarize the literature over the previous five years (2014-2020) assessing the use of MBIs among military Veterans to guide clinical care and future research. ⋯ MBIs hold promise as complementary adjunctive interventions for Veterans with PTSD and possibly other psychiatric disorders. Currently there are significant gaps in the literature that must be addressed to move the field forward. The main deficiency is, with a few exceptions, the lack of rigorous RCTs. Another major concern is the lack of generalizability to female and non-white Veterans given that the subject samples across all studies reviewed were 85% male and 76% white. At this time, MBSR, PCBMT and MBCT can be recommended as adjunctive complementary interventions for the reduction of PTSD symptoms. Research recommendations to move the field forward are provided.
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Complement Ther Clin Pract · Feb 2021
Randomized Controlled TrialEffect of progressive relaxation exercises on primary dysmenorrhea in Turkish students: A randomized prospective controlled trial.
A randomized prospective controlled study was conducted concerning the effects of progressive relaxation exercises on the reduction of pain in primary dysmenorrhea. ⋯ Progressive relaxation exercises are an effective method for reducing dysmenorrhea when they are performed on a regular basis.