The journal of alternative and complementary medicine : research on paradigm, practice, and policy
-
J Altern Complement Med · Dec 2010
Controlled Clinical TrialEfficacy of bolus lukewarm saline and yoga postures as colonoscopy preparation: a pilot study.
Colonoscopy is now the gold standard for colon cancer screening and a vital diagnostic and therapeutic tool in 21st century medical practice. Although advances have been swift since colonoscopy came into wide use a generation ago, its effectiveness can be compromised by patients' ability to adequately prepare for the procedure. Many patients dread this task more than the procedure itself. While no prep regimen can be ideal for all patients, the authors present a novel approach that represents a potential time-saving improvement for younger, healthier patients. It is a modern version of an Indian practice called shankh prakshalana, in which lukewarm saline is used in combination with five yoga postures to cleanse the bowel. ⋯ Shankh prakshalana is effective as a colonoscopy preparation.
-
J Altern Complement Med · Dec 2010
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyA randomized controlled trial of intra-articular prolotherapy versus steroid injection for sacroiliac joint pain.
Controversy exists regarding the efficacy of ligament prolotherapy in alleviating sacroiliac joint pain. The inconsistent success rates reported in previous studies may be attributed to variability in patient selection and techniques between studies. It was hypothesized that intra-articular prolotherapy for patients with a positive response to diagnostic block may mitigate the drawbacks of ligament prolotherapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and long-term effectiveness of intra-articular prolotherapy in relieving sacroiliac joint pain, compared with intra-articular steroid injection. ⋯ Intra-articular prolotherapy provided significant relief of sacroiliac joint pain, and its effects lasted longer than those of steroid injections. Further studies are needed to confirm the safety of the procedure and to validate an appropriate injection protocol.
-
J Altern Complement Med · Nov 2010
Conducting literature searches on Ayurveda in PubMed, Indian, and other databases.
Literature searches for articles on Ayurveda provide special challenges, since many of the Indian journals in which such articles appear are not indexed by current medical databases such as PubMed and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. ⋯ This article proposes guidelines enabling comprehensive searches to locate all types of Ayurvedic articles, not necessarily only randomized controlled trials.
-
J Altern Complement Med · Nov 2010
Controlled Clinical TrialEfficacy of Biodanza for treating women with fibromyalgia.
The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a 3-month Biodanza intervention in women with fibromyalgia (FM). ⋯ A 3-month (one session per week) Biodanza intervention shows improvements on pain, body composition, and FM impact in female patients.
-
J Altern Complement Med · Nov 2010
Reasons, perceived efficacy, and factors associated with complementary and alternative medicine use among Malaysian patients with HIV/AIDS.
The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the pattern of use, reasons for use, and perceived effect of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), accompanied by identification and comparison of the factors that are potentially associated with CAM use. ⋯ This study confirmed the range of 30%-100% CAM use among individuals infected with HIV/AIDS. Although, on the one hand some types of CAM reduced viral load and enhanced the immune system, on the other hand some forms of CAM produced a detrimental effect on the virological suppression, opening this platform to more research and investigation in order to optimize the use of CAM among patients with HIV/AIDS.