The journal of alternative and complementary medicine : research on paradigm, practice, and policy
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J Altern Complement Med · Jan 2008
Randomized Controlled TrialGuided imagery for women with interstitial cystitis: results of a prospective, randomized controlled pilot study.
In the United States, more than 1 million women and men are affected with interstitial cystititis (IC), which is a clinical syndrome involving urinary urgency, frequency, and pelvic pain. A review of the literature revealed that there are no studies showing the effect of guided imagery in women with IC. The purpose of this clinical investigation was to explore the effect of guided imagery on pelvic pain and urinary symptoms in women with IC symptoms. ⋯ This is the first study providing preliminary data supporting the use of guided imagery as a potential therapy for IC. Guided imagery may be a useful tool to offer women with IC for pain and IC symptom management. It is an intervention without negative side-effects, is readily available, and shows a trend toward improvement of IC symptoms.
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Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) education has created a focus that not only brings awareness of various CAM therapies to conventional medical education but also highlights how these therapies can bring insight toward improved health care. ⋯ In discussing these themes, this paper explores how a shift in medical education toward a focus of understanding what is needed for the creation of health (salutogenesis) can bring balance to a curriculum that is currently weighted in teaching about the creation of disease (pathogenesis). Potential benefits, including reduced health care costs and improved quality of life for learners, are discussed.