The journal of alternative and complementary medicine : research on paradigm, practice, and policy
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J Altern Complement Med · Sep 2006
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Controlled Clinical TrialInterventions and physician characteristics in a randomized multicenter trial of acupuncture in patients with low-back pain.
Descriptions of the interventions used in acupuncture studies are often incomplete. The aim of this paper is to describe participating trial physicians and interventions in a randomised trial of acupuncture for low back pain. ⋯ For most trial physicians, the semistandardized acupuncture strategy used in this trial was an acceptable compromise for an efficacy study. However, a relevant minority of participating trial physicians stated that they would have treated patients differently outside of the trial.
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J Altern Complement Med · Jul 2006
Randomized Controlled TrialEffect of aromatherapy on symptoms of dysmenorrhea in college students: A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.
The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of aromatherapy on menstrual cramps and symptoms of dysmenorrhea. ⋯ These findings suggest that aromatherapy using topically applied lavender, clary sage, and rose is effective in decreasing the severity of menstrual cramps. Aromatherapy can be offered as part of the nursing care to women experiencing menstrual cramps or dysmenorrhea.
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J Altern Complement Med · Jul 2006
Comparative StudyUse of herbal/natural supplements according to racial/ethnic group.
The aim of this paper was to determine similarities and differences in the use of herbal/natural supplements among various racial/ethnic groups. ⋯ Based on nationally representative U.S. data, these results provide a comparative picture of contemporary use of herbal/natural supplements in the largest racial/ethnic groups in the United States. The prevalence of use was lowest among African Americans, with a possible decline in recent years, whereas Hispanics take the greatest number of products.
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J Altern Complement Med · Jun 2006
ReviewCochrane systematic reviews examine P6 acupuncture-point stimulation for nausea and vomiting.
In 1998, the National Institutes of Health Consensus Statement on Acupuncture concluded that promising results have emerged showing the efficacy of acupuncture in adult postoperative and chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting. The acupuncture point, P6 had been the point used in most of the trials. ⋯ P6 stimulation may be beneficial for various conditions involving nausea and vomiting. The added value to modern antiemetics remains unclear. In patients on chemotherapy, future research should focus on patients for whom the problems are refractory. The next steps in research should include investigating whether acupuncture points added to P6 or individualizing treatment based on a Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis increases treatment effectiveness. It would also be worthwhile to identify predictors of response across the different conditions so that the individual patients can optimize acupuncture point therapy.