Complementary therapies in medicine
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Complement Ther Med · Oct 2011
Comparative StudyA comparison of the effectiveness between Western medicine and Chinese medicine outpatient consultations in primary care.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plays an important role in the primary care system in many places, but research evidence on its effectiveness is largely lacking. The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness between TCM and Western medicine (WM) consultations in primary care. ⋯ Both TCM and WM consultations were associated with significant improvement in HRQOL in over 90% of patients. There was no singificant difference between the effectiveness of TCM and WM consultations. The results support the role of TCM as an alternative primary care service in Hong Kong.
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Complement Ther Med · Oct 2011
Controlled Clinical TrialThe impact of eurythmy therapy on stress coping strategies and health-related quality of life in healthy, moderately stressed adults.
'Stress' and 'health-related quality of life' (HRQoL) are two important theoretical constructs for modern therapy evaluation with clinical relevance. Eurythmy therapy (EYT) is a mind-body-therapy derived from anthroposophic medicine with promising effects on heart rate variability (HRV), HRQoL and disease scores. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of EYT on stress coping strategies (SCS) and HRQoL in a controlled study with moderately stressed participants. ⋯ A six-week period of EYT training can result in a significant reduction of stress and consequently improve QoL. Because a significant proportion of participants had high levels of stress at baseline the results suggest a health-enhancing benefit of EYT that may have clinical potential for prevention of stress and associated disorders in healthy individuals and possibly in patients with chronic diseases, for example.
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Complement Ther Med · Aug 2011
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyA multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of a far infrared-emitting sericite belt in patients with primary dysmenorrhea.
To determine the efficacy and safety of a sericite which emits far infrared rays in the management of primary dysmenorrhea. ⋯ Our data suggest that a far infrared-emitting sericite belt with a hot pack might be used as an effective and safe non-pharmacologic treatment option for women with primary dysmenorrhea, with a prolonged effect after treatment.
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Complement Ther Med · Jun 2011
Complementary and alternative medicine: perception and use by physiotherapists in the management of low back pain.
The aim of this survey was to investigate complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use by physiotherapists for the treatment of low back pain (LBP). ⋯ Physiotherapists in this sample often use acupuncture and massage to treat LBP, but appear to have little knowledge of other CAMs. Physiotherapists use mainstream methods such as mobilization and massage which could be perceived as CAM depending on the physiotherapists' perceptions and training, as these therapies have also been used and investigated by CAM practitioners. More research is required on the use of CAM as little is known regarding the effectiveness of these therapies on LBP.
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Complement Ther Med · Jun 2011
Acupuncture for low back pain: a survey of clinical practice in the UK.
Acupuncture is recommended in official UK guidelines for persistent non-specific low back pain and is popular with patients. However, what UK-based acupuncturists actually do in every day clinical practice is poorly documented. We therefore conducted a survey of every-day clinical practice of acupuncture for low back pain in the UK. ⋯ There is huge variation in how acupuncture is used by UK practitioners to treat people with low back pain. This probably constitutes a difficult situation for patients when selecting an acupuncturist. It may also translate into large variation in clinical outcomes for patients receiving care from different acupuncturists as well as difficulty in developing acupuncture protocols for pragmatic and other trials. Such diversity reflects the ongoing debate within the acupuncture profession about good practice for common conditions.