Alternative and Complementary Medicine Commons^™

Harnessing The Placebo Effect: A New Model For Mind-Body Healing Mechanisms, Gabriel Crane

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

The placebo effect is a phenomenon that has confounded Western medicine and research for over sixty years. While the field has historically and continues to be rife with misconceptions and confusion, recent research aims to reignite the art of medicine by turning the effect's underlying mechanisms to therapeutic benefit. However, researchers may not have the appropriate theoretical framework to do so. While significant progress has been made in identifying a number of the placebo effect's underlying mechanisms, conceptual deficiencies hinder application of advances in the field. In part, this is because the placebo effect unearths a number of problematic philosophical …

Considerations And Caveats For The Use Of Placebo Responses In Clinical Care: Minding The Matter Of Mechanisms–And Morality– In Medical Treatment, James Giordano

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Wo’Kikso’Ye!: Live And Remember. Reflections On Akicita Cik’Ila, Little Soldier, Alex Lunderman (1929-2000), Richard William Voss, Joel R. Ambelang

Social Work (Undergraduate) Faculty Publications

It isn’t often that one gets to meet someone like Alex J. Lunderman, Sr. His Lakota name was Akicita Cik’ala (Little Soldier). The co-authors of this reflection worked closely with Alex over the years in different ways. Richard Voss, who is the speaker in this narrative, met Alex (Little Soldier) in his personal spiritual journey that eventually linked to his research interests in a number of collaborations with Alex (Little Soldier) and other Lakota Elders (Voss, R. W., Douville, V., Little Soldier, A., & White Hat, Sr., 1999a; Voss, Douville, Little Soldier, & Twiss, 1999b). Joel Ambelang followed this research …

A Study On Stress And Aromatherapy Intervention Efficacy, Mckinley J. Sangwin

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Stress is one of the most common psychological conditions college students suffer. Stress is associated with anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, heart disease, disordered eating, irritability, decreased academic performance, and decreased life satisfaction. Intervention is needed. Essential oils are non-invasive and simple to use and were chosen for this study based on their potential ability to reduce stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of aromatherapy as a stress reduction tool for college students. This study took place in Aber Hall and involved residents of floors 6 and 7, as assigned by the residence life director. …

The Effect Of Curcumin On Cardiovascular Health In Obese Men, Marilyn S. Campbell

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and conventional treatment often emphasizes pharmaceutical approaches. Research has recently started exploring non-pharmaceutical approaches, including nutritional interventions. This research study was conducted to test the effectiveness of a novel nutritional approach, curcumin, on the improvement of cardiovascular health in young, obese males (BMI≥30 kg/m²). This study included 22 men, matched based on BMI and randomly assigned to the intervention (n=11) or placebo group (n=11). The intervention consisted of 12 weeks of curcumin supplementation (1.0 g/day) with fenugreek added to enhance the curcumin bioavailability; the placebo consisted …

The Effect Of An 8-Minute Yoga Breathing Program On Fitness, Weight Loss And Breathing Capacity, Jerrold S. Petrofsky, Michael S. Laymon, Iman Akef Khowailed, Haneul Lee, Allie Petrofsky

College of Health & Human Services (TUN) Publications and Research

This was a single blinded randomized study with an intervention group and a control group to examine a modification in lifestyle and an 8-minute exercise session each day to lose weight. Fifty-seven female subjects participated. Subjects underwent girth measurements at the umbilicus, hips, thigh and upper arm; weight, height (for BMI), body fat, heart rate, blood pressure, abdominal strength, leg strength, arm strength, sedentary O2 saturation, treadmill challenged O2 saturation, resting metabolism (which includes fat metabolism), and lung capacity. Measures were repeated at baseline and the end of the 6-week period. During the 6-week period, they followed a healthy recommended …

Comparing Textbooks From Entry-Level Courses In Music Therapy And Related Health Professions, Alexandria Langella

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Music therapists often co-treat with other therapists from related professions, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology. In order to co-treat effectively and obtain referrals for music therapy services, it is important that other professionals have an awareness of the profession of music therapy. University-level professional training program courses are one place where health care professionals may learn about music therapy. The purpose of this study was to see if required textbooks used in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology entry-level courses in Kentucky contain references to music therapy, and if the required textbooks used in music therapy …

Is Acupuncture, Including Electroacupuncture, Effective In Treating Pain In Plantar Fasciitis?, Alicia Campiglia

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether the use of acupuncture, including electroacupuncture, is effective in treating pain in patients with plantar fasciitis.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of 3 RCTs published between 2011-current, all in the English language.

DATA SOURCES: Three RCTs analyzed the effectiveness of acupuncture therapy compared to a control group using alternate analgesic therapies. All studies were found using EBSCOhost and PubMed and were selected based on relevance to the proposed clinical question.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Each of the 3 articles analyzed the effectiveness of treating pain with acupuncture treatment in patients diagnosed with …

How Effective Is Acupuncture In Treating Cancer-Related Fatigue In Adult Cancer Patients?, Anita Elizabeth Kurian

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not acupuncture is an effective course of treatment for improving cancer-related fatigue in adult cancer patients.

DESIGN: Review of three English language primary randomized controlled studies published from 2006-2012.

DATA SOURCES: Three randomized controlled trials studying the effects of acupuncture therapy on cancer-related fatigue were found using PubMed and Cochrane databases.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Each of the three trials assessed the efficacy and clinical improvement of cancer-related fatigue after acupuncture therapy. Results were measured on the Functional Assessment of Chronic-Illness Therapy-Fatigue Subscale (FACIT-F) or the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory …

Is Yoga An Effective Treatment For Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd)?, Marissa Ionna

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not “Is Yoga An Effective Treatment For Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?”

Study Design: Systematic review of three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in peer reviewed journals between 2010-2014, all English language.

Data Sources: Three randomized controlled trials were found using PubMed.

Outcomes Measured: All three studies measured improvement in PTSD symptoms through yoga therapy using self-reported patient questionnaires, visual analog scales, and vital signs.

Results: Studies by Telles et al. and van der Kolk et al. found that yoga therapy significantly improved symptoms in patients with Post-Traumatic …

Is Acupuncture An Effective Treatment For Women With Chronic Migraine?, Elham Oumer

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not acupuncture is effective in treating chronic migraine in women between the ages of 18-65.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of two randomized controlled trials and one prospective controlled trial published in English language between 2009 and 2014.

DATA SOURCES: Two PCTs and one prospective CT published in peer reviewed journals, searched through PubMed, EBSCOhost.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: The outcome measured included improvement in quality of life, reduction in intensity and number of headache days. This were measured using 50% responders analysis, self reporting by participants, short form 36 (SF-36) …

Does Yoga Decrease Self-Report Of Antenatal Depression Among Healthy Pregnant Women Aged 18-40 Years Old In The 2nd And 3rd Trimesters?, Emily J. Moore

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not yoga decreases self-report of antenatal depression among healthy pregnant women aged 18-40 years old in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters.

Study Design: Review of three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in peer reviewed journals in 2013 and one RCT published in a peer reviewed journal in 2012 were used.

Data Source: Data sources included articles published in English in peer reviewed journals found using PubMed. Articles were selected based on their relevance to my clinical question.

Outcomes Measured: All four studies measured self-report of symptoms of …

A Review Of Factors Contributing To The Shortage Of Palliative Care Service For Adolescent And Young Adult Oncology Patients, Erin K. Harper

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Adolescent and young adult oncology (patients aged 15–39 years old) is an emerging group of patients that are recognized to have distinctive qualities concerning their cancer treatment, including intensified psychosocial needs compared to their adult and child counterparts (Bleyer, 2012). The quality of life for adolescent and young adults during and after cancer treatment is disproportionally worse than what is reported by adults and children and the incidence of cancer in this population is steadily growing (Bleyer, 2011, 2012; Pritchard, Cuvelier, Harlos, & Barr, 2011; Rosenberg & Wolfe, 2013; Siegel, Naishadham, & Jemal, 2013; Wein, Pery, & Zer, 2011). Palliative …

The Effect Of Therapeutic Horseback Riding On Balance And Self-Efficacy In Children With Developmental Disabilities, Alexandra Smola, Lauren Hurley

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Therapeutic horseback riding (THR) has positive health related outcomes in children with developmental disabilities. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a 10-week THR intervention on balance and task-specific self-efficacy in children with developmental disabilities. Bandura’s social cognitive theory and the physical stress theory guided the quasi-experimental study. A pre-test post-test design (N=20) was implemented with a 10-week THR class at a riding center in Midwest United States. The first research question was: In children with developmental disabilities ages 5 to 18, does one 10-week session of THR affect balance? With time 1 balance mean at …

The Importance Of Including Co-Factor Information When Reporting Resting Heart Rate, John Hart

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Resting heart rate, sometimes referred to as resting pulse rate (RPR) is taken for various reasons in the various health care professions. As with many physiological tests, there are a number of basic factors that can affect RPR, such as gender and position of the patient during measurement. In most papers, these basic factors are included but in some they are not. If such information is lacking, the meaningfulness of the reported RPR is diminished. The purpose of this manuscript is to highlight the importance of including such information when reporting on RPR data.

Equine Assisted Activities And Therapies: The Measuring Of Equine Temperament, Thecla M. Helmbrecht Howard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The field of equine assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) is growing in popularity as an alternative healing approach. However, there is a paucity of peer-reviewed research on the horses who serve as equal partners in EAAT. The purpose of this quantitative study was to discover the impact of equine-facilitated therapeutic activities on the temperament of horses, and to determine how to select a better human-to-horse therapeutic match when providing EAAT services. The theoretical framework for this research drew from Romanes' theory of animal intelligence, which predicts that temperament would change as a result of prolonged participation in specific work (EAAT …

Prevalence And Predictors Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine Use Among Lebanese College Students, Lama Jizi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Lebanon, estimates of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) use among college students are not available. CAM practices are not well regulated and some products contain unsafe substances. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence and predictors of CAM use among Lebanese college students using the health belief model. A quantitative cross sectional research design was used. An online survey was administered to 126 Lebanese college students with the aim of determining the most important predictors of CAM use. A majority (89%) of surveyed students reported the use of CAM in the last 12 months. Based on …

Book Review Of Cure, David Yells

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

In Cure: A Journey Into The Science of Mind Over Body, Dr. Jo Marchant explores the world of complementary and alternative medicine. The context for her exploration is the limitations of standard, Western medicine. In some cases, traditional Western medicine has been unable to provide reliably effective treatment for medical conditions. In other cases, the treatment may result in intolerable side effects. Marchant addresses approaches such as hypnotherapy, virtual reality, and even the power of belief (as reflected in the placebo effect) in the treatment of such disparate conditions as Parkinson’s disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Fibromyalgia. She combines …