Alternative therapies in health and medicine最新文献

Background: Wound infections are a common complication of trauma or pathological disorders, posing significant treatment challenges. Historical medical texts describe around 60 procedures to facilitate wound healing, ensure proper tissue approximation, and achieve scar-free recovery. Among these, techniques involving bloodletting have proven particularly effective. One such method, leech therapy, is a biological debridement technique that supports wound cleaning and healing through controlled bloodletting. This minimally invasive and cost-effective therapy improves circulation, reduces local swelling, and enhances wound healing by removing infected or congested blood. Additionally, anticoagulants and bioactive substances in leech saliva help with inflammation reduction, wound cleaning, and tissue regeneration. With high efficacy in cleansing and repairing wounds, leech therapy is invaluable in treating infected or chronic wounds. Its simplicity, safety, and effectiveness make it an accessible therapeutic option for healthcare settings. Leech salivary gland secretions (SGS) contain over 150 bioactive ingredients like Hyaluronidase, Hirustasin, Eglins, and Bdellins, which have analgesic, anaesthetic, anti-microbial, blood-thinning, and anti-inflammatory properties, which collaboratively work in favour of wound healing and pain management.

Aims and objectives: To evaluate the impact of Jalaukavcharan (blood-letting) on wound healing and pain relief. This study aims to present an evidence-based practice of leech therapy in the form of a case series.

Material and methods: Four patients with infected wounds, including some with non-healing wounds.

Results: All the patients showed steady improvement in wound healing and pain management.

Conclusion: Jalaukavacharan, combined with oral antibiotics and herbal medications, exhibits notable efficacy in wound healing within wound management protocols, showcasing remarkable effects on the overall healing process.

Keywords: Infected wounds, chronic non-healing wound, Ayurveda, Leech Therapy, case series.

Background: Depression is a prevalent mental health disorder affecting millions globally, leading to significant personal and societal burdens. Characterized by persistent sadness, hopelessness, and various cognitive and physical symptoms, it remains a major clinical challenge. Current treatment methods primarily rely on antidepressants and psychotherapy; however, many patients experience limited relief or adverse side effects, necessitating alternative approaches. Unani medicine offers a holistic strategy, focusing on humoral balance through natural remedies, dietary adjustments, and lifestyle modifications.

Objectives: This review aims to examine depression from both modern and traditional perspectives.

Methodology: A comprehensive review was conducted by analyzing classical Unani manuscripts and contemporary scientific databases. Foundational texts such as Al-Qanoon Fit Tib, Kamil-us-Sana'a, Zakhira Khwarzam Shahi, Al Aqseer, and Moulijat Buqratiya were assessed for insights. Modern databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, were systematically searched with terms like "Malikhuliya", "Unani medicine", "depression", "black bile", and "mental disorders". Articles addressing both theoretical frameworks and clinical perspectives on depression were included in the study.

Results and discussion: Comparing modern and traditional treatments provides key insights into depression management. Conventional pharmacotherapy, including Selective Serotonin Reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), effectively alleviates symptoms but has drawbacks such as delayed efficacy, side effects, and relapse risks. Studies suggest that integrating Unani principles with modern therapies may enhance treatment outcomes by improving adherence, reducing side effects, and promoting holistic well-being.

Conclusion: Unani medicine provides complementary strategies that emphasize overall well-being. Integrating both systems may enhance treatment effectiveness, ensuring a balanced and personalized approach. Clinical trials assessing Unani herbal formulations alongside conventional medications could optimize depression management, paving the way for improved mental health care globally.

Keywords: depression, psychotherapy, melancholy, Unani Medicine, Malikhuliya.

Background: Ageing leads to changes in the musculoskeletal, vascular, and nervous systems, diminishing strength, balance, and coordination, which increases the risk of fall (RoF), and may result in injuries, fear, and social isolation. Yoga effectively reduces RoF in older adults by improving flexibility, strength, and balance, enhancing stability, confidence, and overall well-being.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a four-week yoga intervention on the RoF, gait speed, and quality of life (QoL) in the young-old population.

Setting: The study was conducted in a single geographical area (Belagavi city, Karnataka, India) from October 2024 to February 2025.

Participants: 23 participants (11 men and 12 women) with mild to moderate balance impairment. Participants are aged 65 to 74 years old. The group had an average BMI of 25.38, was capable of walking 3 meters, and had no serious comorbid conditions. One person was lost to follow-up, and no adverse effects were reported.

Intervention: Participants underwent a week-wise structured yoga intervention: a 30-minute session, thrice a week, for four weeks. Each session included 5 minutes of pre-workout, 20 minutes of yoga asanas, and 5 minutes of cool-down. Asanas progressed weekly in complexity and balance challenge.

Primary outcome measures: RoF using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Gait speed using the Timed Up and Go test (TUG), and QoL using the Older People's Quality of Life (OPQOL)-Brief questionnaire.

Results: Yoga intervention showed significant improvements (P < .05) over time in BBS, TUG, and OPQOL-Brief scores.

Conclusion: Yoga intervention led to notable improvements in reducing the RoF, improving gait speed, and QoL from baseline to week 4 among the young-old population.

Keywords: elderly, yoga, risk of fall, gait speed, berg balance scale, quality of life.

Background: Psoriasis remains an incurable and recurrent condition despite modern treatment. Traditional Unani Medicine recommends numerous formulations for psoriasis, but with little supporting scientific evidence.

Primary study objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Majoon Mundi and Roghan Gul compared to apremilast and coconut oil in managing chronic plaque psoriasis (CPP).

Methods/design: The study was a randomized, open-label, standard-controlled clinical trial, with 33 participants. 20 patients completed the 6-week treatment course in the test group, while 10 patients completed the 6-week treatment course in the control group.

Setting: The study was conducted at the National Institute of Unani Medicine (NIUM), Bangalore, India, from June 2021 to December 2021.

Participants: Participants aged 18-60 years, of either gender, diagnosed with CPP, and based on psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score.

Interventions: The participants in the test group received 10 g of Majoon Mundi orally twice daily after meals and Roghan Gul for topical use twice daily, while the participants in the active control group received apremilast orally in a titrated dose and coconut oil as a topical application twice daily.

Outcome measures: The primary outcome of the study was a reduction in PASI score, and the secondary outcome was a reduction in dermatology life quality index (DLQI) score. Photographic assessments were conducted at the 14th, 28th, and 42nd day of the follow-up period.

Results: Intragroup analyses revealed that the test and control groups experienced a statistically significant reduction in PASI and DLQI scores (P < .001). Intergroup analysis showed no statistically significant difference in the reduction of PASI and DLQI scores between groups (P = .772 and .775, respectively).

Conclusion: This study found that together, Majoon Mundi and Roghan Gul are as effective as apremilast and coconut oil in decreasing PASI and DLQI scores for managing CPP.

Keywords: apremilast, comparative study, herbal medicine, psoriasis, unani medicine.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive condition often associated with hypertension and diabetes, leading to impaired renal function and poor quality of life.

Objective: This study employed alternative and holistic approaches to enhance kidney function in a 56-year-old male diagnosed with CKD in 2021, hypertension in January 2021, and diabetes mellitus type 2 in 2022, who presented with worsening renal function and back pain symptoms.

Study design: Single-patient case study at a single centre.

Intervention: A 12-day intervention based on an integrated naturopathy and yoga approach was provided, which included therapeutic yoga, diet, hydrotherapy, manipulative, and relaxation techniques.

Setting: Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Yoga and Nature Cure Hospital, Dharmasthala, India.

Outcome measures: General parameters (weight and body mass index), blood pressure (systolic and diastolic), kidney profile (creatinine and urea), urine profile (protein and sugar), blood glucose (fasting blood sugar and postprandial blood sugar), and pain (using Visual Analog Scale).

Results: Post-treatment evaluation showed a notable improvement in his fasting blood sugar (15%), postprandial blood sugar (32%), blood pressure (~10%), serum creatinine (32%), proteinuria, glycosuria, and pain score relief (60-80%).

Conclusion: This suggests that an integrated yoga and naturopathy approach may be considered an alternative or adjunct treatment for managing CKD. However, additional research is needed to validate these findings.

Keywords: chronic kidney disease, yoga, naturopathy, diet, case study.

Background: Sciatica is a type of musculoskeletal pain experienced in the leg along the distribution of the sciatic nerve. It is occasionally accompanied by lower backache. According to the Unani system of medicine, Irq al-Nasa (Sciatica) is a form of Wajaul Mafasil (Arthritis), characterised by hip pain that travels from the back of the thigh to the ankle joint. Conventional treatments for Sciatica typically involve medication, surgery, or occasionally both. The use of corticosteroids and painkillers is associated with a higher risk of adverse events, and their effectiveness is also questionable. This warrants the need for an effective, complementary treatment option for Sciatica.

Aim: This case report aims to evaluate the efficacy of Fasd (Venesection) in managing Irq al-Nasa.

Case description: The patient was a 63-year-old non-hypertensive, non-diabetic, euthyroid male, complaining of persistent left-sided pain in the upper thigh, lower buttock region, with pain radiating to the left leg, calf, and toes, along with numbness and tingling sensations. Sciatica was diagnosed based on three objective criteria: Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain score, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and Straight Leg Raising Test (SLRT), as well as from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lumbo-sacral spine.

Intervention: Fasd (Venesection) was performed on the left saphenous minor vein of the patient once a week for two weeks. The patients were assessed using VAS, ODI, and SLRT.

Outcome: Before the intervention, the VAS score was 8, the ODI was 42%, and the SLR was 30%. Following the first Fasd procedure, the VAS score decreased to 4, the ODI reduced to 22%, and the SLR improved to 60%. After the second procedure, the VAS score reached 0, the ODI further dropped to 8%, and the SLR increased to 90%.

Conclusion: This case report provides preliminary evidence supporting the use of Fasd in treating Sciatica.

Keywords: Fasd, Venesection, Sciatica, Irq al-Nasa, pain management, case report.

Background: Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are prevalent respiratory conditions with overlapping pathogenic features such as chronic inflammation.

Primary study objective: This study aimed to identify key contributors and pathways that are common to both of these disorders, potentially allowing for the detection of therapeutic targets, particularly for patients with asthma-COPD overlap syndrome.

Methods: Using an integrated transcriptomics approach, eight datasets were analyzed, including two each for COPD and asthma, in both blood and airway epithelial cells. Thereafter, by identifying shared differentially expressed genes between COPD and asthma, protein-protein interaction and miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks were constructed for blood and epithelial cells, and hub genes were determined. Lastly, functional enrichment analysis was conducted to determine the biological functions of the discovered shared protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks.

Results: The construction of shared PPI networks for these two respiratory disorders highlighted key hub genes, including ribosomal proteins and IL-1β in blood and CTNNB1 in airway epithelial cells. Two members of the miR-30 family, including miR-30a-3p and miR-30e-3p, were discerned as multi-target regulators of hub genes in both networks of blood and airway epithelial cells. Infection-related pathways were substantially enriched, as revealed by functional analysis of shared networks for both blood and airway epithelial cells.

Conclusion: IL-1β signaling may serve as a potential link between asthma and COPD, since it was identified as a hub gene in the shared network of blood. Likewise, downregulated CTNNB1 was discerned as a key gene in the shared network of airway epithelial samples.

Keywords: asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, transcriptome, gene expression profiling, systems biology.

Objective: This study evaluates the efficacy of fast-track rehabilitation nursing in surgical patients with acute cervical spinal cord injury.

Methods: Fifty-four patients with acute cervical spinal cord injury who underwent surgery at our hospital from July 2016 to July 2020 were selected and randomly divided into a control group and an experimental group, with 27 patients in each group. The control group received routine perioperative nursing care, including preoperative guidance, intraoperative monitoring, postoperative pain management, and prevention of complications. The experimental group received fast-track rehabilitation nursing in addition to the routine care. The key components of the fast-track approach included preoperative health education and psychological counseling, early postoperative mobilization and assisted lower limb function training, resumption of oral intake within 24 hours after surgery, enhanced pain management, and preventive measures against complications.

Results: The experimental group had a significantly shorter time to first voluntary movement and first oral intake after surgery, compared to the control group (both P < .05). The postoperative VAS pain score was also significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group (P < .05). Regarding ASIA grading improvement, in the control group, 4 of 12 patients with grade B improved to grade C, 3 improved to grade D, 5 of 13 patients with grade C improved to grade D, 6 improved to grade E, and 2 patients with grade D all improved to grade E, with an overall improvement rate of 74.07%. The improvement rate was significantly higher in the experimental group, reaching 96.30% (P < .05). The experimental group had significantly higher ADL scores (P < .05) and lower SAS and SDS scores (P < .05) than the control group. The in-hospital complication rate was 25.93% in the experimental group and 59.26% in the control group, with a significant difference (P < .05), while the follow-up complication rates were not significantly different between the two groups (P > .05).

Conclusion: Fast-track rehabilitation nursing significantly improves surgical outcomes in patients with acute cervical spinal cord injury. This approach enhances ASIA grading, accelerates postoperative recovery, improves daily living activities, reduces negative emotions, and lowers the risk of complications. This nursing model is an ideal application for this patient population.

Keywords: Fast-track rehabilitation nursing, Acute cervical spinal cord injury, Surgery, Application value Fast-track rehabilitation nursing, Acute cervical spinal cord injury, Surgery, Application value.