Complementary Alternative Therapies Research Articles

The ethanol extract of Excoecaria cochinchinensis Lour. leaves inhibits cell migration and arrests cell cylce in gastric cancer cell MKN45

According to Globocan 2020, stomach cancer is the 5th most common cancer in the world. Vietnam belongs to the group of 20 countries with the highest rate of stomach cancer in the world with 17906 new cases and 14615 deaths in 2020. Natural medicinal products are gaining increasing popularity and use worldwide as complementary alternative therapies. Excoecaria cochinchinensis Lour. is an herb widely distributed in many Southeast Asian countries and China. Current understanding of the effects of E. cochinchinensis on cancer cells is limited. In this study, we collected ethanol extract from the leaves of E. cochinchinensis and assessed its impacts on MKN45 gastric cancer cells. Our study showed that the ethanol extract of the E. cochinchinensis leaves was able to strongly inhibit the proliferation of MKN45 gastric cancer cells, from 40% to 80% compared to the control, with an IC50 value of 0,07 mg/mL. On the other hand, the leaf extract also reduced the level of cell migration from 20% to 70% compared to the control in a concentration-dependent manner. Flow cytometry analysis also showed that the leaf extract arrested the cell cycle in G2/M phase (P < 0,05). Overall, the results showed that the leaf extract of Excoecaria cochinchinensis had the potential to inhibit gastric cancer cells.

Complementary and alternative therapies for tension-type headache: A protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Background:Tension-type headache (TTH) is the most common form of primary headache with high prevalence, which affects the quantity of life seriously. The pharmacological treatment of TTH is not the most effective. Meanwhile, complementary therapies and alternative therapies play an essential role in the treatment of TTH, and there is an absence of comparison between various interventions. Therefore, we propose the network meta-analysis protocol to compare the efficacy and safety of various complementary therapies and alternative therapies for TTH.Methods:From the beginning to February 2021, we will search the database to collect randomized controlled trials of complementary and alternative therapies for TTH. Two researchers will be responsible for screening retrieve documents, extracting data. The risk of bias will be assessed based on the Cochrane bias risk tool. We will use STATA16.0 and WinBUGS1.4.3 for paired meta-analysis and Bayesian network meta-analysis. The quality of evidence will be assessed using the grading of recommendations assessment development and evaluation.Results:This study will compare and rank the efficacy and safety of various complementary and alternative treatments for TTH.Conclusions:This study will provide more extensive evidence for the complementary and alternative therapies of TTH. We expect to assist clinicians and patients in choosing the optimum treatment.Protocol registration number:INPLASY202130088.

Benefits of Dog-Assisted Therapy in Patients with Dementia Residing in Aged Care Centers in Spain.

(1) Background: Currently, the scientific evidence on the benefits of assisted therapy with dogs in dementia is not clear. In this study, we want to evaluate such benefits through a randomized controlled clinical trial in multiple centers across the country. (2) Methods: The participants were people over 65 years old with dementia, residing in senior centers in Spain (n = 334). The experimental group underwent assisted therapy with dogs based on the Comprehensive Cognitive Activation Program in Dementia, for 8 months, with weekly sessions of 45 min. Data were collected at the commencement, middle, and end of the program, to evaluate the aspects using the Mini-Examination Cognitive, the modified Bartell Index, the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. (3) Results: The results show significant improvements in the experimental group versus the control group in the affective (T1 = p 0.000; T2 = p 0.000) and behavioral (T1 = p 0.005; T2 = p 0.000) aspects, with the affective aspect displaying greater progress in participants with additional depressive (p = 0.022) or anxiety (p = 0.000) disorders, shorter institutionalization periods (r = −0.222, p = 0.004), and those undergoing complementary psychotherapy (p = 0.033) or alternative therapy (p = 0.011). (4) Conclusions: Dog therapy is effective in improving the affective and behavioral aspects of institutionalized patients with dementia.

Complementary and alternative therapies for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A Bayesian network meta-analysis protocol.

Background:Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a global pandemic, and its incidence is increasing year by year. At present, there are no definite curative drugs for the treatment of NAFLD in modern medicine. Surprisingly, complementary and alternative therapies play an important role and have special advantages. In this study, we will adopt Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) to evaluate the efficiency and safety of complementary therapy and alternative therapies for NAFLD.Methods:We will collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to the treatment of NAFLD in PubMed, Cochrane Library, CNKI, and other databases. Two reviewers will screen the literature and extract data in line with the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and then assess the risk of bias according to Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool. The Bayesian NMA will be performed by Stata16.0 and WinBUGS1.4.3.Results:Our study will compare and rank the efficacy and safety of diverse complementary and alternative therapies for NAFLD.Conclusion:This study can provide credible evidence for the efficacy and safety of complementary therapies and alternative therapies in the treatment of NAFLD. We expect to assist clinicians and patients to choose the optimal therapeutic regimen.Protocol registration number:INPLASY2020120136.

Sudarshan Kriya Yoga: A Breath of Hope during COVID-19 Pandemic.

Important counter measures to combat an infectious disease pandemic include vaccination, antiviral therapy, and immunomodulation therapy. Vaccinations are disease specific and moreover strain specific, so the protection provided is also specific and limited. Antiviral therapies are costly and require bulk production of drugs, hence globally there is an increased interest toward low-risk, cost-effective complementary alternative therapies, such as Yoga and Ayurveda to tackle the infectious pandemic, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). There is clinical evidence available on the potential complementary role of yogic practices in the management of noncommunicable and communicable diseases. Various online databases were searched for articles published between 2000 and 2020. Databases explored were Medline, EMBASE, Indian Citation Index, PsycINFO, Index Medicus for South-East Asia Region, and Google Scholar. All search results were screened, and articles related to keywords such as COVID-19, yoga therapy, and Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) were selected for data extraction. Quality of the studies included was evaluated on the basis of the construct validity, content validity, relevance, bias, credibility relating to information, and data sources. SKY is a unique yogic practice that includes specific sequential breathing techniques. It balances the autonomic nervous system and thus can alleviate anxiety, routine stress, depression, stress-related medical disorders, and posttraumatic stress. It potentiates natural host immune defenses that are essential to tackle a plethora of microbial infections. This narrative review article provides an overview of potential therapeutic benefits that SKY can offer to the population at large during this COVID-19 pandemic.

The Diverse Efficacy of Food-Derived Proanthocyanidins for Middle-Aged and Elderly Women.

Middle-aged and elderly women are affected by various symptoms and diseases induced by estrogen deficiency. Proanthocyanidins, widely present in many kinds of fruits and berries, have many beneficial effects, such as antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities. We researched the effects of proanthocyanidins for middle-aged and elderly women, finding that it has been revealed in many clinical trials and cohort studies that proanthocyanidins contribute to the prevention of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, obesity, cancer, osteoporosis, and urinary tract infection, as well as the improvement of menopausal symptoms, renal function, and skin damage. Thus, proanthocyanidins can be considered one of the potent representatives of complementary alternative therapy.

Krill oil extract inhibits the migration of human colorectal cancer cells and down-regulates EGFR signalling and PD-L1 expression

BackgroundThe currently available treatments for colorectal cancer (CRC) are often associated with serious side-effects. Therefore, the development of a novel nutraceutical agent may provide an alternative complementary therapy for CRC. Overexpression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) associates with a range of cancers while downregulation of EGFR signalling can inhibit cancer growth. Our previous studies have shown that the free fatty acid extract (FFAE) of krill oil exhibits anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic properties. This study determines the effects of krill oil extract on the migration of human CRC cells, and its potential role in modulating EGFR signalling pathway and the expression of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1).MethodsHuman CRC cells, DLD-1 and HT-29 were treated with FFAE of KO at 0.03 and 0.12 μL/100 μL for 8 or 24 h. Cell migration was determined by Boyden chamber migration assay. The expression of EGFR, phosphorylated EGFR (pEGFR), protein kinase B (AKT), phosphorylated AKT (pAKT), extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK1/2), phosphorylated ERK1/2 (pERK1/2) as well as PD-L1 were assessed by western blotting and immunohistochemistry.ResultsThe FFAE of krill oil significantly inhibited cell migration compared to ethanol-treated (vehicle control) cells (P < 0.01 to P < 0.001). At the molecular level, krill oil extract reduced the expression of EGFR, pEGFR (P < 0.001 for both) and their downstream signalling, pERK1/2 and pAKT (P < 0.01 to P < 0.001) without altering total ERK 1/2 and AKT levels. In addition, the expression of PD-L1 was reduced by 67 to 72% (P < 0.001) following the treatment with krill oil extract.ConclusionThis study has demonstrated that krill oil may be a potential therapeutic/adjunctive agent for CRC attributed to its anti-migratory effects.. The potential anti-cancer properties of krill oil are likely to be associated with the downregulation of EGFR, pEGFR and their downstream pERK/ERK1/2 and pAKT/AKT signalling pathways along with the downregulation of PD-L1.

English

BACKGROUND Most patients experience post–operative pain and it is unavoidable. It is the duty of the nurses to ensure that patients' pain is assessed and managed effectively when they are at the hospital. Foot reflex therapy is one effective way nurses can adopt to manage the patient with pain after surgery. We wanted to evaluate the effectiveness of foot reflex therapy on post-operative pain in patients who are subjected to major abdominal surgery. METHODS This is a descriptive randomized control study that was conducted at Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Hospital, among 360 patients who underwent major abdominal surgery. They were equally divided into two groups as control and study groups and the results were analyzed statistically. RESULTS Majority of the patients in the study group showed a positive effect on pain control during 4th and 5th [ (Mean: 1.27 with SD: 1.12) (Mean: 0.03with SD: 0.32) at p &lt; 0.001] post-operative day following foot reflex therapy. CONCLUSIONS The existing pain and the post-operative pain can be managed by nurses, patients, their care takers or families together, whenever appropriate, in a multidisciplinary manner. Foot reflex therapy is one such alternative complementary therapy which the nurses can adopt to implement the techniques independently. KEY WORDS Foot Reflex Therapy, Foot Reflexology, Alternative Medicine, Complementary Therapy, Post-Operative Day (POD)

A Computational Framework to Study the Effect of Acupuncture on Obesity by Integrating Multiple Levels of Data.

In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of obesity by a computational framework integrating randomized controlled trials published in China and abroad. Specifically, clinical trial documents published on CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from 2007-2017 were downloaded and analyzed using Stata 15.1 system. As a result, a total of 13 articles were imported and 1052 patients were included. The analyses showed that the overall effect of an acupuncture group and a control group was not significant with P > 0.01. However, the curative effect of the acupuncture group was better than that of the diet and exercise instruction group with P < 0.01; the curative effect of the acupuncture group was better than that of the oral Chinese and western medicine group with P < 0.01. In conclusion, acupuncture as a complementary alternative therapy is recommended for the treatment of obesity.

Complementary and alternative therapies for post-caesarean pain.

Complementary and alternative therapies for post-caesarean pain.

Trends in Complementary Alternative Therapies' Use.

Editor(s): Donnelly, Gloria F. PhD, RN, FAAN, FCPP, Editor in Chief Author Information

PENGARUH PENERAPAN PIJAT DAN RENDAM KAKI DENGAN AIR HANGAT CAMPURAN KENCUR TERHADAP EDEMA KAKI PADA IBU HAMIL

Physiological foot edema was found in about 80% of pregnant women. This occurs due to suppression of the uterus which inhibits venous return. Physiological foot edema if not treated can cause discomfort, feeling heavy, and cramps at night. This study aim to analize the effect of applying foot massage and soaking feet with warm water mixed with kaempfaria galanga L against foot edema in pregnant women in the village of Tulaan Kec. Gunung Meriah district. Aceh Aingkil. This type of research is Quasy Experiment with one group pre-test and post-test design. The population was all The population in this study were all pregnant women who experienced physiological edema of the feet to pregnancy in Tulaan Village, Kec. Gunung Meriah Regency. Aceh Singkil in 2019. The sampling technique was done by total sampling which received 10 respondents and analyzed by Dependent T-Test significance level p = 0.05. The results showed that there was a significant effect on the application of foot massage and foot soaking with warm water mixed with kaempfaria galanga L against foot edema in pregnant women. Significant results indicate that p = 0,00 &lt;0,05. the conclusion in this study is foot massage and soaking the feet with warm water mixed with Kaempfaria Galanga L proven effective in reducing physiological edema in pregnant women. Therefore Kaempfaria Galanga L can be made as a complementary alternative therapy in pregnant women with physiological edema.

Effectiveness of Jicama Probiotic Yoghurt (Pachyrhizus erosus) on Blood Glucose in Diabetic Mice

Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a degenerative disease population increases every year. DM was ranked sixth as the cause of death. About 1.3 million people died because of diabetes and 4% died before the age of 70 years. DM auto-oxidation causes glucose to increase reactive oxygen compounds. One of the DM management is a complementary therapy using a functional food ingredient, namely, jicama and probiotics. Probiotics and jicama contain active compounds in the form of inulin and BAL and are able to control blood glucose levels. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of jicama probiotic yogurt on blood glucose levels in diabetic mice. Methods: This research is a quasi-experimental with pre–post-test control group, using a sample of DDY strain mice according to the criteria. Samples were given treatment probiotic yogurt and jicama probiotic yogurt 2 ml for seven days in the treatment group and one group of non-treated controls. The mean obtained were analyzed by dependent t-test, independent t-test, and one-way ANOVA test. Result and Conclusion: The results showed that there was a decrease in blood glucose levels in the probiotic yogurt group amounting to 296.62 mg/dL and jicama probiotic yogurt of 337.57 mg/dL, while the control group increased by 43.57 mg/dL. Results: One way ANOVA test showed jicama probiotic yogurt more effectively decreases blood glucose levels than the probiotic yogurt (p = 0.00). Jicama probiotic yogurt can be used as an alternative complementary therapy for patients with diabetes mellitus.

A systematic review and meta-analysis on effective interventions for health-related quality of life among caregivers of people with dementia.

(a) To evaluate the effectiveness of different types of psychosocial interventions on the health-related quality of life among caregivers of individuals with dementia and (b) To present an overview and assessment of the quality of the most recent intervention studies. A systematic review and meta-analysis. MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Cochrane Library electronic databases were searched to find randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from 2005 - 2017. Using a Boolean search, the key words 'caregivers', 'dementia' and 'quality of life' were combined. The search was completed in January 2018. A total of 26 RCTs were included. Intervention details such as content, mode of delivery and duration were reviewed, and each study's risk of bias was assessed. The effectiveness of each type of intervention was calculated using the Hedges G and a random-effects model. Multicomponent interventions, cognitive behavioural therapy and complementary alternative medicine therapy showed significant effects on improving caregiver's health-related quality of life. Psychoeducation, social support, case management and cognitive rehabilitation therapy failed to produce significant effects. Via this evidence-based systematic review, multicomponent interventions addressing a variety of caregiver needs can be an effective method for enhancing caregiver health-related quality of life. Further large number of studies are needed to verify this study results. The findings of this study inform clinicians which interventions are effective in improving caregivers' health-related quality of life. Defining a standardized protocol for multicomponent interventions will be helpful for clinicians to apply the intervention.

Management Strategies for Pain Associated with Arteriovenous Fistula Cannulation: An Integrative Literature Review.

Patients on maintenance hemodialysis are subjected to mild-to-moderate pain associated with arteriovenous fistula needle insertion. This pain might adversely affect patient compliance with dialysis and quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate published research studies on management strategies for pain associated with fistula needle insertion. A review of 35 studies from well-known databases such as CINAHL, ProQuest, and PubMed was conducted. Three strategies of cannulation pain management were found to have been tried: specific cannulation techniques; use of alternative complementary therapies; and use of local anesthetic agents.

Toxicity of Vipera palaestinae venom and antagonistic effects of methanolic leaf extract of Eryngium creticum lam

Vipera palaestinae is responsible for many venomous incidents in the Middle East. However, this species is not included in the antigenic pool of venoms for the production of the regionally available polyvalent antivenoms. In an attempt to develop a potential complementary alternative therapy for snakebite patients, this study is investigating the antagonistic effect of Eryngium creticum against V. palaestinae venom. In this context, the concentration of the venom as well as the electrophoretic profile, and the venom LD50 were determined by intraperitoneal injection (ip). The methanolic leaf extract was prepared, and its safety on rats was examined. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 8 groups (n = 6); G1-G3 were injected subplantar in the right hind paws with 2.5, 3.125, and 3.75 mg kg−1 then 200 mg kg−1 extract ip. G4-G6 were given the same venom dose with no extract, respectively. Controls were G7 that only had the extract ip, and G8 that was injected subplantar with PBS. The swollen paws were measured at Hour 0 (before injection), Hour 1, Hour 6, and Hour 24. IL-6 and TNF-α were measured in serum using ELISA. Histopathological changes were examined in paw sections. The pooled venom concentration was 176.93 ± 35.81 mg ml−1, revealed 10 protein bands (5–80 kDa), and the LD50 via ip rout was 6.56 mg kg−1. Paw edema peaked at Hour 1. At Hour 6, edema in G1 was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) compared to G6, while at Hour 24 there was no significant difference between all groups including the controls. Treated animals in G1-G3 expressed IL-6 significantly lower (p < 0.001) than untreated G4-G6, respectively. Levels of TNF-α in G1 and G2 were significantly (p < 0.001) lower than G3-G6, while G5 and G6 were significantly (p < 0.001) higher than G1-G4. Histopathological changes showed intensifying edema, hemorrhage, and inflammation with incrementing venom doses. Sections from treated animals expressed less adverse changes compared to untreated animals. Together, the outcomes are encouraging future utilization of E. creticum as a supportive remedy for snakebite cases.

HUBUNGAN PENGGUNAAN OBAT HERBAL (JAMU GEPYOK) DENGAN PRODUKSI ASI DI BPS DS. NGUMPAKDALEM KEC. DANDER KABUPATEN BOJONEGORO TAHUN 2017

Abstract &#x0D; Indonesian society's interest in complementary or traditional therapy is increasing. The frequency of utilization of complementary alternative therapies is increasing rapidly throughout the world. The result of Susenas (2007) shows Indonesians who complain of pain within the month before the 30.90% survey. Of the residents who complained of illness, the largest percentage (65.01%) chose their own treatment using traditional medicines and / or drugs. The use of traditional medicine in self-medication efforts has steadily increased from 15.2% to 38.3% over the course of 7 years from 2000-2006 (Supardi, S and Andi Leny, 2010) The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of the use of herbal medicine to facilitate the expansion of breast milk as an effort to reduce the use of conventional medicines in Bojonegoro District in 2017. &#x0D; This research uses Quasy experimental research design technique (quasi experiment). Based on the place of study including the type of field research design. Population is a subject that meets the criteria that have been set. The population in this study were all breastfeeding mothers in 10 Puskesmas in Bojonegoro Regency in 2016. &#x0D; Analysis is a very important part to achieve the goal, where the main purpose of research is to answer the research questions in expressing the phenomenon . Data analysis in this study using chi square test. The results showed p value 0.468&gt; 0.05 which means there is no relationship between the use of herbal uyup - uyup with milk production. &#x0D; Keywords: Herbal Medicinal Use and Breastmilk Production

An Integrative Review of Job Stress and Mental Health Intervention Programs for Experienced Nurses

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review intervention programs for experienced nurses’ job stress and mental health. Methods: Searches of literature were conducted through four electronic databases (RISS, KISS, PubMed, and CINAHL), focusing on the recent 5-year publications in English or Korean. Thirteen studies were selected for the final analysis and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network checklist was used to assess methodological rigor and quality. Results: Randomized controlled trials were used in five studies and quasi-experimental designs in eight studies. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and group approach were the most frequent types of interventions in six and nine studies respectively. On average, the intervention was required for eight weeks and 60~120 minutes per session. After evaluating the effects of CBT, complementary alternative therapy, informative training, simulation training and stimuli control, most of the tested interventions reduced experienced nurses’ job stress and improved mental health, but informative training did not. Conclusion: Despite the obvious importance of experienced nurses in quality of nursing care, it has not been well studied due to limited numbers of studies with less rigorous design. Study findings provide a basis for developing intervention programs to reduce job stress and improve mental health for experienced nurses.

Renal Tissue Damages and Its Antioxidant Status Improved by Crab Shell Extract in Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rat.

Background:Diabetic nephropathy is a complex and multifactorial adverse effect of diabetes mellitus (DM). Crab shell as a natural product is supposed to have antioxidant effect which is one of the important mechanisms to improve DM. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of crab shell extract (CSE) on the histopathology and antioxidant status of kidney in diabetic rats.Materials and Methods:Forty-two adult Wistar rats (210 ± 10 g) were divided into six groups (n = 7). Streptozotocin (50 mg/kg) was administered interaperitonealy (IP) for inducing diabetes. Rats were treated for 14 days by CSE with 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg doses IP. Fasting blood glucose, body, and renal weight were evaluated. The antioxidant status of kidney's tissue was evaluated by determining the level of ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). Furthermore, urine samples were used to determine nitric oxide (NO) levels. Microscopic slides were prepared to compare kidney histology between groups. Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance with post hoc Tukey's test, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results:CSE induced a significant reduction in blood glucose (P = 0.01) and a significant increase in total antioxidant capacity (FRAP) (P = 0.004). Furthermore, urine NO was decreased significantly (P = 0.000). The extract improved renal tissue changes caused by diabetes.Conclusion:CSE improved antioxidant status and diabetic histological changes of rat kidney, and it could be an alternative complementary therapy in diabetic-associated disorders.

The Antinociceptive Effect of Genicular Nerves Block Compared to Intra-Articular Dexamethasone in Grade III or IV Knee Osteoarthritis

Introduction: Knee pain secondary to osteoarthritis is a common pathology reflecting on the capacity of undertaking daily activities. Among non-surgical procedures, intra-articular corticosteroids represent an alternative complementary therapy. However, blocking the genicular nerves is a recently described technique, easily applied for clinical management. Objectives: To compare efficacy of both intra-articular corticosteroid and genicular block for chronic knee pain. Methods: 20 patients with osteoarthritis were evaluated for: 1) the intensity of pain; 2) the quality of sleep; 3) the capacity to undertake daily activities. Two groups were formed randomly, the first submitted to intra-articular blocking and the second to blocking the genicular nerves. A solution of plane 90 mg lidocaine 1%, and dexamethasone 10 mg was standard and used for intervention in both procedures to a final 10-ml volume. After a weekly appraisal for 12 consecutive weeks, the patients were recalled and submitted to another proposed procedure and in this way, all the patients acted as their own control (a “crossover” study design). In the following weeks, as also in the pretest, the intensity of pain, the quality of sleep and the capacity of undertaking daily activities were evaluated. Results: Both the intra-articular block and the genicular nerves block resulted equally in important reduction of pain during 11 weeks, with similar improvement in the quality of night sleep, and in the capacity of daily activities (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The blocking of the genicular nerves was a safe alternative, minimally invasive and highly efficient, similar to the intra-articular corticosteroid.