Complementary therapies in clinical practice
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Complement Ther Clin Pract · May 2009
Cultivating mindfulness in health care professionals: a review of empirical studies of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR).
Demands faced by health care professionals include heavy caseloads, limited control over the work environment, long hours, as well as organizational structures and systems in transition. Such conditions have been directly linked to increased stress and symptoms of burnout, which in turn, have adverse consequences for clinicians and the quality of care that is provided to patients. ⋯ Empirical evidence indicates that participation in MBSR yields benefits for clinicians in the domains of physical and mental health. Conceptual and methodological limitations of the existing studies and suggestions for future research are discussed.
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Complement Ther Clin Pract · Feb 2009
Randomized Controlled TrialA pilot study on using acupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation to treat chronic non-specific low back pain.
The present study tests whether a combined treatment of acupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is more effective than acupuncture or TENS alone for treating chronic low back pain (LBP). ⋯ Combined acupuncture and TENS treatment is effective in pain relief and QOL of low back improvement for the sampled patients suffering from chronic LBP.
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Complement Ther Clin Pract · Nov 2008
Clinical TrialThe role of an integrated back stability program in patients with chronic low back pain.
A controlled clinical trial. ⋯ IBS significantly reduced pain and disability in the subject group studied. Patients reported a positive experience of the programme.
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Complement Ther Clin Pract · Aug 2008
Education in naturopathy and western herbal medicine in Australia: results of a survey of education providers.
Questions about the risks and regulatory requirements of naturopathy and western herbal medicine (WHM) in Australia prompted research by the Department of Human Services Victoria. This article offers findings from a survey of education providers, which was one of several studies carried out for the report. (The full report can be found at http://www.health.vic.gov.au/pracreg/naturopathy.htm.) ⋯ Naturopaths and WHM practitioners are primary contact health professionals but educational standards vary widely, with some practitioners not likely to be adequately prepared. The degree of risk in their practice, and the need for better integration of complementary care with mainstream healthcare, require education at least to the level of a bachelor degree. Courses should be subject to independent external accreditation. However, attempts to determine appropriate minimum educational standards are unlikely to succeed without the support of a regulatory system that can mandate those minimum requirements.
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Complement Ther Clin Pract · May 2008
Randomized Controlled TrialYoga during pregnancy: effects on maternal comfort, labor pain and birth outcomes.
This study examined the effects of a yoga program during pregnancy, on maternal comfort, labor pain, and birth outcomes. A randomized trial was conducted using 74-primigravid Thai women who were equally divided into two groups (experimental and control). The yoga program involved six, 1-h sessions at prescribed weeks of gestation. ⋯ In each group, pain increased and maternal comfort decreased as labor progressed. No differences were found, between the groups, regarding pethidine usage, labor augmentation or newborn Apgar scores at 1 and 5 min. The experimental group was found to have a shorter duration of the first stage of labor, as well as the total time of labor.