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Sterilizing the pre-cancer skin of malignant melanoma (M.M.) with 70% Isopropyl alcohol intensified malignancy & the malignant response extended to surrounding normal looking skin, while sterilizing with 80% (vodka) or 12% (plum wine) ethyl alcohol completely inhibited M.M. in the area (both effects lasted for about 90 minutes initially). Burnt food (bread, vegetables, meat, and fish), a variety of smoked & non-smoked fish-skin, many animal's skin, pepper, Vitamin C over 75 mg, mango, pineapple, coconut, almond, sugars, Saccharine & Aspartame, garlic, onion, etc & Electromagnetic field from cellular phones worsened M.M. & induced abnormal M.M. response of surrounding skin. We found the following factors inhibit early stage of M.M. significantly: 1) Increasing normal cell telomere, by taking 500 mg Haritaki, often reached between 400-1150 ng& gradually diminished, but the M.M. response was completely inhibited until normal cell telomeres are reduced to 150 ng, which takes 6-8 hours. More than 70 mg Vitamin C, Orange Juice, & other high Vitamin C containing substances shouldn't be taken because they completely inhibit the effects of Haritaki. 2) We found Chrysotile asbestos & Tremolite asbestos (% of the Chrysotile amount) coexist. A special Cilantro tablet was used to remove asbestos & some toxic metals. 3) Vitamin D3 400 I.U. has a maximum inhibiting effect on M.M. but 800 I.U. or higher promotes malignancy. 4) Noricontaining Iodine, etc., was used. 5) EPA 180 mm with DHA 120 mg was most effectively used after metastasis to the surrounding skin was eliminated. When we combined 1 Cilantro tablet & Vitamin D3 400 I.U. withsmall Nori pieces & EPA with DHA, the effect of complete inhibition of M.M. lasted 9-11 hours. When these anti-M.M.substances (Haritaki, Vitamin D3, Cilantro, Nori, EPA. with DHA) were taken together, the effect lasted 12-14 hoursand M.M. involvement in surrounding normal-looking skin disappeared rapidly & original dark brown or black are as satisfying "ABCD" of M.M. completely fell off. Both oral & frequent external application of mixed solution of plum wine & the same combination of anti-M.M. substances can be used as very effective treatment by taking 2-3 times daily. Additional application of special (+) Solar Energy Stored Paper reduced asbestos & accelerated reduction of M.M. positive area rapidly. This method with individualized optimal doses has also been successfully applied to treat several other types of malignancies.

In recent years there has been growing interest in the use of nutraceuticals and biotics in both pediatric and adult clinical practice. The overlapping and often ambiguous symptoms of both functional and organic gastrointestinal disorders have led to a search for alternative therapeutic approaches that avoid the use of synthetic or chemical treatments. However, while nutraceuticals and natural supplements are widely used, their health benefits are often not supported by adequate scientific evidence, and an unregulated use of nutraceuticals can be potentially harmful. The correct use of nutraceuticals, prebiotics, and probiotics can optimize the results of drug therapy in some cases and reduce the risk of side effects. This review aims to provide clinicians with guidance on the use of complementary therapies for pediatric gastrointestinal symptoms and disorders, highlighting the scarcity of studies on the kinetics and dynamics of nutraceuticals and biotics. While it is generally difficult to associate their intakes with adverse events due to the often-coexisting pharmacological treatments, it is essential to avoid the abandonment of traditional drugs with proven efficacy in the treatment of single diseases. Overall, the use of nutraceuticals, prebiotics, and probiotics in pediatric gastroenterological practice requires caution and medical supervision. Further research is needed to determine the effects of alternative therapies on pediatric gastrointestinal symptoms and disorders, and to ensure their safe and effective use in the clinical practice., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

This study involved an investigation into the availability of paper-based publications containing information on complementary therapies (CTs) within a single cancer centre in the North West. The publications were collected during a 1-week period in July 2003 from the four most likely locations in the site that a patient would visit, to ensure that the research related to data that was readily available. An evaluation grid was developed, and the quantity and quality of the data presented about CTs were analysed. A total of 80 publications were collected. Forty-five (56.3%) related to breast cancer specifically, of which only six (20.7%) made reference to CTs. Thirty-five (43.8%) related to cancer in general, of which only 16 (45.7%) made reference to CTs. The type of information relating to CTs was of very limited value to assist in reaching any decisions as to their use. As a result, it was recommended that the healthcare service prepare and publish a leaflet, specifically relating to the use of CTs in the treatment of cancer, to be freely available within the site for the use of its breast cancer patients.

Occupational therapy professionals facilitate proficient and satisfying engagement in the significant tasks and meaningful activities of life. Complementary and alternative medical practices, systems, and products may be appropriately incorporated into occupational therapy practice as a way to encourage a client's engagement in meaningful occupations. Scientific studies are needed to validate the safety and efficacy of CAM methods within occupational therapy practice. Advanced-level training and continuing education are important in order to acquire the knowledge and skill to utilize CAM methods, to address the concerns for patient safety and informed consent, and to meet the rigors of regulatory requirements.

Practicing evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) requires practitioners to develop an ability to appraise the quality of published studies addressing questions related to their clinical practice. This paper describes a process by which CAM practitioners can determine the validity of studies evaluating therapeutic interventions. The process requires asking two broad questions: (1). Do the treatment and control group begin with the same prognosis? and (2). Do the treatment and control group remain the same with respect to important prognostic factors? Answering these questions requires determining whether studies used effective randomization, preserved randomization through intention-to-treat analyses, used blinding, and had adequate follow-up of trial participants.

Writing about complementary medicine, whether intended for book or journal publication, has often suffered from three flaws: inadequate attention to the origin and nature of knowledge claims; careless use of problematic concepts such as 'holistic' or 'natural' and poor application of basic principles of good scholarship. In this paper I present guidelines to promote better writing. With respect to knowledge claims, authors need to be explicit about the origin of the claim; that is, the reasons why they believe it to be true. Many books and papers on complementary medicine are flawed because their authors avoided explaining why they have made particular claims. Claims can be justified by using personal experience or by quoting scientific research. When using personal experience, authors need to: describe the practitioners concerned; use generalities about practitioners with care and be wary when referring to 'classical' or 'traditional' practitioners. When quoting scientific research, authors should: cite references and use these sparingly and specifically; avoid 'secondary sourcing', reliance on abstracts and the referencing of authorities; use 'weasel words' ('may' or 'can') with extreme care; think carefully about causal inferences and take care with laboratory-based research. Many of the concepts found in books and papers on complementary medicine are used rather carelessly. Concepts such as holism or 'natural' medicine, or even the concept of 'complementary' and 'conventional' medicine, are often taken to have simple and obvious meanings. Yet these concepts are extremely slippery and open to differing interpretations, especially if they are used with insufficient care. Authors should apply basic principles of good scholarship by displaying thoroughness and attention to detail; reflecting on the validity of each point made; reflecting on the limitations of their arguments and maintaining a level of disinterestedness. However, authors should avoid trying to sound academic for the sake of it: the use of long words, obscure jargon and dense and lengthy prose does not make a work scholarly.

This study was conducted to determine the complementary health approaches (CHAs) used by pediatric oncology patients' parents for symptoms, their positive-negative effects, and the factors that influence their usage. The study was a descriptive design. The data were collected between March and November 2014 from the parents of 156 pediatric oncology patients in 2 different university hospitals in Turkey using the face-to-face interview method. In total, 99.4% of the parents who participated in the study used at least 1 CHA for their children. Complementary health approaches frequently adopted by the parents included praying (96.8%), oblation/sacrifice (50.6%), carob molasses (27.6%), grape molasses (22.4%), and massage (22.4%). Forty-three parents reported that they gave carob molasses to their children to reduce the symptoms of neutropenia, whereas 32 parents reported that they gave them grape molasses and 34 parents reported that they massaged their children to mitigate symptoms of pain. The parents reported that they used CHAs to enhance their child's immune system (61.3%), to do everything in their power to treat their child (42%), and to combat the side effects of medication/radiotherapy (25.8%). None of parents stated that they had observed any side effects from using CHAs. Almost all of the parents use one of the CHAs. The health personnel especially nurses should inform pediatric oncology patients and their parents about CHAs, which have no evidence and are potentially harmful and encourage them to approaches supportive to medical treatment., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest in this study., (Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is considered the fourth leading cause of death in Palestine, with a prevalence of 9.1% in patients aged 20-79 years, and has increased to 20.6% in 2020., Aims: This study aims to estimate DM costs, compare DM total health care cost among patient characteristics and DM management (e.g. anti-diabetic medications and alternative medicine), as well as assess MA and its predictors including patient characteristics, DM management, alternative medicine use, and DM costs., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted for the past one year among 479 diabetic patients, selected by convenience sampling and snowball sampling methods via electronic post of an online questionnaire, including a web link to the questionnaire page in a Google Form via email or public social media pages and applications. Data on patients' socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, medication profile, use of medicinal plants as alternative medicine, costs, and Medication Adherence (MA) were collected. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS v. 25) was used to perform a descriptive, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, univariate analysis, Mann-Whitney or Kruskal- Wallis test, multiple linear regression, binary logistic regression, and multiple logistic regression analysis. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: More than half of the participants were male and living in villages (50.7%, 59.1%, respectively). Approximately 51.4% received Oral Hypoglycemic Drugs (OHDs) and only 16.1% received insulin. The participants receiving ≤3 medications daily acquired the highest percentage (55.7%), and less than half received medicinal plants as an alternative medicine for the management of DM. The estimated total DM health care cost per year incurred by patients and family members was Israeli Shekel 988,276 (US Dollar 307,590). More than half of the participants were considered adherent with the Eight-Item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) score ≥6. It is noteworthy that the use of alternative medicine was significantly associated with total health care cost and MA. Furthermore, DM duration was significantly associated with MA. These results are worth taking into consideration., Conclusion: This study reflects the need for strengthening the patient-health care professionals' relationship, and to enhance the role of preventive education, and the importance of awareness about MA, DSCMBs, and the use of alternative medicine based on evidence-based strategies to improve MA, glycemic control, meanwhile reducing the costs incurred by patients and family members., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Introduction: Generally, patients with chronic rheumatic diseases use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in addition to their conventional treatments to manage their health. Discussing these treatments with their physician is still rare, which might be directly related to patients' trust toward them., Aim: The primary objective of this study was to assess the association between patients' trust in their physician and the use of complementary and alternative medicine among patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases. As secondary objectives, to estimate the prevalence of CAM use, and to identify the associated factors with their use and with trust in physicians., Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, which included patients with established chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases, at the University Hospital Center in Tangier. The questionnaire included demographic and clinical information, use of conventional therapy, complementary and alternative therapy, as well as interpersonal trust in patient-physician relationships using the Trust in Physician Scale (TPS). A regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with CAM use and with trust in physicians., Results: The study included 189 patients. 57.14% of patients reported using complementary medicine at least once, most patients were women (77.78%), mean age was 46.67 ± 13.25 years with an average course of the disease of 11.11 ± 9.23 years. The most frequently used CAM treatments were cupping therapy, massage and the ingestion of a mixture of plants. Mean ± SD Trust in Physician Scale was 47.64 ± 7.2. There was no significant difference between CAM users vs. non-users (48.08 ± 6.9 vs 47.04 ± 7.4; p = 0.35). In uni and multivariate analysis, a low level of education was significantly associated with the use of CAM. However, no statistically significant difference was found with trust in physicians (OR = 1.020, 95% CI (0.978-1.063), p = 0.354)., Conclusion: CAM therapy is common in patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases. No statistically significant association was found with trust in physicians, it was rather observed with level of education., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

We investigated parent reports of use of special education and support services, use of evidence-based practices (EBPs), use of past and current complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments, non-use of CAM treatments, willingness, and unwillingness to use CAM treatments, reasons for use and non-use of CAM treatments, and perceptions of EBPs and CAM treatments in their children's functioning. We collected data from a total of 166 parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through a web-based survey. 94% of the parents reported lifetime use of at least one CAM treatment. Parents weighed on a wide variety of factors in decision-making. CAM treatments use was positively associated with parental educational level, length of time since ASD diagnosis, and child's ASD severity., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Chronic pain affects around 3 million people in Germany. The drug therapies used are only effective to a limited extent and sometimes have considerable side effects. Methods of mind-body medicine (MBM) including especially mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), meditation and yoga, can significantly reduce the perceived intensity of the pain. Combined with evidence-based complementary medicine, MBM as mind-body medicine in integrative and complementary medicine (MICOM) is an effective instrument for self-efficacy and self-care with very few side effects. The reduction of stress plays a key role in this process., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.)

The aim of this study was to investigate the Brazilian scientific production about acupuncture in dentistry, outlining the profile of the works about the subject presented at the Meetings of the Brazilian Society of Dental Research (SBPqO). It was a cross-sectional study, with a quantitative approach, based on secondary data. An analysis of all abstracts presented in the last ten SBPqO Meetings (2009-2018) published in the annals of the event was carried out. For the research the location of the term "acupuntura" or "acupuncture" among the abstracts was realized and the following information was collected: type of institution that carried out the research (public or private), Brazilian region where it was realized, area or specialty of dentistry and whether it involved humans or animals. Of the 26,514 dental research abstracts published in the annals, only 27 papers were experimental studies or systematic reviews about the subject. Of the total, 23 (85.2%) were developed in public institutions, 15 (55.6%) did not receive financial support 20 (74.1%) were carried out in humans and 13 (48.2%) were developed in the Southeast region. Regarding the dental specialty, the majority (70.4%) investigated acupuncture in "Temporomandibular Dysfunction and Orofacial Pain". Therefore, it can be concluded that few acupuncture studies in dentistry have been developed in the last ten years in Brazil, according to the papers presented at the SBPqO Meetings. Thus, it is suggested that research on the subject be carried out and widely disseminated between the academic and professional milieu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Supporting therapies that provide stress and pain control of preterm and term newborns infants contribute positively to the neuropsychomotor development. Non-pharmacological interventions that involve manual techniques are described, considering protocols that can be reproduced by physical therapists, with positive and negative outcomes reports., Data Sources: Systematic review follows PRISMA 2020 statements guidelines. Primary and specific health sciences databases (Science Direct, Pubmed, Scielo, Embase and Scopus) were consulted between October 2021 and May 2022. Articles considered were clinical trials, randomized or not, that included descriptions of the type of intervention as non-pharmacological and that studied the following outcomes: "pain" and "stress"., Results: Fifteen articles were selected for analysis, reaching a methodological quality of at least 3 on the Jadad Scale for the Quality of Researched Sources. The non-pharmacological therapies most applied in isolation were massage, swaddling or wrapping, gentle touch and kinesthetic stimulation, and the combined therapies were non-nutritive sucking and swaddling, oral sucrose and swaddling, sensory stimulation and familiar odors, and sensory saturation. The outcomes found were relaxation, pain, and stress reduction after the application of painful procedures. The behavioral changes included crying, grimacing, yawning, sneezing, jerky arm or leg movements, startles, and finger flaring. The vital signs included heart rate, blood oxygen saturation level, and pulse respiration., Conclusions: Combined techniques lead to better results in controlling neonatal pain when compared to isolated techniques. They can be applied both in preterm and term infants in a safe way and are reproducible in any health unit in a simple and economical way., (© 2022. Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine.)

Cancer is an illness characterized by abnormal cell development and the capability to infiltrate or spread to rest of the body. A tumor is the term for this abnormal growth that develops in solid tissues like an organ, muscle, or bone and can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymphatic systems. Nutrition is a critical and immortal environmental component in the development of all living organisms encoding the relationship between a person's nutrition and their genes. Nutrients have the ability to modify gene expression and persuade alterations in DNA and protein molecules which is researched scientifically in nutrigenomics. These interactions have a significant impact on the pharmacokinetic properties of bioactive dietary components as well as their site of action/molecular targets. Nutrigenomics encompasses nutrigenetics, epigenetics, and transcriptomics as well as other "omic" disciplines like proteomics and metabolomics to explain the vast disparities in cancer risk among people with roughly similar life style. Clinical trials and researches have evidenced that alternation of dietary habits is potentially one of the key approaches for reducing cancer risk in an individual. In this article, we will target how nutrigenomics and functional food work as preventive therapy in reducing the risk of cancer., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

There are about 10 million people with epilepsy (PWE) in China. In addition to therapies approved by the National Medical Products Administration, the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is prevalent in Chines PWE. These CAM therapies mainly comprise traditional Chinese medicine herbs (TCMHs), acupuncture, and music. A retrospective literature search was performed to summarize the updates of CAM in China in the past ten years, and sixty-two papers were finally included. In this following review, we listed the animal and clinical studies to summarize the antiepileptic mechanisms and clinical efficacy of CAM in Chines PWE. The main mechanisms of TCMHs and acupuncture included regulation of neurotransmitters and receptors, voltage-gated ion channels modulation, expression of apoptosis-related genes, antioxidant response, and anti-inflammation. Although there were enormous clinical studies on them, the current available clinical trials were small, short-term, heterogeneous, and had a high risk of bias. With regard to music, a few studies conducted by Chinese scholars suggested that it was beneficial for PWE as an add-on therapy, which was consistent with the results of foreign studies. Further randomized clinical trials in large populations are required to prove the effectiveness and safety of CAM., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Chronic pruritus is one of the most common conditions in dermatology and a common manifestation in many systemic diseases. Since the etiology of chronic pruritus remains somewhat unknown, hence, conventional medications may not always show a good therapeutic response. This finding has led both investigators and patients to use herbal and complementary remedies for its treatment. The aim of this study was to review clinical trials in which herbal and complementary medicine was used in the control and treatment of chronic pruritus., Materials and Methods: In this study, we reviewed related articles in this domain, from 2000 to 2020. The search involved electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane, Google Scholar, and SID databases using the keywords "pruritus," "itch," "herb," "complementary medicine," "traditional medicine," "integrative medicine," and their related MeSH terms. Finally, we extracted the pertinent information from these articles and summarized the results., Results: The findings of this study showed that 17 clinical trials have been conducted till date in order to evaluate the efficacy of herbal remedies and complementary medicines in the treatment of chronic pruritus. Herbal remedies including turmeric, Fumaria parviflora, Avena sativa, capsaicin, sweet almond oil, peppermint oil, violet oil, vinegar, as well as manual therapies including aromatherapy, auricular acupressure, and acupuncture, were significantly effective in the treatment of chronic pruritus., Conclusion: There are only a few studies published on the therapeutic efficacy of herbal remedies and complementary medicine in the treatment of chronic pruritus. Some have shown promising results. Therefore, more evidence-based studies are needed in order to determine if herbal remedies and complementary medicine could be an effective alternative or adjuvant treatment modality in chronic pruritus., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objectives: To describe the association between exposure to selected complementary and integrative health (CIH) modalities and the trajectory of prescribed opioid analgesic dose within a national cohort of patients receiving long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA)., Materials and Methods: Using national data from VHA electronic health records between October 1, 2017 and September 30, 2019, CIH use was analyzed among 57,437 patients receiving LTOT within 18 VHA facilities serving as evaluation sites of VHA's Whole Health System of Care. Using linear mixed effects modeling controlling for covariates, opioid dose was modeled as a function of time, CIH exposure, and their interaction., Results: Overall, 11.91% of patients on LTOT used any of the focus CIH therapies; 43.25% of those had 4 or more encounters. Patients used acupuncture, chiropractic care, and meditation modalities primarily. CIH use was associated with being female, Black, having a mental health diagnosis, obesity, pain intensity, and baseline morphine-equivalent daily dose. Mean baseline morphine-equivalent daily dose was 40.81 milligrams and dose decreased on average over time. Controlling for covariates, patients with any CIH exposure experienced 38% faster dose tapering, corresponding to a mean difference in 12-month reduction over patients not engaging in CIH of 2.88 milligrams or 7.06% of the mean starting dose., Discussion: Results support the role of CIH modalities in opioid tapering. The study design precludes inference about the causal effects of CIH on tapering. Analyses did not consider the trend in opioid dose before cohort entry nor the use of other nonopioid treatments for pain. Future research should address these questions and consider tapering-associated adverse events., Competing Interests: The study was funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Patient-Centered Care and Cultural Transformation SP70AP2A1 (A.C.B.), Washington, DC. The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

The prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in kidney transplant recipients in Australia is unknown. Chronic transplant recipients completed a questionnaire, and participants who did not report CAM use also had medical chart audits. Among 127 participants, CAM use was reported by 26.8%, considerably lower than the general population. These findings may reflect underreporting due to misperception about what constitutes CAM (commonly vitamin use was not reported by the group denying CAM use), or perhaps a motivated population who are receptive to education efforts from the transplant team., (© 2022 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.)

Management of multiple sclerosis (MS) may comprise clinical interventions and self-management strategies, including complementary therapies and modifiable lifestyle factors such as exercise and smoking cessation. Lifestyle modifications and complementary therapies with proven safety and efficacy are essential as part of best-practice MS management, especially when faced with limited access to healthcare services. However, it is unclear to what extent MS clinical practice guidelines and consensus statements address these strategies. A systematic review was conducted, wherein MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, guideline databases and developer sites were searched for guidelines and consensus statements that addressed lifestyle modifications and complementary therapies of interest. Two researchers independently screened articles, extracted data and assessed guideline quality using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation version II. Thirty-one guidelines and consensus statements were included. Quality was high for 'clarity of presentation' (77%) and 'scope and purpose' (73%), moderate for 'stakeholder development' (56%), 'rigour of development' (48%) and 'editorial independence' (47%), and low for 'applicability' (29%). Two guidelines, related to physical activity and exercise, mindfulness, smoking cessation, and vitamin D and polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation, scored high in all domains. These guidelines were two of only four guidelines intended for use by people with MS. High-quality guidelines and consensus statements to guide lifestyle modifications and complementary therapies in MS management are limited. Our findings indicate the need for more guidelines intended for use by people with MS, and a further focus on implementation resources., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The increase in cancer incidence and mortality is challenging current cancer care delivery globally, disproportionally affecting low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) when it comes to receiving evidence-based cancer prevention, treatment, and palliative and survivorship care. Patients in LMICs often rely on traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine (TCIM) that is more familiar, less costly, and widely available. However, spheres of influence and tensions between conventional medicine and TCIM can further disrupt efforts in evidence-based cancer care. Integrative oncology provides a framework to research and integrate safe, effective TCIM alongside conventional cancer treatment and can help bridge health care gaps in delivering evidence-informed, patient-centered care. This growing field uses lifestyle modifications, mind and body therapies (eg, acupuncture, massage, meditation, and yoga), and natural products to improve symptom management and quality of life among patients with cancer. On the basis of this review of the global challenges of cancer control and the current status of integrative oncology, the authors recommend: 1) educating and integrating TCIM providers into the cancer control workforce to promote risk reduction and culturally salient healthy life styles; 2) developing and testing TCIM interventions to address cancer symptoms or treatment-related adverse effects (eg, pain, insomnia, fatigue); and 3) disseminating and implementing evidence-based TCIM interventions as part of comprehensive palliative and survivorship care so patients from all cultures can live with or beyond cancer with respect, dignity, and vitality. With conventional medicine and TCIM united under a cohesive framework, integrative oncology may provide citizens of the world with access to safe, effective, evidence-informed, and culturally sensitive cancer care., (© 2021 The Authors. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Cancer Society.)

Purpose: Complementary medicine (CM) use is prevalent among cancer patients, yet it is often not assessed by oncology healthcare providers (HCPs). The purpose of this study was to evaluate oncology HCPs' knowledge, attitudes, and practices surrounding CM use before and after the implementation of a practice guideline focusing on standardizing assessment and documentation of CM., Methods: Oncology HCPs across a provincial cancer agency were invited to participate in the study. The implementation strategy included an initial education session for HCPs and standardized CM assessment forms. Pre-post surveys assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to CM were completed by HCPs prior to attending the education session and following the 4-month implementation period. Paired t-tests were conducted to determine differences between baseline and follow-up surveys., Results: A total of 31 oncology HCPs completed both baseline and follow-up surveys, with over 3700 patient CM assessment forms being completed during the 4-month study period. At the end of the study, HCPs reported greater CM knowledge (p < 0.001), readiness to support cancer patients' CM decisions (p = 0.002), and willingness to consult with another HCP about CM (p = 0.004). No significant change in HCPs' reported attitudes towards CM, or other clinical practices related to CM were observed., Conclusion: Implementing a practice guideline, including a CM education session and a standardized assessment form, was found to improve oncology HCPs' self-reported CM knowledge and readiness to answer cancer patients' questions about CM. The findings provide support for future knowledge translation research aimed at standardizing how CM is addressed within cancer care settings., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The use of complementary and integrative health therapy strategies for a wide variety of health conditions is increasing and is rapidly becoming mainstream. However, little is known about how or if complementary and integrative health therapies are represented in the EHR. Standardized terminologies provide an organizing structure for health information that enable EHR representation and support shareable and comparable data; which may contribute to increased understanding of which therapies are being used for whom and for what purposes. Use of standardized terminologies is recommended for interoperable clinical data to support sharable, comparable data to enable the use of complementary and integrative health therapies and to enable research on outcomes. In this study, complementary and integrative health therapy terms were extracted from multiple sources and organized using the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and former National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine classification structures. A total of 1209 complementary and integrative health therapy terms were extracted. After removing duplicates, the final term list was generated via expert consensus. The final list included 578 terms, and these terms were mapped to Systemized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms. Of the 578, approximately half (48.1%) were found within Systemized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms. Levels of specificity of terms differed between National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine classification structures and Systemized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms. Future studies should focus on the terms not mapped to Systemized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms (51.9%), to formally submit terms for inclusion in Systemized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms, toward leveraging the data generated by use of these terms to determine associations among treatments and outcomes., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: In India, the use of traditional medicine for health problems is a part of the cultural discourse on treatment, but the introduction of Western medicines has adversely affected their popularity. However, with the rapid spread of chronic diseases like coronary artery disease (CAD), many Indians are reverting to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments. Although previous literature has identified several motivational factors underlying CAM usage, we know little from the perspective of its practitioners., Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the motivations behind the use of CAM treatments among Indian patients with CAD., Method: Using semi-structured interviews, we collected data from 15 CAM practitioners and 14 CAD patients utilising CAM treatments alongside conventional biomedical (BM) treatment. We used the Clarke and Braun (2006) method of thematic analysis., Result and Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the use of CAM treatments depends on various factors working at multiple levels viz., personal factors, disease' characteristics, perceived treatment characteristics (positive attributes of CAM and negative attributes of BM) and external facilitators. Furthermore, our analysis also identifies the role of two underlining forces-push and pull-in motivating CAD patients to choose CAM treatments. The push force comprises factors that participants found to have a repelling nature, whereas pull forces were regarded as advantageous for CAM usage. Although some reasons behind the usage of CAM treatments according to patients and practitioners were overlapping, both groups also provided many distinct insights into the studied health behaviour., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: The prevalence of CAM use is increasing. This integrative review investigated New Zealand healthcare professionals' practice of, attitudes toward, and knowledge about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)., Methods: Literature search was conducted in four databases from inception to April 2020. Studies were included if they reported results from primary data collection on practice of, attitudes toward, or knowledge about CAM amongst New Zealand healthcare professionals., Results: Eleven studies (two of 'high-quality', seven of 'moderate-quality', and two of 'low-quality') were identified with 2060 healthcare professionals including general practitioners (GPs), nurses, midwives, pharmacists, physiotherapists, and medical specialists. New Zealand healthcare professionals were generally positive regarding CAM use, but have concerns on the scientific evidence, regulation, safety, financial costs of CAM, and encourage an evidence-based CAM practice and stronger CAM regulation. Findings indicated that around 25% of GPs practise CAM, and 82.3% refer patients to CAM practitioners. When treating pregnant women, 48.4% of physiotherapists practise acupuncture, and 37.3% of midwives recommend CAM. GPs believe that acupuncture is the most helpful CAM modality, and most commonly practiced and referred patients to acupuncture. Up to 58% of GPs and Plunket nurses wanted to receive further education on CAM, and up to 66.7% GPs favour the idea CAM should be included in medical curriculums., Conclusions: Nine of the 11 included studies were of moderate to high quality, thus enhancing the reliability of the review findings. In order to better manage CAM in New Zealand New Zealand clinical settings, there is a need to invest in CAM research and education, and enhance CAM regulation. This review is a first step in developing an evidence base to offer insights for further development of effective CAM policies regarding safety, efficacy, regulation and integration in New Zealand.

The duration and complexity of chronic conditions leads patients to consult complementary medicine (CM) practitioners, yet such care-seeking by this clinical population has not been thoroughly examined. This study describes characteristics and reasons for consultation amongst those with chronic conditions who consult CM practitioners. A cross-sectional study surveyed patients in clinics of 39 CM practitioners from the five most accessed CM professions in Australia (chiropractic, massage, osteopathy, acupuncture, naturopathy). Between November 2018 and March 2019, CM practitioners invited 15 consecutive adult patients (n = 585 invited) to a self-administered, hard-copy survey covering socio-demographics, chronic condition diagnoses, CM service utilisation and reasons for consulting the CM practitioner. In total, 199 surveys were returned, producing a final sample of n = 191. Chronic conditions were reported by 153 (80.1%) participants, who were most commonly female (82.4%), aged over 65 years (29.0%), married (55.9%), vocational/trade qualified (40.1%), employed (62.5%), reported financial manageability as not too bad (48.0%), held private health insurance generally (79.0%) and specifically for CM (71.1%). Some socio-demographic differences were found depending on the profession consulted. Most participants (75.0%) had attended five or more consultations with the CM practitioner. The reasons most commonly given by participants with chronic conditions for consulting the CM practitioner were This healthcare professional is supportive and compassionate (n = 136, 97.1%), I believe this type of healthcare is safe (n = 131, 95.6%), Improve general wellbeing and prevent future health problems (n = 125, 89.3%) and This type of healthcare gives me hope about my future health (n = 108, 85.7%). These findings suggest that individuals with chronic conditions may consult CM practitioners to address unmet well-being or quality of life needs and for compassionate support. The role CM practitioners fill for those with chronic conditions requires further exploration to develop optimal policy and services to manage the growing challenges chronic conditions present to health systems., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted to identify types, frequency, methods, duration, and purpose of complementary therapies used by Indonesians with myocardial infarction. The majority of the respondents used biologically based therapies, with the most common subtype being herbs. The purpose of using biologically based therapies was for health promotion., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The treatment of postoperative pain is an ongoing challenge for orthopaedic surgeons. Poorly controlled pain is associated with poorer patient outcomes, and the prescription of opioids may lead to prolonged, nonmedical use. Complementary and alternative medicine is widely adopted by the general public, and its use in chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions has been studied; however, its efficacy in a postoperative context has not yet been established., Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review of 10 databases to identify all relevant publications. We extracted variables related to pain measurement and postoperative opioid prescriptions., Results: We identified 8 relevant publications from an initial pool of 2,517 items. Of these, 5 were randomized studies and 3 were nonrandomized studies. All 8 studies addressed postoperative pain, with 5 showing significant decreases (p < 0.05) in postoperative pain. Also, 5 studies addressed postoperative opioid use, with 2 showing significant differences (p < 0.05) in opioid consumption. Substantial heterogeneity among the studies precluded meta-analysis. No articles were found to be free of potential bias., Conclusions: Currently, there is insufficient evidence to determine the efficacy of complementary and alternative medicines for postoperative pain management or as an alternative to opioid use following orthopaedic surgery., Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Cosmopolitan forms of alternative medicine have become very popular in contemporary Indonesia. Many healers have trained in an eclectic range of techniques, predicated on ontological claims so diverse that they call each other's legitimacy into question. This article explores how a collective of alternative healers in central Java navigated the quandaries presented by such therapeutic eclecticism over a six-year period. Healers' engagement with, or indifference toward, the principles underpinning therapeutic efficacy fluctuated in ways that allowed them to surmount the dilemmas of Islamization, the changing demographic of their collective's membership, and the threat of commercialization, thereby maintaining a medical landscape in which alternative healing was widely available and accessible. Transformations in their understanding, experience, and practice of healing should thus be understood in terms of how enduring ethical commitments are refracted through ongoing engagements with a changing social world., (© 2018 by the American Anthropological Association.)

Objective: The Non-Opioid Pain Alleviation Information Network (NOPAINMN) project was designed to identify, consolidate, and map evidence-based non-opioid and non-pharmacological pain management complementary and integrative health (CIH) modalities for chronic pain management across Minnesota into a searchable and informational website (www.nopainmn.org ). Methods: The Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health's Pain Task Force White Paper identifying evidence-based research of non-pharmacological pain practice (NPPC) was reviewed and referenced. National and state certifying boards and accrediting organizations for NPPC modalities were accessed to identify Minnesota-based NPPC providers' name, business/health-system affiliation, address, contact information, and credentials. The NOPAINMN website displays these data in a consumer-facing website with searchable fields such as NPPC modality type, and location with varying distances. The website was β-tested by practitioners and stakeholders for optimization. Eight main NPPC modalities and their respective subcategories were identified and mapped: Acupuncture; Integrative Medical Care (Functional medicine consultation and Integrative medicine consultation); Massage Therapy; Mind-Body Therapies (Biofeedback, Clinical Hypnosis, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, and Music Therapy); Movement Therapies (Tai Chi, qigong , and Yoga Therapy); Psychology (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy); Rehabilitative Therapies (Physical and Occupational Therapy); and Spinal Manipulation. Results: All information compiled resulted in 17,155 providers/practitioners. Physical Therapy had the greatest number of reported providers ( n  = 5224), followed by Occupational Therapy ( n  = 3792), Psychology ( n  = 3324), Chiropractic ( n  = 3033), Acupuncture ( n  = 591), and Massage Therapy ( n  = 544). The Resource Map included 56 major health systems, 686 facilities, 2651 solo or private group practices, and 14 academic training schools. With web-based cross-referencing, providers and facilities were affiliated and linked with health systems to produce an interconnected mapping system. β-Testing with patients found that the website was reported as relatively easy to use and informative. Conclusion: The website was created to assist individuals, health care providers, insurance carriers, and health care facilities in finding evidence-based information and resources on NPPC to guide, support, and proactively manage and engage chronic pain patients across Minnesota.

Purpose of Review: The goal of this review is to summarize updates to the broad array of complementary therapies available for cancer pain. This paper will serve as a reference for clinicians managing pain in cancer patients., Recent Findings: Patients are embracing integrative therapies in growing numbers; clinicians must be prepared to incorporate these therapies into patients' existing treatment regimens. This requires knowledge regarding risks, benefits, and potential interactions with existing cancer therapies. Integrative cancer pain management strategies have shown promise, with several proven effective for the management of cancer pain. Energy therapies, including acupuncture, and biologicals and nutraceuticals including overall diet and vitamin D, have the highest level of evidence for efficacy. The remaining therapies discussed in this chapter may be beneficial for patients on a case-by-case basis; risks and benefits of each individual therapy as described in the text must be further assessed in future rigorous trials to further clarify the role of these complementary therapies in cancer pain management., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

This letter is to highlight errors made by Liu et al. in their 2020 paper in BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, "Complementary and alternative medicine-practice, attitudes, and knowledge among healthcare professionals in New Zealand: an integrative review". Substantial errors in their citation of the recent research and methodology by McDowell, Kohut & Betts (2019) pertaining to the practice of acupuncture in New Zealand by physiotherapists are presented. The actual results of McDowell et al.'s work and the true state of acupuncture use by their sample group is reported., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objective: The aim of this research is to examine the usage of Complementary and Integrated Medicine (CIM) in individuals with epilepsy and the impact of CIM usage on medication adherence., Materials and Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted in a university hospital in northern Turkey between July and October 2023, involving 101 individuals with epilepsy (PWE). Descriptive information forms and the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-4 (MMS-4) were used as data collection tools. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and post-hoc LSD analyses were employed for data evaluation., Results: The participants consisted of 65.3 % males, 25.7 % were not working due to epilepsy, and 61.4 % with generalized epilepsy. The average MMS-4 score was found to be 3.08 ± 0.96. MMS-4 scores showed significant differences based on epilepsy type (F = 3.998, p = 0.021; η2 = 0.07). 76.2 % (n = 21) of the participants who used at least one CIM technique preferred "having a religious person read a prayer.", Conclusion: Medication adherence in PWE was at a moderate level. Individuals with focal and secondary generalized epilepsy showed better medication adherence compared to those with generalized types. Of those participant who used at least one CIM technique to improve their general health or control seizures, the most common was "having a religious person read a prayer.", Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Nausea is one of the most important symptoms of patients undergoing chemotherapy. This study aims to determine the effects of aromatherapy with sour lemon on nausea in patients undergoing chemotherapy. Methods: A total of 50 patients undergoing chemotherapy were randomly assigned to experimental and placebo (control) groups. The two groups completed the visual analogue scale for nausea before and the first to the fourth week after starting the intervention. The intervention was performed during chemotherapy. Using a dropper, a paper towel was saturated with 3 drops of sour lemon essential oil; however, for the control group, 3 mL of water as a placebo was spread on a paper towel. The intervention in the experimental and control groups was performed once a week for 4 weeks during weekly chemotherapy sessions. Results: At the beginning of the study, no significant difference was observed between the mean score of nausea in the two groups (P>0.05). The first to the fourth week after starting the intervention, significant differences were observed between the mean score of nausea in the two groups (P<0.05). The results of the repeated measures analysis of variance indicated that the mean score of nausea changed over time in the experimental group, indicating a gradual decrease in the mean score of nausea (P<0.05). Discussion: Our findings indicated that aromatherapy with sour lemon can be effective in reducing nausea in patients undergoing chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monkeypox (mpox) is a zoonotic disease caused by monkeypox virus (MPXV) of the orthopoxvirus genus. The emergence and global spread of mpox in 2022 was declared as a public health emergency by World Health Organization. This mpox pandemic alarmed us that mpox still threaten global public health. Live vaccines could be used for immunization for this disease with side effects. New alternative vaccines are urgently needed for this re-emerging disease. Specific antibody responses play key roles for protection against MPXV, therefore, vaccines that induce high humoral immunity will be ideal candidates. In the present study, we developed thermostable nanovaccine candidates for mpox by conjugating MPXV antigens with thermostable nanoscafolds. Three MPXV protective antigens, L1, A29, and A33, and the thermostable Aquafex aeolicus lumazine synthase (AaLS), were expressed in E. coli and purified by Ni-NTA methods. The nanovaccines were generated by conjugation of the antigens with AaLS. Thermal stability test results showed that the nanovaccines remained unchanged after one week storage under 37℃ and only partial degradation under 60℃, indicating high thermostability. Very interesting, one dose immunization with the nanovaccine could induce high potent antibody responses, and two dose induced 2-month high titers of antibodes. In vitro virus neutralization test showed that nanovaccine candidates induced significantly higher levels of neutralization antibodies than monomers. These results indicated that the AaLS conjugation nanovaccines of MPXV antigens are highly thermostable in terms of storage and antigenic, being good alternative vaccine candidates for this re-emerging disease., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This scoping review aims to document Chinese Patent Medicines (CPMs) for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, explore whether CPMs can improve patients' health outcomes, and set priorities in addressing research gaps in this area., Methods: Following the framework of PRISMA-SCr, we proposed the research questions based on PICOS principle, and searched the CPMs for T2DM from three drug lists, followed by a systematic search of the literature in eight databases from their inception to June 22, 2023. Then, we developed the eligibility criteria and systematically reviewed the relevant studies, retained the studies about CPMs for T2DM, extracted the related data, and identified the differences across studies in structured charts., Results: A total of 25 types of CPMs were extracted from the three drug lists. Radix astragali appeared most frequently (19 times) among the herbal medicinal ingredients of CPMs. A total of 449 articles were included in the full-paper analysis ultimately, all of which were about 20 types of CPMs, and there were no related reports on the remaining five CPMs. Except about a quarter (25.39 %, 114/449) using CPMs alone, the remaining studies all involved the combination with oral hypoglycemics for T2DM. Biguanides are the most common drugs used in combination with CPMs (50.14 %, 168/335). Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) is the most frequently reported outcomes in efficacy evaluation (82.41 %, 370/449)., Conclusion: There are a total of 25 types of CPMs currently available for T2DM patients. However, the volume of related evidence on these CPMs varies. It is necessary to standardize the combined use of CPMs and conventional medicine and select appropriate outcomes in future studies., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest All authors declare that they have no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)