Explore : the journal of science and healing
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Acupressure at BL60 and K3 Points Before Heel Lancing in Preterm Infants.
Acupressure is an ancient Chinese healing art. In this pain-relieving method, the fingers are used to press key acupuncture points on the skin surface that stimulates the body׳s regulatory processes. ⋯ Applying acupressure at the BL60 and K3 points before heel lancing was associated with shorter procedural time and shorter duration of crying in preterm infants.
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Patients enrolled in hospice and palliative care programs experience a vast array of symptoms requiring the expertise of a multidisciplinary team to address. Acupuncture can be an effective addition to a hospice team whose goal is maximum comfort and quality of life (QOL). The objective of this project was to examine the effectiveness of acupuncture to relieve symptoms commonly observed in patients in a hospice program. ⋯ Acupuncture was found to be effective for the reduction and relief of symptoms that commonly affect patient QOL. Acupuncture effectively reduced symptoms of pain, tiredness, nausea, depression, anxiety, and shortness of breath, and enhanced feelings of well-being. More research is required to assess the long-term benefits and symptom reduction of acupuncture in a palliative care setting.
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Probiotics may improve a person's health by regulating their immune function. Some trials have shown that probiotic strains can prevent respiratory infections. Even though the previous version of our review showed benefits of probiotics for acute upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs), several new studies have been published. ⋯ Probiotics were better than placebo in reducing the number of participants experiencing episodes of acute URTI, the mean duration of an episode of acute URTI, antibiotic use and cold-related school absence. This indicates that probiotics may be more beneficial than placebo for preventing acute URTIs. However, the quality of the evidence was low or very low.