Alternative and Complementary Medicine Commons^™

The Use Of Dietary Interventions In Pediatric Patients, Shirin Madzhidova, Lusine Sedrakyan

PCOM Scholarly Papers

Complementary and alternative treatment approaches are becoming more common among children with chronic conditions. The prevalence of CAM use among US adults was estimated to be around 42% in 2015 and around 44% to 50% among adults with neurologic disorders. Studies demonstrate that children with certain chronic illnesses such as asthma, cancer, genetic disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other neurodevelopmental disorders are treated with complementary and alternative treatments at higher rates. Dietary therapies are gaining increasing popularity in the mainstream population. Although the majority of "fad" diets do not have enough supporting evidence, some dietary therapies have been utilized for …

Is Acupuncture An Effective Treatment For Alleviating Fibromyalgia?, Brittney Beckmon-Forrester

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not acupuncture is an effective treatment for alleviating fibromyalgia.

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review of three randomized controlled trials published in 2014, 2016, and 2017.

DATA SOURCES: Data sources for this review were articles published in peer-reviewed journals using PubMed Database.

OUTCOME(S) MEASURED: The outcome measured was the patients decrease in pain intensity through the use of the visual analog scale.

RESULTS: Stival et al. (2014) found that the change in pain for patients who received true acupuncture to be statistically significant with a p-value of 0.0001. Ugurle …

Is Electroacupuncture Effective In Improving Quality Of Life For Women With Urinary Incontinence?, Shelby Kaminsky

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective evidence based medicine (EBM) review is to determine whether or not “Is electroacupuncture effective in improving quality of life for women with urinary incontinence?”

STUDY DESIGN: A systematic review of 3 peer-reviewed studies published between the years of 2014 and 2017.

DATA SOURCES: Two randomized placebo-controlled studies and one comparative study evaluating if electroacupuncture (EA) and/or the use of tolterodine improves the quality of life and therapeutic effects of those with urinary incontinence (UI). Sources were selected from PubMed and Cochrane Library based off of their relevance to the clinical question and the outcomes …

Is Aromatherapy Effective In Treating Emotional Instability In Women Undergoing Surgical Breast Procedures?, Stephanie Deem

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not “Is aromatherapy effective in treating emotional instability in women undergoing surgical breast procedures?”

Study Design: Systematic review of one single-site, randomized study, one randomized control trial, and one randomized, placebo-controlled study, all English language, one published in 2016 and two published in 2017.

Data Sources: Studies were published in peer-reviewed journals and researched via the PubMed Database.

Outcomes Measured: All of the articles analyzed the effectiveness of aromatherapy in treating emotional instability in women undergoing surgical breast procedures. Improved emotional instability was …

Does Adjuvant Therapy With Omega-3 Fatty Acids (Fish Oil) Improve Joint Tenderness In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis?, Eileen Fauteux

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not adjuvant therapy with Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) improves joint tenderness in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of 3 double-blind, randomized controlled trials from 2010- 2017.

DATA SOURCES: Three peer-reviewed journal articles written in English were found using PubMed. Articles were selected based on their relevance to the question and whether the outcome measured was patient-oriented evidence that matters.

OUTCOME(S) MEASURED: All articles analyzed the effectiveness of adjunctive treatment with omega-3 fatty acids on the improvement of joint tenderness in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. …

Is Honey, As Adjunctive Therapy, Effective In Alleviating Nasal Allergy Symptoms?, Arielle N. Ditzel

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether honey used as adjunctive therapy is effective in alleviating nasal allergy symptoms.

STUDY DESIGN: This is a systematic review of three randomized controlled trials published between 2010-2013, all in the English language.

DATA SOURCES: Three randomized controlled trials, which studied the effects of honey used as adjunctive therapy for the relief of nasal allergy symptoms, these were obtained using PubMed.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: The outcome of each study was a patient reported decrease in the number of days and the severity of nasal allergy symptoms including: sneezing, itching, nasal …

Is Curcumin An Effective Treatment For Major Depressive Disorder?, Virginia Hoptman

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not curcumin is an effective treatment for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).

STUDY DESIGN: A systematic review of three peer-reviewed studies published between 2014 and 2017.

DATA SOURCES: Two of the studies were randomized, double-blind, and placebo controlled. The third study was a randomized controlled trial. All three studies were chosen due to relevance to the clinical question and if they included patient oriented outcomes. The studies were found using PubMed.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: The outcomes of the studies were measured using self-report scales on each patient’s mood. The …

Is Acupuncture Effective In Reducing Opioid Cravings In Detoxifying Opioid Abusing Adults?, Sarah Kish

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not “Is acupuncture effective in reducing opioid cravings in detoxifying opioid abusing adults?”

STUDY DESIGN: A review of three RCTs published in English, each of which was published in 2009, 2013 and 2014 respectively.

DATA SOURCES: Three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in peer-reviewed journals that evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture to reduce opioid cravings found via PubMed and ScienceDirect.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Opioid cravings via 100 millimeter analog scale score, the Maudsely craving score consisting of five-point Likert scales and withdraw symptoms as measured by a 4-point …

Can Yoga Therapy Help To Decrease Osteoarthritis-Related Pain In Adults With Knee Osteoarthritis?, Justin Mahr

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not yoga therapy can help to decrease osteoarthritis-related pain in adults with knee osteoarthritis.

Study Design: A review of two randomized controlled trials and one randomized control trial pilot study that were published in English in peer-reviewed journals after 2007.

Data Sources: All articles were selected from peer-reviewed journals and found via PubMed.

Outcome(s) Measured: Patient perception of pain using either a Walking Numerical Rating Scale (WNRS) and/or a Western Ontario and McMaster Universities OA Index scale (WOMAC).

Results: All three studies …

Is Acupuncture A Beneficial Therapy For The Treatment Of Alcohol Dependence?, Jamie E. Mcginn

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not acupuncture is a beneficial therapy for the treatment of alcohol dependence.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three randomized controlled trails (RCTs) which were published in 2007, 2015, and 2016.

DATA SOURCES: All articles were presented in English and taken from peer reviewed journals found on PubMed.

OUTCOMES: The various symptoms of alcohol dependence; from withdrawal, cravings, and use were assessed through various methods. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms were assed using the alcohol-withdrawal syndrome scale, alcohol craving was assed using a Visual Analogue Scale, and alcohol use was measured …

Does Lavender Oil Improve Sleep Quality In Adults Ages 18 To 65 Years Old?, Staci Sommerfeld

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not lavender oil is an effective therapy in improving the overall sleep quality in patients ages 18 to 65 years old.

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review of one double-blind two-stage randomized control trial (RCT), one double-blind RCT, and one single-blind RCT.

DATA SOURCES: All articles were published in English and were taken from peer reviewed sources using CINAHL Plus and Alt HealthWatch. All articles used were published between 2010-2015.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Two of the article’s outcomes were based on the patient selfreporting improved sleep quality using the Pittsburgh …

Does Yoga Improve Symptoms In Patients With Parkinson’S Disease?, Victoria L. Starner

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not yoga improved symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

STUDY DESIGN: A systematic review of three peer-reviewed primary studies published between 2014 and 2018.

DATA SOURCES: Two randomized control trials and one before and after case study evaluating if yoga can improve symptoms for patients who are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

OUTCOMES MEASURES: The outcomes that were measured were balance and movement speed. Balance was measured using single leg balance test, single leg stance, and Berg Balance Scale. Movement speed, bradykinesia, was measured using the Unified Parkinson’s …

Is Ginger An Effective Treatment For Reducing The Severity Of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea In Breast Cancer Patients?, Julina Taurino

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not “Is ginger an effective treatment for reducing the severity of chemotherapy-induced nausea in breast cancer patients?”

Study Design: The systematic review of three English language, peer reviewed, randomized control trials have been published between 2015 and 2016.

Data Sources: Three randomized control trials were obtained using the PubMed database. One single-blind randomized control trial, one double-blinded randomized control trial, and one double-blind Phase II-III randomized control trial.

Outcomes Measured: The participants of the trials graded the severity of nausea after the intervention of ginger or the …

Does Grounding To The Earth Reduce Subjective Experience Of Pain?, Adam Umbro

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not grounding to the earth reduces subjective experience of pain.

STUDY DESIGN: This paper evaluates one double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial, one randomized placebo-controlled trial, and one prospective cohort trial investigating the efficacy of grounding in reducing subjects’ experience of pain.

DATA SOURCES: All articles were published in English language peer-reviewed journals and accessed through PubMed.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: The outcome measured in this review is the subjective experience of pain by study participants. Pain levels are measured using a visual-analog pain scale or pain survey.

RESULTS: Two studies …

Are Substances Found In Green Tea Effective In Reducing Inflammatory And Noninflammatory Lesion Counts In Men And Women With Acne Vulgaris?, Kimberly I. Ward

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not the substances found in green tea are effective in reducing noninflammatory and inflammatory lesion counts in men and women with acne vulgaris.

STUDY DESIGN: Systemic review of two double-blind RCTs and one case study published after 2008, all in the English language.

DATA SOURCES: Data sources obtained for this review were found using PubMed, published in peer-reviewed journals and selected based on relevance to the clinical question, outcomes measured and date published.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: The outcomes were measured based off of reduction in total lesion counts, …