The journal of alternative and complementary medicine : research on paradigm, practice, and policy
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J Altern Complement Med · Feb 2010
Complementary and alternative medicine and supportive care at leading cancer centers: a systematic analysis of websites.
With increasing frequency, patients with cancer and their family members are turning to the Internet to educate themselves about their disease and treatment options, including complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and supportive care. However, very little is known about how national leading cancer centers represent these therapies via their websites. ⋯ While a growing number of leading cancer centers provide information about CAM and supportive oncology information for patients via their websites, the quality and ease of navigation of these sites remain highly variable. Effective development and redesign of many of the websites is needed to better inform and empower patients and families seeking CAM and supportive care information.
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J Altern Complement Med · Jan 2010
Randomized Controlled TrialThe effect of Hypericum perforatum on the wound healing and scar of cesarean.
The aim of this study was to determine the effects of Hypericum perforatum on cesarean wound healing and hypertrophic scar. ⋯ Topical application of H. perforatum is safe and can facilitate cesarean wound healing and minimize formation of scar and its pain and pruritus.
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J Altern Complement Med · Jan 2010
Randomized Controlled TrialElectro-acupuncture for pain relief after nasal septoplasty: a randomized controlled study.
Electro-acupuncture (EA) can be effective in some pain conditions, but still there have been no randomized controlled studies of EA for treatment of acute postoperative pain in nasal septoplasty. Therefore, we did a study to test whether EA of specific points is superior to sham acupuncture for complementary analgesia after nasal septoplasty. ⋯ Findings from our study demonstrate that both uses of EA and 0.1 mg/kg IV morphine given intraoperatively resulted in a similar postoperative pain score, and meperidine was not given in any patient in the two groups during postoperative period because the VAS scores of all patients were less than 40 mm.
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J Altern Complement Med · Nov 2009
ReviewAcupuncture for treatment of insomnia: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
Acupuncture is commonly used in treating insomnia in China, and clinical studies have shown that acupuncture may have a beneficial effect on insomnia compared with Western medication. ⋯ Acupuncture appears to be effective in treatment of insomnia. However, further large, rigorous designed trials are warranted.
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Cupping therapy is a popular technique in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Cupping is the application of a vacuum to a closed system cup on a specific area of skin. SUBJECT AND SETTING: A 55-year-old, previously healthy man presented at our emergency department (ED) due to tingling and a painful sensation on his back after receiving cupping therapy while on his private airplane. Physical examination of the patient's back revealed multiple blisters within circular marks of differing sizes and varying shades of redness, petechiae, and ecchymosis. ⋯ Although bleeding, erythema, edema, and ecchymosis are created on purpose to achieve acupuncture point microcirculation, complications such as burn injury and thrombocytopenia also have been reported. We report a case of cupping-related blisters as a result of changes in atmospheric pressure related to the unexpected descent of an airplane.