Alternative and Complementary Medicine Commons^™

Feasibility And Acceptability Of Mindfulness For Survivors Of Homicide And Their Providers, Stephanie W. Hartwell, Jeroan J. Allison, Bonita Jones, Rachel Rodrigues, Clementina Chery, Julianna Andrews, Carl E. Fulwiler

University of Massachusetts Medical School Faculty Publications

PURPOSE: This study uses participatory research methods with survivors of homicide and their service providers to explore the feasibility and acceptability of a culturally adapted mindfulness intervention for stress reduction and resilience in homicide survivors.

PROCEDURES: Our mixed methods approach included: (a) previewing a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program with providers and survivors; (b) using their iterative feedback during focus groups to revise the curriculum; and (c) studying the acceptability of the adapted curriculum for survivors through focus group and standardized data collection.

FINDINGS: We learned that providers use mindfulness for self-care and both providers and survivors view the approach for ...

The Psychological And Physiological Effect Of Performing The Primal Reflex Release Technique On Female, Division I Collegiate Athletes, Erika K. Vichcales

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Anxiety is a cognitive, behavioral, and physiological reaction to stress, and athletes have an increased risk being in a high-stress environment. One of the effects of increased stress on the body is a condition known as central sensitization (CS) where the central nervous system amplifies sensory input across many organ systems causing a pain response in normally non-painful areas or hypersensitivity to stimuli. The Primal Reflex Release Technique (PRRT) is a manual-therapy approach for evaluating and relieving musculoskeletal pain in patients, and is meant to facilitate a “neural reboot” of a hyper-aroused nervous system. The purpose of this study is ...

Meditation And Mindfulness Peer-Reviewed Literature: Review, June Kume

School of Health Sciences Publications and Research

Meditation and mindfulness are practices that have becoming readily accepted within the mainstream Westernized culture, as evidenced by the plethora of widely available ways to implement them via online, written, and in-person resources. Expandingevidence demonstrating the beneficial physical and psychological consequences of adhering to these approaches are becoming better understood. As a result, the acceptance to use these approaches in practical applications appears to have become slowly more integrated within medical and scientific investigations over the past twenty years.The current discussion reviews the trending changes in publications of peer-reviewed medical and scientific literature encompassing these topics while providing insight ...

Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy To Treat Insomnia In Adults, Alexandra Christodoulou

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Insomnia is a physically, mentally, and psychologically complicated and distressing medical condition that can affect adults with or without comorbid conditions. Research indicates that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an underutilized, but extremely beneficial intervention that may support individuals in overcoming insomnia and other comorbid conditions, without ever ingesting a pill. Unfortunately, CBT is underutilized due to the patient educational time requirements; therefore, medication is often prescribed as a first line of treatment for insomnia. Adults suffering from insomnia with or without comorbid conditions such as psychiatric disorders or cancer have benefitted from CBT as opposed to oral medications ...

Healing Without Gloves: Can Religion Influence The Interaction Between The Patient And The Healthcare Provider, Quinn Navarro

Armacost Library Undergraduate Research Award (ALURA)

This study explores the potential impact of religion on the relationship between healthcare providers and their patients. It combines literature-based research with a personal reflection upon meaningful engagements with patients that took place over a period of two years. The goal is to better define the role that religion plays in the relationships cultivated between doctors and their patients. I begin my research by documenting links between religion and medicine, dating back to ancient times. This basis underscores why the connection between religion and medicine remains relevant today. My personal reflection provides insight that ultimately contributes to the claim that ...

Effects Of Music Therapy On Individuals With Dementia: An Intergrative Literature Review, Liani Sanchez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this integrative review was to examine the effects of music therapy, a complementary intervention, on individuals with dementia. Peer-reviewed journals were retrieved from MEDLINE, CINAHL, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Music Index to evaluate their relevance to music therapy use in people diagnosed with dementia. English and Spanish-language research articles published from 2000-2017 were included for the review (n=15). The literature indicates the use of music therapy as an adjuvant therapy for the treatment of dementia in older adults may be beneficial in decreasing symptoms of aggression, anxiety, agitation and ...

Evidence-Based Strategies And Practices To Manage Veterans' Noncancer Pain: A Systematic Review, Janice D. Ivery

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Opioid therapy is widely used to treat veterans with chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) despite evidence indicating patient safety concerns with the treatment. Although there is a place for opioid therapy in chronic pain management, opioids are not recommended as the first line of treatment for CNCP because of the risk for accidental overdose and death. The purpose of this project was to examine alternative practices for managing CNCP through a systematic review of the literature guided by the conceptual model of the Joanna Briggs Institute method for systematic reviews (JBIM-SR). A critical appraisal of the literature was conducted, and data ...

The Impact Of Lemongrass, Oregano, And Thyme Essential Oils On Candida Albicans' Virulence Factors, Jennifer Marie Eddins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Increased systemic infections and growing resistance of Candida species in immunosuppressed people have prompted research for additional treatment options. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the potential of lemongrass, oregano, and thyme essential oils tested individually, combined, and combined with the antifungal agents fluconazole and caspofungin to kill Candida albicans isolates in a controlled laboratory setting. This study was grounded on the theoretical concepts of the epidemiologic triangle model. The experimental data collected were used to investigate risk factors related to age, gender, race, and comorbidities. Kill rates of lemongrass, oregano, and thyme essential oils individually and ...

Effects Of Energy-Based Therapies On Postoperative Recovery: An Integrative Review Of The Literature, Emily M. Wooten

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Associated with health care reform, there has been a growing interest among healthcare professionals regarding use of energy-based therapies as a complementary therapeutic intervention. The purpose of this integrative literature review was to examine the impact of energy-based therapies (i.e. healing touch, reiki, therapeutic touch) on patients’ postoperative recovery. The methodology included identifying appropriate peer-reviewed, English-language research articles on the topic area that were published between 2006 to 2018. Following a search in select data bases, articles focusing on the topic were critiqued, analyzed and synthesized by the researcher. Consistent and inconsistent findings along with gaps in the literature ...

Sedentary Time And The Cumulative Risk Of Preserved And Reduced Ejection Fraction Heart Failure: From The Multi-Ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis, Brandi Scot Rariden

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between self-reported sedentary time (ST) and the cumulative risk of preserved ejection fraction heart failure (HFpEF) and reduced ejection fraction heart failure (HFrEF) using a diverse cohort of U.S. adults 45-84 years of age.

Methods: Using data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), we identified 6,814 subjects (52.9% female). All were free of baseline cardiovascular disease. Cox regression was used to calculate the hazard ratios (HR) associated with baseline ST and risk of overall heart failure (HF), HFpEF, and HFrEF. Weekly self-reported ST was ...

Effects Of Micronutrients On The Status Of Hiv-Infected African American Women, Veronica Alicia Graham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Weight loss among HIV-infected African American women (AAW), results in the fall of the cluster of differentiation (CD4) cell count and an increase in the viral load. There are 48,126 HIV-infected AAW who reported weight loss within the first year. AAW who report more than 10% weight loss within the first year progress to AIDS due to a deficiency in micronutrients and poor linkage to care. The phenomenon that occurs with individuals living with HIV does not necessarily occur among individuals who have cancer, heart disease, or some other life-threatening illness, and this phenomenon indicates a direct threat to ...

The Effect Of Yoga In Reducing Pain Related To Arthritis: An Integrative Review Of The Literature, Meredith Collins, Corinne Reed

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Research shows that arthritis is the most common cause of disability in the United States (Middleton et al., 2013). The PICOT question for this systematic review of literature is “In adults over the age of 40 years, how do yoga interventions, compared to pharmacological pain relief methods alone, affect arthritic pain intensity and frequency?” This systematic review will discuss the possible benefits of using yoga as treatment for both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. The methods for this review included a comprehensive search yielding nineteen credible studies using the databases Search-A-Roo, Google Scholar, and CINAHL Plus for full-text academic journal articles ...

The Effect Of Complementary Therapies On The Treatment Of Chemotherapeutic Induced Nausea And Vomiting: A Systematic Review, Kailyn Sickel, Mary Barrett, Abigal Siegenthaler

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Chemotherapy is one of the most prevalent treatment options for cancer patients, but a major side effect of this treatment, chemotherapeutic induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), can often be debilitating and problematic for patients. The goal of this systematic review is to evaluate the effectiveness of complementary therapies in reducing CINV in adult oncology patients. A total of 20 studies were reviewed of adult populations that received standard antiemetic care, with each study failing to yield the same results upon evaluating the effectiveness of complementary therapies on patients’ CINV. The complementary therapies studied included ginger therapy, acupressure, acupuncture, guided imagery ...

Vapocoolant Spray’S Effect On Peripheral Inserted Venous Catheter Pain In Adult Patients, Zachary Krol, Fiona Flaherty, Ryan Williams

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Intravenous (IV) cannulation is required to administer medications and fluids to patients. In addition, it is also a recognized source of pain and anxiety in over one-half of all patients requiring IV insertion (Page & Taylor, 2010). Pain management is within nurses’ scope of practice, therefore it’s important to identify effective pain management strategies. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect that a topical vapocoolant spray has on pain in pre-operative adults during IV cannulation. The gate control theory of pain will guide this randomized, experimental study of a convenience sample of adults in an outpatient endoscopic ...

Veterans With Chronic Back Pain Managed In Primary Care: Patient Aligned Care Team, Bonnie Grimes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic pain affects approximately 100 million adults in the United States annually, and costs exceeding $635 billion. Pain is the most common complaint in primary care, and chronic pain accounts for up to 16% of emergency room visits. Additionally, chronic pain accounts for 25% of missed workdays annually. Veterans are particularly vulnerable to chronic pain and have an increased incidence of chronic non-cancer pain. Chronic pain for veterans cost the Veterans Administration (VA) about $385 billion each year. This project evaluated the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) model to manage chronic lower back pain (CLBP) at a VA primary care ...

Integrative Medicine In Primary Care, Ashley M. Bjornerud

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

Integrative medicine (IM) is an approach to care that puts the patient at the center and addresses the full range of physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual and environmental influences that affect a person’s health (Rakel, 2017). Commonly, integrative medicine is associated with complementary and alternative medicine therapies (CAM). These are two separate entities. CAM is one of the modalities used in integrative medicine.

The review of the literature on IM analyzed studies in primary care settings in all parts of the world. Definitions of IM and CAM are evaluated. Defining what IM is and how to incorporate this approach ...

Integrative Medicine In Primary Care, Ashley M. Bjornerud

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Integrative medicine (IM) is an approach to care that puts the patient at the center and addresses the full range of physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual and environmental influences that affect a person’s health (Rakel, 2017). Commonly, IM is associated with complementary and alternative medicine therapies (CAM). These are two separate entities. CAM is one of the modalities used in integrative medicine.

Electrochemical And Spectroscopic Study Of Peptide-Template Melanins, Daniel Courter, Olivia Rossi, Zhen Tian

Honors Theses and Capstones

Melanins are organic polymers made up of 5,6-dihydroxyindole carboxylic acid (DHICA) and 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI). Biochemical systems synthesize melanins through a complex reaction pathway. Previous research exhibited that naturally-occurring melanins (NatMel) and their synthetic analogues (SynMel) can potentially serve as electrode materials for aqueous charge storage devices. Small surface area creates technical challenges for these melanins as charge storage materials. This research herein demonstrates that the structure of melanins can affect the charge storage capacities of monovalent Na⁺cations and divalent Mg²⁺ cations. 2-D sheet-like peptide melanins (PepMel) were synthesized into tripeptides consisting of aspartic acid (D), phenylalanine ...

Relative Effectiveness Of Mindfulness And Cognitive Behavioral Interventions For Anxiety Disorders: Meta-Analytic Review, Samina K. Singh, Kevin M. Gorey

Social Work Publications

Increasingly popular mindfulness intervention innovations seem demonstrably effective in alleviating anxiety among people with anxiety disorders. However, the basis of such primary and synthetic evidence has, for the most part, been comparisons with non-active comparison conditions such as waiting lists. The longest-standing and strongest evidence-informed practices in this field have been cognitive behavioral interventions (CBI). This meta-analysis synthesized evidence from nine randomized trials of the relative effectiveness of mindfulness interventions compared to CBIs (i.e., active control groups) in treating anxiety disorders. The sample-weighted synthesis found no statistically or practically significant differences between the two groups on anxiety alleviation: Cohen ...

Feasibility And Preliminary Efficacy Of A 10-Week Resistance And Aerobic Exercise Intervention During Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation Treatment In Rectal Cancer Patients, Favil Singh, Daniel A. Galvão, Robert Newton, Nigel A. Spry, Michael K. Baker, Dennis R. Taaffe

ECU Publications Post 2013

Background: Neoadjuvant chemoradiation treatment (CRT) in rectal cancer patients is associated with a reduction in physical capacity, lean mass and increased fatigue. As a countermeasure to these treatment-related adverse effects, we examined the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a 10-week exercise program during CRT. Methods: Ten rectal cancer patients (7 men, aged 27-70 years, body mass index = 26.4 ± 3.8 kg/m2) receiving CRT undertook supervised resistance and aerobic exercise twice weekly. Assessments were undertaken pre- and post-intervention for upper and lower body muscle strength by 1-RM, muscle endurance, physical performance tests, body composition by dual X-ray absorptiometry, quality ...