Complementary Medicine Research最新文献

Background: N-of-1 studies allow the formal assessment of a patient's treatment. A single participant receives different interventions the same number of times in a crossover, double-blind, randomized design. Using this methodology, we will investigate the effectiveness and safety of a standardized homeopathy protocol in treating 10 cases of major depression.

Methods: The method is described below: Design: crossover double-blind placebo-controlled randomized N-of-1 studies, with at most 28 weeks of duration per participant.

Participants: women and men at age over 18 years with a diagnosis of a major depressive episode given by a psychiatrist, who have presented a therapeutic response, i.e., a reduction ≥50% of the baseline depressive symptoms, self-assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory - Second Edition (BDI-II), and sustained for at least 4 weeks during an open homeopathic treatment following the protocol of the sixth edition of the Organon, with or without concomitant use of psychotropic drugs.

Interventions: individualized homeopathy following the same protocol, one globule of the fifty-millesimal potency diluted in 20 mL of 30% alcohol; placebo - 20 mL of 30% alcohol, in the same posology as homeopathy. Crossover study: the participant will go through three consecutive treatment blocks, with two random and masked treatment periods (A or B), corresponding to homeopathy or placebo. Treatment periods will have 2, 4, and 8 weeks in the first, second, and third blocks, respectively. A clinically significant worsening (characterized by an augmentation in BDI-II inclusion score ≥30%) will result in the termination of study participation and resumption of the open treatment.

Primary measure: progression of the depressive symptoms, self-assessed by the participant using the BDI-II scale at weeks 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28 and analyzed throughout the study concerning homeopathy and placebo partitions. Secondary measures: score of the Clinical Global Impression Scale; mental and physical health scores assessed by the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey; participant's blind preference for treatment A or B at each block; clinical worsening; and adverse events.

Data analysis: the participant, assistant physician, evaluator, and statistician will remain blinded for the study treatments until the completion of data analysis of each study. We will follow a 10-step procedure for analyzing N-of-1 observational data of each participant and conduct a meta-analysis of the combined results.

Discussion: We understand that each N-de-1 study will be a chapter with its teachings in a book of ten, allowing a broader view of the effectiveness of the homeopathy protocol of the sixth edition of the Organon in treating depression.

Einzelpatienten- oder „n = 1“-Stu

Background: Inflammatory skin rash resulting from treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors may cause physical and mental disabling to patients treated for their oncologic condition and may, in some cases, lead to the cessation of biological treatment.

Case report: In this case report, acupuncture treatment was provided to a patient with metastatic colorectal carcinoma who developed skin toxicity from panitumumab including rash, itching, and skin inflammation. Itching, infection, and inflammation symptoms improved significantly following acupuncture, subsequently relapsed following treatment cessation, and improved once again following reintroduction of acupuncture.

Conclusion: Acupuncture may be effective in alleviating panitumumab-related skin inflammatory symptoms.

Introduction: Cervical spondylosis (CS) is a degenerative condition of the cervical spine, with approximately 80-90% of people suffering from disc degeneration by the age of 50 years. This trial attempts at evaluating the efficacy of individualized homeopathic medicines (IHMs) against placebos in the treatment of CS.

Methods: A 3-month, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at the Organon of Medicine outpatient department of the National Institute of Homoeopathy, India. Patients were randomized to receive either IHMs (n = 70) or identical-looking placebos (n = 70) in the mutual context of concomitant conservative and standard physiotherapeutic care. Primary outcome measures were 0-10 Numeric Rating Scales (NRSs) for pain, stiffness, numbness, tingling, weakness, and vertigo, and the secondary outcome was the Neck Disability Index (NDI), measured at baseline and every month until 3 months. The intention-to-treat sample was analyzed to detect group differences and effect sizes.

Results: Overall, improvements were clinically significant and higher in the IHM group than the placebo group, but group differences were statistically nonsignificant with small effect sizes (all p > 0.05, two-way repeated measure analysis of variance). After 2 months of time points, improvements observed in the IHM group were significantly higher than placebo on a few occasions (e.g., pain NRS: p < 0.001; stiffness NRS: p = 0.024; weakness NRS: p = 0.003). Sulfur (n = 21; 15%) was the most frequently prescribed medication. No harm, unintended effects, or any serious adverse events were reported from either group.

Conclusions: An encouraging but nonsignificant direction of effect was elicited favoring IHMs against placebos in the treatment of CS.

Introduction: Postoperative gastrointestinal tract dysfunction is considered a common complication affecting patients undergoing intestinal surgery. This research aims to provide evidence to assess the efficacy and safety of Baizhu Shaoyao San (BSS) or modified BSS in treating postoperative diarrhea of colorectal cancer patients.

Methods: Eighty patients with colorectal cancer were randomized within 2 weeks after surgery to receive either modified BSS or Loperamide combined with the respective dummy. The curative effect was evaluated with the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome score. Determination of motilin and gastrin in plasma was conducted utilizing ELISA.

Results: Compared with Loperamide therapy, the efficacy of modified BSS was statistically significant, the TCM syndrome score decreased, and the total effective rate increased. Levels of motilin and gastrin in plasma decreased.

Conclusion: The curative effect and safety of modified BSS were statistically significant.

Background: The use and interest in veterinary naturopathy and complementary medicine are increasing and modes of treatment are diverse. To this point, only a few data on the German situation in small animal medicine exist.

Material and methods: An online research of 1,083 German veterinary homepages for contents of veterinary naturopathy and complementary medicine was performed in September and October 2017. "Veterinarian" and "Chamber of Veterinary Surgeons" were used as search items. Homepages of small animal medicine were included. They were surveyed for modes of complementary and naturopathic treatments and corresponding qualifications of the offering veterinarian. Data were collected and processed using Excel 2013 Version 15.0. Afterward, a descriptive data analysis was performed.

Results: 60.7% (n = 657) of homepages showed contents of veterinary naturopathy and complementary medicine. The highest percentage was found in the Chamber of Veterinary Surgeons of Saarland (91.7%, n = 11 out of 12). Homeopathy was cited most frequently (58%, n = 381). Out of all homepages with relevant content, 31.4% (n = 206) gave information about user qualifications, with continuous education programs named most frequently (52.9%, n = 109).

Conclusion: The given data illustrate the high number of German veterinary homepages with contents of veterinary naturopathy and complementary medicine, corresponding to actual data of a high usage in veterinary and human medicine. Therefore, further scientific research in this field seems reasonable. Modes of treatment and qualifications are highly diverse and despite of controversial public discussions, homeopathy was the most frequently cited treatment modality on German veterinary homepages.

Background: Inflammatory and mechanical stimuli in tooth/jaw pathologies can have far-reaching consequences via trigeminal and autonomic circuitry and can cause systemic (e.g., autoimmune) diseases and pain conditions outside the tooth/jaw region. In addition to a case report, we also describe new pathophysiological findings.

Case report: We report on a patient with chronic, therapy-resistant neck pain whose cause lied in the tooth/jaw region, specifically, in wisdom teeth with space problems, and partially impacted. The tooth/jaw area itself was not painful; however, neck pain developed via the nucleus spinalis n. trigemini which extends into the cervical medulla. Surgical restoration of the wisdom teeth and subsequent neural therapy treatment of the extraction scars provided permanent pain relief.

Conclusion: In case of therapy-resistant neck pain (among others), it is worthwhile to look for pathologies in the dental/jaw area, possibly allowing for a causal therapy.

A 58-year-old male with genetically confirmed spinocerebellar ataxia 3 was treated with 10 sessions of eurythmy therapy. He was rated 9 on the "Scale for Assessment and Rating of Ataxia" before therapy started. Among movement and mental symptoms, he complained about sleep disturbances, insensitivity in the feet, and spasms in the legs. The patient was asked to build strong inner images as a basis for the eurythmy therapy movement exercises. After 10 sessions, he reported improvement in sleep disturbances, insensitivity in the feet, and spasms in the legs. He improved to 7.5 points on the "Scale for Assessment and Rating of Ataxia". In the 3 months, before starting and during eurythmy therapy, the patient did not alter the only medication taken (Bryophyllum 50% powder) and did not undergo any other therapy.

Ein 58-jähriger Mann mit genetisch bestätigter spinozerebellärer Ataxie 3 wurde mit 10 Sitzungen Heileurythmie behandelt. Vor Beginn der Therapie wurde er auf der “Scale for Assessment and Rating of Ataxia” mit 9 bewertet. Neben Bewegungs- und psychischen Symptomen klagte er über Schlafstörungen, Unempfindlichkeit in den Füßen und Spasmen in den Beinen. Der Patient wurde aufgefordert, starke innere Bilder als Grundlage für die heileurythmischen Bewegungsübungen aufzubauen. Nach 10 Sitzungen berichtete er über eine Verbesserung der Schlafstörungen, der Unempfindlichkeit in den Füßen und der Spasmen in den Beinen. Er verbesserte sich auf 7.5 Punkte auf der “Scale for Assessment and Rating of Ataxia”. Während der drei Monate vor Beginn und während der Eurythmie Therapie änderte der Patient seine Medikation nicht (Bryophyllum 50% Pulver) und unterzog sich keiner weiteren Therapie.

Background: Cough-variant asthma (CVA), a precursor of typical asthma, is the main cause of chronic cough. We hypothesize that yukmijihwang-tang (YJT), which has been used for chronic cough in traditional medicine and has been reported to have an anti-inflammatory effect, could be an adjuvant to asthma treatment.

Methods: We plan a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, phase 2 trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of YJT in CVA patients. A total of 60 patients with CVA will be recruited and randomly assigned to either a high-dose YJT group, standard-dose YJT group, or control group (placebo) in a 1:1:1 allocation ratio after a 2-week run-in period. For the run-in period, only inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) will be used, and the investigational drug will be administered once a day with concomitant ICS for 6 weeks. Data will be collected at baseline, week 3, and week 6, and the primary outcome measure will be the mean cough symptom score (CSS) change before and after medication. The secondary outcome measures will include the Leicester cough questionnaire-Korean version (LCQ-K) score, eosinophil count and eosinophil cationic protein level, pulmonary function test, and the number of uses of rescue medication, and so on.

Conclusion: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of YJT in concomitant treatment with ICS in patients with CVA and to determine the optimal dosage of YJT. The results are expected to provide evidence for the use of YJT as an adjuvant treatment for CVA.

Cough-Variant-Asthma (CVA), eine Frühform von typischem Asthma, ist die Hauptursache von chronischem Husten. Unserer Vermutung nach könnte Yukmijihwang-Tang (YJT), das in der traditionellen Medizin zur Behandlung von chronischem Husten eingesetzt wird und das Berichten zufolge einen entzündungshemmenden Effekt hat, unterstützend in der Asthma-Therapie wirken.en: Wir planen eine randomisierte, doppelblinde, placebokontrollierte, multizentrische Phase-2-Studie, um die Wirksamkeit und Sicherheit von YJT bei Patienten mit CVA zu untersuchen. Insgesamt werden 60 CVA-Patienten für die Studie rekrutiert und nach einer zweiwöchigen Run-in-Phase randomisiert im Verhältnis 1:1:1 einer Gruppe mit hochdosiertem YJT, einer Gruppe, die YJT in der Standarddosierung erhält oder einer Kontrollgruppe (Placebo) zugewiesen. Während der Run-in-Phase werden nur inhalative Corticosteroide (ICS) verwendet, und das Prüfpräparat wird über 6 Wochen einmal täglich gleichzeitig mit den ICS angewendet. Die Datenerhebung erfolgt bei Studienbeginn, in Woche 3 sowie in Woche 6, und das primäre Zielkriterium ist die Änderung des mittleren Hustenscores (cough symptom score, CSS) vor und nach der Anwendung der Medikamente. Zu den sekundären Zielkriterien gehören der Score des Leicester Hustenfragebogens - koreanische Version (LCQ-K), die Eosinophilenzahl und

Background: Complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) is increasingly provided at university outpatient departments (OPDs) in Germany, but its scientific evaluation is sparse. Therefore, we aimed to investigate and evaluate feasibility, patients' characteristics and complaints at a university's CIM-OPD.

Methods: A prospective evaluation included new patients without age restriction. At baseline, and after 6 and 12 months, patients filled out paper questionnaires. Patients rated their mean subjectively perceived severity of the main complaint within the last 7 days on a numerical rating scale (NRS) from 0 = no complaints to 10 = maximum complaints, their perceived resilience capacity in everyday life within the last 7 days (0 = not resilient to 10 = very resilient), and their contentment with the treatment (0 = not content to 10 = very content). Diagnoses were provided by physicians and coded according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision. All data were analyzed descriptively.

Results: During two years, 536 new patients {72.6% response, age (mean ± standard deviation [SD] and range) 49.6 ± 15.8 and 1-86 years, 75.7% female} chose to participate. The most frequent diagnosis groups were neoplasms (C00-C97, n = 143, 18.6%) and musculoskeletal diseases (M00-M99, n = 137, 17.9%). In n = 165 patients (30.8%), more than one diagnosis was provided. In a subgroup of 187 patients, who returned the questionnaire after 6 months, we compared baseline to 6-month values: severity of main complaint (mean ± SD) 5.2 ± 2.6 changed to 3.9 ± 2.6; resilience capacity 5.1 ± 2.6 to 5.6 ± 2.4. After 6 months, respondents rated their contentment with the treatment with (mean ± SD) 7.7 ± 2.6. Data after 12 months (n = 113) are comparable to data after 6 months.

Conclusion: Patients of our CIM-OPD had a broad age range, were predominantly female, and suffered mostly from oncologic-related complaints and musculoskeletal diseases. In the responding subgroup after 6 months, patients were content with the treatment. These results should be verified by further prospective evaluations.

Komplementäre und integrative Medizin (CIM) wird in Deutschland zunehmend in Hochschulambulanzen (OPDs) angeboten, deren wissenschaftliche Evaluation ist jedoch unzureichend. Deshalb war es unser Ziel, die Durchführbarkeit einer Evaluation, die Charakteristika und die Beschwerden der Patienten und Patientinnen an einer CIM-ODP zu untersuchen.Eine prospektive Evaluation schloss neue Patienten und Patientinnen ohne Altersbeschränkung ein. Zu Baseline sowie nach sechs und 12 Monaten füllten die Patienten und Patientinnen Papierfragebögen aus. Die Patienten und Patientinnen bewerteten ihre mittlere subjektiv empfundene Schwere der Hauptbeschwerden in den letzten sieben Tagen auf einer numeri

Introduction: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder, affecting the trunk and extensor surfaces of the limbs and scalp predominantly. Worldwide prevalence ranges between 0.1 and 11.4%, and in India between 0.4 and 2.8%; this creates a serious health burden. Psoriasis remains a frequently encountered condition in homeopathy practice, but there is a dearth of conclusive efficacy data supporting its use.

Methods: This 6-month, double-blind, randomized trial was conducted on 51 patients suffering from psoriasis at the National Institute of Homoeopathy, India. Patients were randomized to receive either individualized homeopathic medicines (IHMs; n = 25) in LM potencies or identical-looking placebos (n = 26). Psoriasis area and severity index (PASI; primary), psoriasis disability index (PDI), and dermatological life quality index (DLQI; secondary) were measured at baseline and every 2 months, up to 6 months. The intention-to-treat sample was analyzed using a two-way repeated measure analysis of variance.

Results: Although intragroup changes were significant in both groups in the outcome measures, improvements were significantly higher in the IHMs group than in placebos in PASI scores after 6 months of intervention (F1, 49 = 10.448, p = 0.002). DLQI daily activity subscale scores also yielded similar significant results favoring IHMs against placebos after 6 months (F1, 49 = 5.480, p = 0.023). Improvement in PDI total (F1, 49 = 0.063, p = 0.803), DLQI total (F1, 49 = 1.371, p = 0.247), and all remaining subscales were higher in the IHMs group than placebos after 6 months, but nonsignificant statistically. Calcarea carbonica, Mercurius solubilis, Arsenicum album, and Petroleum were the most frequently prescribed medicines.

Conclusions: IHMs exhibited better results than placebos in the treatment of psoriasis. Further research is warranted.

Psoriasis ist eine chronisch entzündliche Hauterkrankung, die vor allem den Körperstamm und die Streckseiten der Extremitäten sowie die Kopfhaut betrifft. Die weltweite Prävalenz liegt zwischen 0,1 und 11,4% und in Indien zwischen 0,4 und 2,8%, was sie zu einer erheblichen Belastung für das Gesundheitssystem macht. In der homöopathischen Praxis ist die Psoriasis nach wie vor häufig anzutreffen, doch mangelt es an schlüssigen Wirksamkeitsdaten, die deren Anwendung stützen.Diese sechsmonatige, doppelblinde, randomisierte Studie wurde mit 51 Psoriasis-Patienten am National Institute of Homoeopathy in Indien durchgeführt. Die Patienten erhielten randomisiert entweder individualisierte homöopathische Arzneimittel (individualized homeopathic medicines, IHMs; n = 25) in LM-Potenzen oder identisch aussehende Placebos (n = 26). Der Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI; primär), der Psoriasis Disability Index (PDI) und der Dermatological