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“Everything Old Is New Again”: A Review of Current Complementary and Alternative Medicine Trends
Abstract
Complementary and alternative medicine therapies can be used as adjuvant or preventive therapy, and have newer applications: cryotherapy, halotherapy, floatation therapy, and compression therapy. Nurse practitioners need to know about these therapies and their applicability to patient populations. Appropriate integration of these therapies is part of holistic care, which they strive to provide.
... Contraindications for the salt therapy involve: status asthmaticus, severe persistent bronchial asthma, tuberculosis, emphysema, severe hypertension, renal disease, epilepsy, claustrophobia, hyperthyroidism, acute stage blood disorders, and malignant disease (11). This therapy seems to be safe and well tolerated (8,12). ...
... The salt therapy has been practised as a medical treatment in the old salt mines of Central and Eastern Europe for centuries (14,15). It was first described by the polish physician Filip Brodowski in 1843 who noticed that salt mines' workers presented good quality of health despite difficult work conditions (3,4,11). In 1958 in the salt mines of Velichka the first salt medical center for pulmonary diseases was established (16). ...
Introduction: The salt therapy is a form of the aerosol therapy using sodium chloride in different forms. The beginnings of the halotherapy date back to the nineteenth century when it has been practised as a medical treatment in the old salt mines of Central and Eastern Europe. The salt therapy as an adjuvant method seems to have positive impact on treatment of respiratory system diseases and dermatological conditions. We distinguish two types of the dry salt therapy: halotherapy and speleotherapy.
Purpose of the article: We aimed to evaluate efficacy of the salt therapy in treatment of pulmonary and dermatological disorders.
Material and methods: We searched three electronic databases: Pubmed, Web of Science and Google Scholar from inception to the August 2022 and conducted a review. The following descriptors were used: „halotherapy”, „speleotherapy” and „salt therapy”.
Results and conclusions: The salt therapy improves mucociliary elimination, pulmonary functions and reduces airway’s irritation. It also reduces intensity of the dryness, redness and stimulates regenerative processes in the skin. This method is safe and do not cause the serious adverse effects. Therefore, due to its potential benefits, it should be considered as an additional therapy beside standard treatment procedures inter alia in the asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis. Moreover, halotherapy has positive impact on children’s general development as it enhances the growth and weight gain. However, scientific evidences for effectiveness of the salt therapy are limitted. There is a need of further studies assessing effectiveness of the long-therm salt therapy on the larger group of patients.
... 62 The same pattern was also observed during COVID-19 pandemic, where patients reported using herbal products and acupuncture to alleviate their symptoms. 63,64 Another parallel between Ebola and COVID-19 is the fact that there was a lack of solid evidence-based treatments at the initial phase of the epidemic, 62 which resulted in the search for non-pharmacological therapies. ...
Objective:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the use and effectiveness of non-pharmacological therapies as part of the treatment of COVID-19 and its complications, either combined or not with the usual treatment.
Methods:
A systematic review was conducted between August and October 2021 using PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL and Web of Science databases. From a total of 204 articles identified, 33 were included in the final sample (15 clinical trials and 18 quasi-experimental studies). The methodological evaluation was carried out using STROBE and CONSORT guidelines.
Results:
There is a growing literature on the use of CAM for COVID-19. Most studies have shown positive findings, particularly for the use of TCM, other herbal therapies and acupuncture. Nevertheless, most studies were carried out in Asia and relied on quasi-experimental designs. The current evidence is available for physical outcomes (mortality rate, pneumonia resolution and other symptoms, negative PCR test, and hospitalization and ICU admissions) and for mental health outcomes.
Conclusion:
Despite a positive role of CAM on COVID-19 outcomes, the evidence is still mostly based on quasi-experimental studies. More robust clinical trials are needed in order to generate better evidence in this area.
Evidence of symptomatic treatment for fibromyalgia (FM) is very low. Whole body cryotherapy (WBC) modulates different neurotransmitters, which might have a role in pain alleviation and could exert an effect on FM. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of WBC for the control of pain and impact of disease in FM. For this we run an open, randomized, crossover trial of Cryosense TCT™ cabin vs rest. Patients with FM according to ACR criteria were recruited consecutively from general practices. Trial endpoints were change (∆) in pain after 2 and 4 weeks, measured by a visual analogue scale (VAS), ∆ burden of disease, evaluated by the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), and severity of FM, measured by the Combined Index of Severity of Fibromyalgia (ICAF). Within group differences, sequence and period effects were tested with Student’s t or Mann–Whitney U tests. Multiple linear regression models were used to adjust effect by baseline differences between groups. Sixty patients were included in the trial. A period effect was noted, with residual effect of WBC; therefore, only results from the first sequence were analysed. ∆VAS pain, ∆FIQ and ∆ICAF scores were significantly larger in the WBC group after the first period (3.0 vs 0.3 in ∆VAS pain; 32.1 vs 0.4 in ∆FIQ; 13.7 vs 0.07 in ∆ICAF; all p < 0.001), and were confirmed after adjustment. In conclusion, WBC with a Cryosense TCT cabin may be a useful adjuvant therapy for FM; further studies on long-term effect and compared to other physical therapies are warranted.
Trial registration NCT03425903.
Electronic supplementary material
The online version of this article (10.1007/s00296-018-4176-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Floatation-REST (Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy) reduces sensory input to the nervous system through the act of floating supine in a pool of water saturated with Epsom salt. The float experience is calibrated so that sensory signals from visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, thermal, tactile, vestibular, gravitational and proprioceptive channels are minimized, as is most movement and speech. This open-label study aimed to examine whether Floatation-REST would attenuate symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression in a clinical sample. Fifty participants were recruited across a spectrum of anxiety and stress-related disorders (posttraumatic stress, generalized anxiety, panic, agoraphobia, and social anxiety), most (n = 46) with comorbid unipolar depression. Measures of self-reported affect were collected immediately before and after a 1-hour float session, with the primary outcome measure being the pre- to post-float change score on the Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory. Irrespective of diagnosis, Floatation-REST substantially reduced state anxiety (estimated Cohen’s d > 2). Moreover, participants reported significant reductions in stress, muscle tension, pain, depression and negative affect, accompanied by a significant improvement in mood characterized by increases in serenity, relaxation, happiness and overall well-being (p < .0001 for all variables). In reference to a group of 30 non-anxious participants, the effects were found to be more robust in the anxious sample and approaching non-anxious levels during the post-float period. Further analysis revealed that the most severely anxious participants reported the largest effects. Overall, the procedure was well-tolerated, with no major safety concerns stemming from this single session. The findings from this initial study need to be replicated in larger controlled trials, but suggest that Floatation-REST may be a promising technique for transiently reducing the suffering in those with anxiety and depression.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03051074
This study reviews the available clinical studies of Reiki to determine whether there is evidence for Reiki providing more than just a placebo effect. The available English-language literature of Reiki was reviewed, specifically for peer-reviewed clinical studies with more than 20 participants in the Reiki treatment arm, controlling for a placebo effect. Of the 13 suitable studies, 8 demonstrated Reiki being more effective than placebo, 4 found no difference but had questionable statistical resolving power, and only one provided clear evidence for not providing benefit. Viewed collectively, these studies provide reasonably strong support for Reiki being more effective than placebo. From the information currently available, Reiki is a safe and gentle "complementary" therapy that activates the parasympathetic nervous system to heal body and mind. It has potential for broader use in management of chronic health conditions, and possibly in postoperative recovery. Research is needed to optimize the delivery of Reiki.
Halotherapy (HT), derived from speleotherapy in salt mines, is also a drug-free therapeutic method. HT effects vary depending on the therapeutic method and the structure of halotherapy environment. The purpose of this article is to show the HT effects of " halotherapy chamber with artificial salt-mine environment " of the National Institute of Rehabilitation, Physical Medicine and Balneoclimatology (INRMFB), on patients with bronchial asthma and other chronic, infectious-inflammatory and allergic respiratory diseases, describing the clinical effects on certain nonspecific resistance factors, on markers of inflammatory processes and on certain immunological changes. Patients were clinically assessed, with the application of hematologic investigations, analysis of nonspecific resistance to infection and of inflammatory process markers, immunologic assessments, analysis of sodium and potassium concentrations, of mineralocorticoid function and other biochemical tests. For the experimental HT therapy performed in the " halotherapy chamber with artificial salt-mine environment " of INRMFB, 15 patients suffering from bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive bronchopneumopathy were selected, based on specific medical indications and contraindications and applying ethical principles, as well as 4 patients with similar pathologies for the control group, who underwent in-home drug treatment. After the specific halotherapy treatment on patients with bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive bronchopneumopathy, which also showed other chronic, infectious-inflammatory and allergic respiratory pathologies, triggering of anti-inflammatory (and also anti allergic) mechanisms and healing effects on inflammatory process were noted. Data acquired also proved the halo therapeutic effect causing the reduction of sensitiveness of body in patients with bronchial asthma.
Nowadays, whole-body cryotherapy is a medical physical treatment widely used in sports medicine. Recovery from injuries (e.g., trauma, overuse) and after-season recovery are the main purposes for application. However, the most recent studies confirmed the anti-inflammatory, anti-analgesic, and anti-oxidant effects of this therapy by highlighting the underlying physiological responses. In addition to its therapeutic effects, whole-body cryotherapy has been demonstrated to be a preventive strategy against the deleterious effects of exercise-induced inflammation and soreness. Novel findings have stressed the importance of fat mass on cooling effectiveness and of the starting fitness level on the final result. Exposure to the cryotherapy somehow mimics exercise, since it affects myokines expression in an exercise-like fashion, thus opening another possible window on the therapeutic strategies for metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. From a biochemical point of view, whole-body cryotherapy not always induces appreciable modifications, but the final clinical output (in terms of pain, soreness, stress, and post-exercise recovery) is very often improved compared to either the starting condition or the untreated matched group. Also, the number and the frequency of sessions that should be applied in order to obtain the best therapeutic results have been deeply investigated in the last years. In this article, we reviewed the most recent literature, from 2010 until present, in order to give the most updated insight into this therapeutic strategy, whose rapidly increasing use is not always based on scientific assumptions and safety standards.
We investigated whether a single 60-min bout of whole leg, peristaltic pulse external pneumatic compression (EPC) altered select growth factor-related mRNAs and/or various phospho(p)-proteins related to cell growth, proliferation, inflammation and apoptosis signalling (e.g. Akt-mTOR, Jak-Stat). Ten participants (8 males, 2 females; aged 22·2 ± 0·4 years) reported to the laboratory 4 h post-prandial, and vastus lateralis muscle biopsies were obtained prior to (PRE), 1 h and 4 h post-EPC treatment. mRNA expression was analysed using real-time RT-PCR and phosphophorylated and cleaved proteins were analysed using an antibody array. No changes in selected growth factor-related mRNAs were observed following EPC. All p-proteins significantly altered by EPC decreased, except for p-rps6 (Ser235/236) which increased 31% 1 h post-EPC compared to PRE levels (P = 0·016). Notable decreases also included p-BAD (Ser112; -28%, P = 0·004) at 4 h post-EPC compared to PRE levels. In summary, an acute bout of EPC transiently upregulates p-rps6 as well as affecting other markers in the Akt-mTOR signalling cascade. Future research should characterize whether chronic EPC application promotes alterations in lower-limb musculature and/or enhances exercise-induced training adaptations.
Background
This study developed and tested a sociobehavioral wellness model of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to differentiate predisposing factors, enabling resources, need, and personal health practices according to use for wellness, for combined wellness and treatment, or for treatment alone.
Methods
Data were from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a cross-sectional, nationally representative sample of 23,393 adult Americans. This analysis included people who used at least one CAM modality in the past 12 months (n = 7003 adult users). Prevalence estimates and multinomial logistic regression results were weighted and adjusted for complex sample design.
Results
Overall, 86 % of CAM users reported reason for use as wellness (51 %) or wellness combined with treatment (35 %). White women had the lowest (48 %) and Asian men (66 %) had the highest wellness use. Compared to treatment only users, wellness users were significantly more likely to be older, more educated, in better health, and engaged in multiple healthy behaviors. There was support that those with health conditions were using methods for both treatment and to maintain health.
Conclusions
The findings underscore the central role of CAM in health self-management and wellness lifestyle. At a time of national health care reform highlighting the importance of health and wellness and employers turning to wellness programs to improve worker performance and well-being, these findings suggest a central role of CAM in those public health endeavors.
Sensory isolation in a flotation tank is a method known for inducing deep relaxation and subsequent positive health effects for patients suffering from e.g. stress or muscle tensions pains. Very few studies have investigated this method as a preventive health-care intervention. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects in healthy participants after receiving a series of flotation tank treatment.
Sixty-five participants (14 men and 51 women) who were all part of a cooperative-health project initiated by their individual companies, were randomized to either a wait-list control group or a flotation tank treatment group where they participated in a seven weeks flotation program with a total of twelve flotation sessions. Questionnaires measuring psychological and physiological variables such as stress and energy, depression and anxiety, optimism, pain, stress, sleep quality, mindfulness, and degree of altered states of consciousness were used. Data were analysed by two-way mixed MANOVA and repeated measures ANOVA.
Stress, depression, anxiety, and worst pain were significantly decreased whereas optimism and sleep quality significantly increased for the flotation-REST group. No significant results for the control group were seen. There was also a significant correlation between mindfulness in daily life and degree of altered states of consciousness during the relaxation in the flotation tank.
It was concluded that flotation-REST has beneficial effects on relatively healthy participants.
Trial registration
Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12613000483752.
Objectives
To understand the extent to which conventional and complementary health care are integrated for CAM users with chronic conditions.Methods
In-depth interviews and a self-administered questionnaire were used to collect data on care-seeking, self-management and CAM use among people with type 2 diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease living in Victoria, Australia.ResultsMany participants reported regular, frequent and long-term use of CAM therapies to maintain their health or assist in the management of their chronic condition. They generally managed the interface between convention and complementary health care on their own, as the perceived or expressed negative attitudes of some doctors, or the belief that the doctor did not need to know, were barriers to the disclosure of CAM use. For a smaller group, there was interaction between conventional and CAM providers, which limited the extent of uncertainty and conflicting information being (mis)interpreted by consumers.Conclusions
Greater interaction between CAM and medical providers would be beneficial to consumers. Structural barriers, related to financing and service organization, need to be addressed. Attitudinal shifts of some health-care practitioners also need to be addressed, in the context of workforce development.
Whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) involves short exposures to air temperatures below -100°C. WBC is increasingly accessible to athletes, and is purported to enhance recovery after exercise and facilitate rehabilitation postinjury. Our objective was to review the efficacy and effectiveness of WBC using empirical evidence from controlled trials. We found ten relevant reports; the majority were based on small numbers of active athletes aged less than 35 years. Although WBC produces a large temperature gradient for tissue cooling, the relatively poor thermal conductivity of air prevents significant subcutaneous and core body cooling. There is weak evidence from controlled studies that WBC enhances antioxidant capacity and parasympathetic reactivation, and alters inflammatory pathways relevant to sports recovery. A series of small randomized studies found WBC offers improvements in subjective recovery and muscle soreness following metabolic or mechanical overload, but little benefit towards functional recovery. There is evidence from one study only that WBC may assist rehabilitation for adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder. There were no adverse events associated with WBC; however, studies did not seem to undertake active surveillance of predefined adverse events. Until further research is available, athletes should remain cognizant that less expensive modes of cryotherapy, such as local ice-pack application or cold-water immersion, offer comparable physiological and clinical effects to WBC.
Athlete recovery-adaptation is crucial to the progress and performance of highly trained athletes. The purpose of this study was to assess peristaltic pulse dynamic compression (PPDC) in reducing short-term pressure-to-pain threshold (PPT) among Olympic Training Center athletes following morning training. Muscular tenderness and stiffness are common symptoms of fatigue and exercise-induced muscle micro-trauma and edema. Twenty-four highly trained athletes (male = 12, female = 12) volunteered to participate in this study. The athletes were randomly assigned to experimental (n = 12) and control (n = 12) groups. PPT measurements were conducted with a manual algometer on three lower extremity muscles. Experimental group athletes underwent PPDC on both legs via computer-controlled circumferential inflated leggings that used a peristaltic-like pressure pattern from feet to groin. Pressures in each cell were set to factory defaults. Treatment time was 15 minutes. The control group performed the same procedures except that the inflation pump to the leggings was off. The experimental timeline included a morning training session, followed by a PPT pre-test, treatment application (PPDC or control), an immediate post-test (PPT), and a delayed post-test (PPT) following the afternoon practice session. Difference score results showed that the experimental group's PPT threshold improved following PPDC treatment immediately and persisted the remainder of the day following afternoon practice. The control group showed no statistical change. We conclude that PPDC is a promising means of accelerating and enhancing recovery following the normal aggressive training that occurs in Olympic and aspiring Olympic athletes.
This study investigated the effects of peristaltic pulse dynamic compression (PPDC) on range-of-motion (ROM) changes in forward splits. Serious stretching usually involves discomfort and large time investments. Tissue structural changes and stretch tolerance have heretofore been considered the primary mechanisms of enhanced ROM. PPDC treatment was computer controlled circumferential and segmented inflation pressures induced by feet to hips leggings. Nine subjects, experienced in stretching, and a forward split position volunteered. The subjects were familiarized with the protocol and randomly assigned to an initial condition: experimental (PPDC), or control (CONT). The study involved a crossover design. Second conditions were tested within 1-5 days. All tests were two trials of right and left forward splits. Split flexibility was assessed by measuring the height of the anterior superior iliac spine of the rear leg from the floor. Pelvic posture was controlled by rear leg position. PPDC treatment was 15 minutes of seated PPDC. The control condition was the same except that leggings were not inflated. Pressures of five cells in the leggings were set at factory defaults, 70 mm Hg sequentially. Difference score results indicated statistically significant (P < 0.05) differences by condition and the condition by leg interaction. The rapid acute changes in ROM (PPDC: Right 25.3%, Left 33.3%; CONT: Right 12.2%, Left 1.0%) support the premise that changes in ROM were dependent on mechanisms other than tissue structural changes and/or stretch tolerance. PPDC provides a means of rapidly enhancing acute ROM requiring less discomfort and time.
Objectives: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a complex genetic disorder involving the lower and upper respiratory tract. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of Halotherapy on sinusitis symptoms, dyspnea, pulmonary function tests, and quality of life in CF patients. Study design: This was a pilot open-label before-and-after-study. Settings: The study was performed at the Salt Room® Orlando. Participants were from a single CF care center, and were enrolled in the study between January and June, 2012. Subjects and methods: Patients with clinically stable CF were included in the study. Participants received 9 sessions of HT, 45 minutes each, completed over a 3-week period. Study endpoints include: FEV1 and FVC, Borg dyspnea index test, Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire-Revised (CFQ-R), and the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-20). Results: Twelve patients completed the study protocol. FEV1 and FVC did not change significantly (p= 0.49 and 0.87, respectively). SNOT-20 score improved by 0.62 points (95% CI -1.03 to -0.2, P = 0.007). There was a trend for improvement in Borg Dyspnea index; the mean score decreased by 0.79 (95% CI -1.64 to 0.05, P=0.065). There was significant improvement in the physical domain, the health perception domain, and the digestive domain.
Relaxation techniques and napping are very popular strategies amongst elite athletes recovering from the psychophysiological demands of training and competition. The current study examined a novel relaxation technique using restricted environmental stimulation therapy in a flotation tank (FLOAT). FLOAT involves reducing the level of environmental stimulation while achieving a sense of near weightlessness through floating in an enclosed, warm, saline-dense water tank. Sixty elite, international-level athletes (28 male, 32 female) across a range of 9 sports, completed a ∼45 min FLOAT session following exercise training for their sport. Pre and post FLOAT, athletes filled out a multidimensional mood-state questionnaire (MDMQ) containing 16 mood-state variables as well as a question on perceived muscle soreness. Group data were analysed for pre to post FLOAT for all measured variables. Further analyses were performed on all variables for athletes that napped during FLOAT (n = 27) and compared to those that did not nap (n = 33). A single FLOAT session significantly enhanced 15 of the 16 mood-state variables (p < 0.05) and also lowered perceived muscle soreness (p < 0.01). Small (n = 3) to moderate (n = 6) effect sizes in favour of napping for 9 of the 16 mood-state variables were found when compared to the no nap group. FLOAT may be an effective tool for both physical and psychological recovery following training in elite athletes. Furthermore, napping in combination with FLOAT may provide additional benefits to enhance certain mood-state variables. This study serves as a pilot study for future research into the performance recovery of elite athletes following FLOAT.
The health department and float tanks... How to get approved!
- A Jahromi