Tim Brunson DCH

Welcome to The International Hypnosis Research Institute Web site. Our intention is to support and promote the further worldwide integration of comprehensive evidence-based research and clinical hypnotherapy with mainstream mental health, medicine, and coaching. We do so by disseminating, supporting, and conducting research, providing professional level education, advocating increased level of practitioner competency, and supporting the viability and success of clinical practitioners. Although currently over 80% of our membership is comprised of mental health practitioners, we fully recognize the role, support, involvement, and needs of those in the medical and coaching fields. This site is not intended as a source of medical or psychological advice. Tim Brunson, PhD

Acupuncture for depression: a critique of the evidence base.



Aim: The aim of this review is to examine the evidence for acupuncture's effectiveness as a depression intervention. Unlike other reviews, which consider methodological concerns relevant to all experimental evaluations, this review focuses on the scope of studies, and uses a PICO (patients, intervention, comparison, and outcome) structure to determine what can potentially be learned from primary studies that have already been screened for methodological quality by reviewers. Discussion: The review identified a number of study limitations. (i) Patients: majority of trial reports have not described a rationale for the selection of patients or inclusion/exclusion criteria. Prognostic indicators were not reported and there were also concerns about the generalizability of study populations. (ii) Intervention: most trials investigate poorly rationalized standardized acupuncture protocols thus quality of care may be an issue and generalizability to routine clinical practice is a main concern. In trials using other methods generalizability is also poor. (iii) Comparisons: concerns were raised about using therapeutically inappropriate acupuncture. (iv) Outcomes: short-term focus and the narrow range of outcomes explored. According to more recent systematic review evidence it is probable the shortcomings identified in the PICO review have not been addressed by subsequent research. The concept of model validity, proposed by other researchers, is discussed, and suggestions put forward about complex intervention evaluation methods, which may be better suited to evaluating acupuncture care. Conclusion: Uncertainty remains about the value of acupuncture care, as it is routinely practiced in the West, and this uncertainty has not been resolved by trials to date. Existing evaluations may however be useful for guiding decisions about the value of specific techniques for patients with depression.

CNS Neurosci Ther. 2011 Oct;17(5):398-410. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-5949.2010.00159.x. Schroer S, Adamson J. Health Sciences Department, ARRC Building, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK.

The effect of background music on the perception of personality and demographics.



This study seeks to discover stereotypes people may have about different music genres and if these stereotypes are projected onto an individual. Also, the study investigates if music therapy students are more or less biased than non-music majors in this regard. Subjects (N=388) were comprised of student members of the American Music Therapy Association (N=182) and students from a college in the southeastern United States who were not music majors (N=206). Subjects were asked to listen to a recording and complete a short survey. Subjects assigned to the control condition heard only a person reading a script. Subjects assigned to one of the four experimental conditions heard the same recording mixed with background music and ambient crowd noise, intended to simulate a live performance. Subjects were asked to rate the person in the recording on personality descriptors and predict demographic information in the survey. Many of the survey responses were significantly affected by the genre of music. For example, it was shown that when in the presence of rap or country music, all subjects rated the personality of the person in the recording significantly more negative than when in the presence of classical, jazz, or no music. There were no significant differences between the groups for any variable or condition when comparing survey responses between college students and AMTA student members.

J Music Ther. 2011 Summer;48(2):208-25. Lastinger DL 5th. The Florida State University, FL, USA.

Hypnosis for functional abdominal pain.



Chronic abdominal pain is a common pediatric condition affecting 20% of the pediatric population worldwide. Most children with this disorder are found to have no specific organic etiology and are given the diagnosis of functional abdominal pain. Well-designed clinical trials have found hypnotherapy and guided imagery to be the most efficacious treatments for this condition. Hypnotic techniques used for other somatic symptoms are easily adaptable for use with functional abdominal pain. The author discusses 2 contrasting hypnotic approaches to functional abdominal pain and provides implications for further research. These approaches may provide new insights into this common and complex disorder.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2011 Jul;54(1):56-69. Gottsegen D. Department of Pediatrics, Baystate Medical Center Tufts University, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA. daveygmd@charter.net

Whitfield Reaves, OMD, LAc



Whitfield Reaves, OMD, LAc, is a nationally certified acupuncturist, and has been in clinical practice since 1981. He received his Doctor of Oriental Medicine degree in 1983, which included a four-month internship in Beijing, China. His thesis, titled "Acupuncture and the treatment of common running injuries", was one of the first-ever English language works integrating traditional Chinese acupuncture with western orthopedic and sports medicine.

Whitfield's clinical experience includes medical care for athletes at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, as well as numerous track and field, triathlon, skiing, and cycling events nationally over the last 25 years.

For more information visit: boulderacupuncturesportsmedicine.com.

Homoeopathic remedies in dermatology: a systematic review of controlled clinical trials.



Background Homoeopathic therapies are routinely used for the management of skin diseases. However, there is a lack of evidence-based data on their effectiveness. Objectives To assess the evidence for the efficacy of homoeopathic treatments in dermatology. Methods We designed a systematic review of the controlled clinical trials (January 1962-April 2011) investigating homoeopathic therapies for the treatment of cutaneous diseases. We collected data from MEDLINE, PubMed, Current Contents, HomInform (Glasgow), reference lists, specialist textbooks and contacts with homoeopathic manufacturers. There was no restriction on language. Subsets were defined according to treated skin disease/condition. For each subset, two reviewers extracted data for information on study quality, type of remedy, population and outcomes. Results After an extensive search, we isolated a very limited number of trials investigating homoeopathic treatments for cutaneous diseases. Overall, of the 12 trials with interpretable results, nine trials indicated no positive effects of homoeopathy. The three trials showing a positive effect were of low methodological quality. Conclusions Reviewed trials of homoeopathic treatments for cutaneous diseases were highly variable in methods and quality. We did not find sufficient evidence from these studies that homoeopathy is clearly efficacious for any single dermatological condition.

Br J Dermatol. 2011 Oct;165(4):897-905. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2011.10457.x. Simonart T, Kabagabo C, De Maertelaer V. Private Practice, av. Gounod 27, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics & IRIBHM, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.

Treatment of psychological factors in a child with difficult asthma: a case report.



Difficult asthma is defined as the persistence of asthma symptoms, abnormal pulmonary function showing airway obstruction, and continued requirement for short-acting bronchodilator therapy, despite adequate treatment with inhaled corticosteroids. It calls for a thorough evaluation of the patient to look into alternate and complicating diagnoses. The authors report a case of a 9-year-old patient with difficult asthma who failed to respond to conventional therapy. Although it was recognized that he had a number of potential medical complicating factors including allergies, chronic sinusitis, and astroesophageal reflux, a psychological intervention using hypnosis ultimately appeared to help alleviate his symptoms completely. Thus, psychological evaluation and intervention should be considered early in the course of management of a patient with difficult asthma, because it may help avoid time-consuming and expensive investigations of potential complicating factors, and it may yield rapid improvement in the patient's clinical condition.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2011 Jul;54(1):47-55. Anbar RD, Sachdeva S. Upstate Medical University, State University of New York, Syracuse, New York 13210, USA. anbarr@upstate.edu

David Quigley



David Quigley is the founder of Alchemical hypnotherapy, a powerful system of hypnosis therapy that is taught at over a dozen schools in the United States. A graduate of Duke University, he majored in Jungian Psychology, Comparative Religion and Shamanism. He is also thrained in Psychosynthesis, Gestalt therapy, Clinical Hypnosis, and NLP.

For more information visit: www.AlchemyInstitute.com

Enlightenment by chiropractic's developing mode.



Traditional Chinese spinal manipulative therapy (TCSMT) and Chiropractic are similar in treating related with spinal disease, but they keep different characteristics of themselves. Although Chiropractic's "Subluxation" and TCSMT's "Jin Chu Cao and Gu Cuo Feng" theory have not be widely recognized, yet Chiropractic has already have official cooperation with WHO,and has launched "WHO Basis of Chiropractic Training and Security Guide" which would promote the project further research. Comparatively, TCSMT has mature theoretical system and satisfactory clinical effectiveness, but it's hard to global spreading formally and legally. By means of cogitation of the TCSMT'S basic theories and clinical applications, this paper aims to analyze the inadequacy aspects of it, and hope to borrow some Chiropractic's advantage to TCSMT's global spreading. And I wish this paper could be helpful for relative doctors and researchers.

Zhongguo Gu Shang. 2011 Aug;24(8):662-6. Wang HH, Zhang MC, Zhan HS. Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of TCM, Insititue of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Shanghai Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.

Tongue-based biofeedback for balance in stroke: results of an 8-week pilot study.



OBJECTIVE: To assess balance recovery and quality of life after tongue-placed electrotactile biofeedback training in patients with stroke. DESIGN: Prospective multicenter research design. SETTING: Outpatient rehabilitation clinics. PARTICIPANTS: Patients (N=29) with chronic stroke. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were administered 1 week of therapy plus 7 weeks of home exercise using a novel tongue based biofeedback balance device. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go (TUG), Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale, Dynamic Gait Index (DGI), and Stroke Impact Scale (SIS) were performed before and after the intervention on all subjects. RESULTS: There were statistically and clinically significant improvements from baseline to posttest in results for the BBS, DGI, TUG, ABC Scale, and some SIS domains (Mobility, Activities of Daily Living/Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, Social, Physical, Recovery domains). Average BBS score increased from 35.9 to 41.6 (P<.001), and DGI score, from 11.1 to 13.7 (P<.001). Time to complete the TUG decreased from 24.7 to 20.7 seconds (P=.002). Including the BBS, DGI, TUG, and ABC Scale, 27 subjects improved beyond the minimal detectable change with 95% certainty (MDC-95) or minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in at least 1 outcome and 3 subjects improved beyond the MDC-95 or MCID in all outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Electrotactile biofeedback seems to be a promising integrative method to balance training. A future randomized controlled study is needed. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2011 Sep;92(9):1364-70. Badke MB, Sherman J, Boyne P, Page S, Dunning K. Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA. mbadke5@aol.com

Naturopathic Medicine



Physiological and clinical changes after therapeutic massage of the neck and shoulders.



Little is known regarding the physiological and clinical effects of therapeutic massage (TM) even though it is often prescribed for musculoskeletal complaints such as chronic neck pain. This study investigated the influence of a standardized clinical neck/shoulder TM intervention on physiological measures assessing a-motoneurone pool excitability, muscle activity; and the clinical measure of range of motion (ROM) compared to a light touch and control intervention. Flexor carpi radialis (FCR) a-motoneurone pool excitability (Hoffmann reflex), electromyography (EMG) signal amplitude of the upper trapezius during maximal muscle activity, and cervical ROM were used to assess possible physiological changes and clinical effects of TM. Sixteen healthy adults participated in three, 20 min interventions: control (C), light touch (LT) and therapeutic massage (TM). Analysis of Covariance indicated a decrease in FCR a-motoneurone pool excitability after TM, compared to both the LT (p = 0.0003) or C (p = 0.0007) interventions. EMG signal amplitude decreased after TM by 13% (p <0.0001), when compared to the control, and 12% (p < 0.0001) as compared to LT intervention. The TM intervention produced increases in cervical ROM in all directions assessed: flexion (p < 0.0001), lateral flexion (p < 0.0001), extension (p < 0.0001), and rotation (p < 0.0001). TM of the neck/shoulders reduced the a-motoneurone pool excitability of the flexor carpi radialis after TM, but not after the LT or C interventions. Moreover, decreases in the normalized EMG amplitude during MVIC of the upper trapezius muscle; and increases in cervical ROM in all directions assessed occurred after TM, but not after the LT or C interventions.

Man Ther. 2011 Oct;16(5):487-94. Sefton JM, Yarar C, Carpenter DM, Berry JW. Neuromechanics Research Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5323, USA. jmsefton@auburn.edu

The medicine of music: a systematic approach for adoption into perianesthesia practice.



Patients awaiting surgical procedures often experience anxiety in anticipation of events that are uncomfortable, uncertain, and may include a health risk. High levels of anxiety result in negative physiological manifestations. Sedatives are regularly administered before surgery to reduce patient anxiety. However, sedatives often have negative side effects such as drowsiness and respiratory depression, and may interact with anesthetic agents, prolonging patient recovery and discharge. Therefore, increasing attention is being paid to a variety of nonpharmacological interventions for the reduction of preoperative anxiety. Music has been used in different medical fields to meet physiological, psychological, and spiritual needs of patients. It is a relatively inexpensive modality to implement, with low risk of side effects and possible significant benefits. This review was conducted with the intent to educate perianesthesia health care providers regarding the value of music therapy and provide guidelines for implementation, based on a comprehensive review of the literature.

J Perianesth Nurs. 2011 Oct;26(5):323-30. Beccaloni AM.

Chronic daily headache: helping adolescents help themselves with self-hypnosis.



Although the evidence is clear that hypnosis has been an effective treatment for recurrent headaches in children, review of the literature revealed no previous reports of hypnosis for youth with the condition of chronic daily headache. Two adolescents with continuing chronic daily headaches were taught self-hypnosis through careful attention to individual strengths and finding the hypnotic elements within the clinical encounters. Self-reports of intensity, frequency, and duration of headaches described substantial benefit from learning and practicing self-hypnosis after little to no benefit from pharmacologic and other nonpharmacologic therapies. These results and analogous success with several other adolescents with chronic daily headache support the further use of self-hypnosis training for this condition. As a self-regulation technique that is quickly and easily learned by most young people, self-hypnosis training holds considerable promise for effectively treating and perhaps preventing chronic daily headaches in children and adolescents.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2011 Jul;54(1):32-46. Kohen DP. Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414, USA. dpkohen@umn.edu

Georg H. Eifert, PhD



Georg H. Eifert, PhD, is professor and chair of the department of psychology at Chapman University in Orange County, California. Ranked as one of the top thirty researchers in behavior analysis and Therapy, Eifert has authored more than 100 publications on how mindful compassion and acceptance can help with anxiety and other emotions. He leads workshops internationally on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which combines mindfulness and aceptance strategies with commitment and behavior change strategies to help people end suffering and live a fuller life.

Eifert is a clinical fellow of the Behavior Therapy and Research Society, a member of numerous national and international psychological associations, and serves on several editorial boards of leading clinical psychology journals. A licensed clinical psychologist, Chapman University has honored him for his work on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with a Faculty Award for Excellence in Research, and in 2007, Chapman University students voted him Outstanding Faculty.

Supported by science?: What Canadian naturopaths advertise to the public.



BACKGROUND: The increasing popularity of complementary and alternative medicines in Canada has led to regulatory reforms in Ontario and British Columbia. Yet the evidence for efficacy of these therapies is still a source of debate. Those who are supportive of naturopathic medicine often support the field by claiming that the naturopathic treatments are supported by science and scientific research. METHODS: To compare provinces that are regulated and unregulated, we examined the websites of 53 naturopathic clinics in Alberta and British Columbia to gain a sense of the degree to which the services advertised by naturopaths are science based. RESULTS: There were very few differences between the provinces in terms of the types of services offered and conditions treated. Many of the most common treatments--such as homeopathy, chelation and colon cleanses--are viewed by the scientific community to be of questionable value and have no scientific evidence of efficacy beyond placebo. CONCLUSIONS: A review of the therapies advertised on the websites of clinics offering naturopathic treatments does not support the proposition that naturopathic medicine is a science and evidence-based practice.

Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2011 Sep 15;7:14. Caulfield T, Rachul C. Health Law and Science Policy Group, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. tcaulfld@law.ualberta.ca.

Childhood anxiety, worry, and fear: individualizing hypnosis goals...



Full title: Childhood anxiety, worry, and fear: individualizing hypnosis goals and suggestions for self-regulation.

Determining hypnosis goals and specific suggestions for childhood anxiety, worry, and fear can be enhanced by a developmental psychopathology perspective. This article examines underlying causal risk factors that guide a focused assessment and individualized interventions, targeting self-regulation of emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and psychophysiological arousal and reactivity. The author summarizes current knowledge about childhood anxiety disorders and outlines a hypnotic approach when encountering anxious children and youth, including strategies to use spontaneous trance states and enhance underdeveloped resources (e.g. locus of control, discrimination of realistic risk appraisal, coping capacities).

Am J Clin Hypn. 2011 Jul;54(1):16-31. Kaiser P. drpkaiser@earthlink.net

8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder



A book review by Tim Brunson, PhD

Few mental pathologies have as much potential to create anguish and an experiential threat as eating disorders. 8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder: Effective Strategies from Therapeutic Practice and Personal Experience by Carolyn Costin, MA, Med, MFT, and Gwen Schubert Grabb, MA, MFT, is an excellent self-help book intended to help those suffering from this problem by increasing their understanding and giving them hope that recovery is possible.

One of the most striking aspects of this book is the fact that it was written by two therapists who were themselves afflicted by eating disorders. This helps the authors connect with potential readers as they lead them through their personal journeys. They share how they initially developed eating disorders, came to recognize its seriousness, and how they navigated through various stages of recovery.

This book is part of a series of "8 Keys" self-help books published by W.W. Norton & Company. As eating disorders are a very complex problem, which almost always warrants both medical and psychotherapeutic treatment, I was initially concerned as to whether this book could do the subject justice. However, I found that this simplification was extremely effective and most likely just what the average therapy client needs to help them understand the major tenets of the healing process.

The one major theme found throughout this book is a story of hope that recovery is highly probable once a person recognizes and accepts that they have an eating disorder, and that professional assistance is warranted. Again, the personal stories of the authors help give the feeling that recovery is indeed very possible.

This is a book, which I highly recommend. For a person who suspects that this book may apply to them or for those who have been diagnosed as having a eating disorder, it will help them understand what they are going through and address major treatment issues. For family members or friends of the eating disorder sufferer, it will be equally enlightening both regarding their role in inadvertently facilitating the onset of an eating disorder as well as how they can be supportive during the recovery period.

Hypnotherapists and other care-givers can also benefit from reading this book. Even though it is not written in a format, which will specify exact treatment protocols and procedures, it is useful in helping recognize the disorder and know when a client should be referred to another more qualified colleague. Indeed, on several occasions I have been contacted by a person who wanted hypnotherapy assistance in managing their weight and quickly realized that the problem was much more serious than the client realized.

As an eating disorder is predominantly a situation in which many of the auto-regulatory functions of the brain's limbic system have been disrupted and need to be re-balanced, I was somewhat surprised that the authors did not spend more time discussing guided imagery and/or formal hypnotherapeutic treatment. They only addressed this briefly – albeit while omitting the words hypnosis and hypnotherapy. I trust that a more professional treatment manual would correct this concern. Qualified hypnotherapists – to include lay practitioners who possess both the requisite skills in hypnotherapy and psychotherapy – could accelerate a client's progress through the various stages of healing and recovery.

Fr. Martin J. Patton



Fr. Martin Patton is Past President and Diplomate of the International Medical and Dental Hypnotherapy Association, Board Certified and Registered Hypnotherapist, Certified Hypnoanestesia therapist, and certified Past-Life Therapist. The International Association of Counselors and Therapists named him "Therapist of the Year."

Cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway of some non-pharmacological therapies of complementary ...



Full title: Cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway of some non-pharmacological therapies of complementary medicine: possible implications for treatment of rheumatic and autoimmune diseases.

Rheumatologic and autoimmune diseases are among foremost diseases for which patients seek complementary and integrative medicine options. Therefore, physicians should be informed on the advances in research of these therapies, in order to be able to discuss possible indications and contraindications for these treatment modalities with their patients. This review summarizes several therapeutic modalities of complementary medicine that may be involved in the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. The analysis of systematic reviews of acupuncture for rheumatic conditions has concluded that the evidence is sufficiently sound to warrant positive recommendations of this therapy for osteoarthritis, low back pain and lateral elbow pain. There is relatively strong evidence to support the use of hypnosis in pain treatment, such as in cases of fibromyalgia. A recent controlled study that evaLuated tai-chi in fibromyalgia has reported reductions in pain, improvements in mood, quality of Life, self efficacy and exercise capacity. There is also cumulative evidence that acupuncture, hypnosis and tai-chi may decrease the high frequency of heart rate variability, suggesting enhancement of vagus nerve activity. Hence, it has been hypothesized that these modalities might impact the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway to modulate inflammation. Further clinical and basic research to confirm this hypothesis should be performed in order to validate integration of these therapies in comprehensive treatment for some inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

Harefuah. 2011 Aug;150(8):660-3, 687. Gamus D. Complementary Medicine Service, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer. dorit.gamus@sheba.health.gov.il

Immunization Status of Adult Chiropractic Patients in Analyses of National Health Interview Survey.



OBJECTIVE: Two recent studies that examined National Health Interview Survey data reported divergent findings regarding the propensity of adult chiropractic users to receive seasonal influenza immunization. Although one study found a statistically significant negative association between chiropractic use and influenza vaccination, another found that chiropractic users were significantly more likely to be vaccinated. The purpose of this study is to extend previous works by delving more deeply into recent data to identify adult chiropractic users at high risk and high priority for vaccination against influenza and pneumococcal disease. METHODS: We used data from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey in an attempt to replicate previous methodologies and further examine vaccination among adult chiropractic users (age =18 years) who, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, should receive influenza and/or pneumococcal vaccination. We used complex survey design methods to make national estimates and used logistic regression to determine if having used chiropractic care predicted vaccination. RESULTS: We found major methodological differences between the prior studies. In our analyses, we found that chiropractic users were significantly less likely than nonusers to have received the pneumococcal vaccine, and we found no significant difference between chiropractic users and nonusers relative to having received the seasonal flu vaccine. CONCLUSIONS: Methodological differences in previous studies that investigated the association between chiropractic care and adult vaccination likely explain divergent findings reported in the literature. Future studies should consider these differences.

J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2011 Sep 22. Smith M, Davis MA. Adjunct Faculty, National University of Health Sciences, Pinellas Park, FL.

Virtual reality and pain management: current trends and future directions.



Virtual reality (VR) has been used to manage pain and distress associated with a wide variety of known painful medical procedures. In clinical settings and experimental studies, participants immersed in VR experience reduced levels of pain, general distress/unpleasantness and report a desire to use VR again during painful medical procedures. Investigators hypothesize that VR acts as a nonpharmacologic form of analgesia by exerting an array of emotional affective, emotion-based cognitive and attentional processes on the body's intricate pain modulation system. While the exact neurobiological mechanisms behind VR's action remain unclear, investigations are currently underway to examine the complex interplay of cortical activity associated with immersive VR. Recently, new applications, including VR, have been developed to augment evidenced-based interventions, such as hypnosis and biofeedback, for the treatment of chronic pain. This article provides a comprehensive review of the literature, exploring clinical and experimental applications of VR for acute and chronic pain management, focusing specifically on current trends and recent developments. In addition, we propose mechanistic theories highlighting VR distraction and neurobiological explanations, and conclude with new directions in VR research, implications and clinical significance.

Pain Manag. 2011 Mar;1(2):147-157. Li A, Montaño Z, Chen VJ, Gold JI. Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Departments of Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine & Radiology, 4650 West Sunset Boulevard, MS#12, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA.

The Mozart effect in biofeedback visual rehabilitation: a case report.



PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of acoustic biofeedback by means of Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major K. 448 to maintain and/or restore visual performance in a patient with macular pucker and glaucoma. METHODS: A 74-year-old patient with open angle glaucoma in both eyes and macular pucker in the right eye (RE) underwent visual rehabilitation with acoustic biofeedback by means of the MAIA™ Vision Training Module (Centervue, Padova, Italy) 10 minutes each eye once a week for 5 weeks. The patient was asked to move his eyes according to a sound which changed into Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos when the patient locked the fixation target. RESULTS: Best-corrected visual acuity improved in his right eye (RE) and was stable in the left eye (LE). Fixation stability improved in both eyes, and retinal sensitivity decreased in the RE and improved in the LE. The characteristic of the macular pucker did not change during the training as demonstrated with optical coherence tomography. The patient was very satisfied with the training, as demonstrated by a 25-item questionnaire (National Eye Institute - Visual Functioning Questionnaire, NEI-VFQ-25). The patient's reading speed and the character size which he was able to read improved in his RE. CONCLUSION: Music could enhance synaptic plasticity and affect neural learning and fixation training by means of MAIA vision training. Therefore it can improve visual performance in patients with macular pucker, postpone the surgical time, and assure a better quality of life for the patient.

Clin Ophthalmol. 2011;5:1269-72. Salvatore S, Librando A, Esposito M, Vingolo EM. Department of Ophthalmology, University La Sapienza, Polo Pontino, Alfredo Fiorini Hospital, Terracina, Italy.

Handshake Rapid Hypnosis Induction



Emotional foundations of music as a non-pharmacological pain management tool in modern medicine.



This paper reviews the use of music as an adjuvant to the control of pain, especially in medical procedures. Surgery causes stress and anxiety that exacerbates the experience of pain. Self-report of and physiological measures on post-surgical patients indicate that music therapy or music stimulation reduces the perception of pain, both alone and when part of a multimodal pain management program, and can reduce the need for pharmaceutical interventions. However, multimodal pain therapy, including non-pharmacological interventions after surgery, is still rare in medical practice. We summarize how music can enhance medical therapies and can be used as an adjuvant with other pain-management programs to increase the effectiveness of those therapies. As summarized, we currently know that musical pieces chosen by the patient are commonly, but not always, more effective than pieces chosen by another person. Further research should focus both on finding the specific indications and contra-indications of music therapy and on the biological and neurological pathways responsible for those findings (related evidence has implicated brain opioid and oxytocin mechanisms in affective changes evoked by music). In turn, these findings will allow medical investigators and practitioners to design guidelines and reliable, standardized applications for this promising method of pain management in modern medicine.

Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2011 Oct;35(9):1989-99. Bernatzky G, Presch M, Anderson M, Panksepp J. Department of Organismic Biology, Neurosignaling Unit, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstr 34, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria.

Attending to suggestion and trance in the pediatric history and physical examination: a case study.



Obtaining complete information lies at the heart of accurate diagnosis in all healthcare fields. Extracting information is a time-honored purpose of the history and physical examination. Practitioners may not be aware that these functions also provide opportunities to impart positive verbal and nonverbal suggestions. Paying attention to language promotes patient self-mastery and helps forge a therapeutic alliance for successful outcomes. Principles taught in hypnosis workshops can also help the practitioner avoid negative, undermining suggestions that could diminish diagnostic and therapeutic effectiveness.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2011 Jul;54(1):5-15. Berberich FR. Pediatric Suggestions, Berkeley, CA 94707, USA. dr.berberich@pediatricsuggestions.net

Radha Thambirajah



Radha Thambirajah is one of the pioneers of Acupuncture outside China, having had her training in Acupuncture and Medicine in the Peoples Republic of China in the 1960s, when Acupuncture was going through a period of renaissance. She graduated from the Shanghai Military Medical College in 1970. Though medically qualified, she decided to pursue Acupuncture full time. She has had experience working in the West and East, and in treating numerous problems.

For more information visit: www.energyacupuncturecentre.com.

Measuring the effectiveness of homeopathic care through objective and shared indicators.



OBJECTIVE: To test a methodology to evaluate, at population level, the effectiveness of homeopathic treatment through standard objective public health indicators. METHODS AND SETTINGS: Indicators of hospitalization and drug use were obtained from the Health Statistical Documentation System of Tuscany for two homeopathic centers in the Local Health Authority of Pisa, Italy. We compared homeopathic users with the general population in the same area and by comparing patients before and after homeopathic treatment. RESULTS: The homeopathic patients used less drugs than the reference population, this effect was more evident for patients with repeated homeopathic consultations. A significant decrease in drug use was found on comparing the same patients before and after homeopathic treatment. Hospitalization indicators tended to favor patients who had received homeopathic treatment but were not always statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: This paper demonstrates a new methodological approach to assess the effectiveness of a therapeutic modality, without ad-hoc clinical trials. This methodology can be used by public health institutions in which non-conventional medicines are integrated into the public health care system.

Homeopathy. 2011 Oct;100(4):212-9. Leone L, Marchitiello M, Natilli M, Romano MF. Scuola Superiore di Studi Universitari e Perfezionamento Sant'Anna di Pisa, Italy.

Hypnosis within a psychospiritual approach in the case of a woman diagnosed with dystonia.



This case report describes a psychospiritual intervention utilizing hypnosis with a client seeking help for problems with involuntary movement of the right arm and hand, accompanied by a great deal of pain. Doctors had diagnosed her condition as dystonia with the presumption that it was primarily physical in nature. She came to Carolinas Integrative Health seeking an integrative approach to her problem, one that brings together conventional and complementary medicine. The client was referred to the author by the Medical Director for a mind/body/spirit approach, including hypnosis. Initial evaluation suggested there might be a psychogenic component to the problem. The client also revealed a spiritual worldview, theistic in nature. Utilizing hypnosis, together with a process the author calls "Centering in Self," the client's spiritual beliefs and resources were accessed and utilized in bringing about resolution of pain and almost complete cessation of involuntary movements.

Explore (NY). 2011 Sep-Oct;7(5):326-8. Benoff-Nadel P.

Roger Moore, MA, Ph.D.



Roger Moore is the founder and director of Roger Moore's Institute of Hypnotherapy. He has been in the profession of counseling and human services since 1973. Roger holds a Masters Degree in Applied Counseling Psychology and has a doctorate in Clinical Hypnosis. Roger has developed and written the weight loss training manuals, It's Not About the Food, and regularly presents at the International Medical & Dental Hypnosis Association conference, the International Hypnosis Federation conference and at the American Board of Hypnotherapy convention. He is the owner and director of the weight loss program Slender For Life™ and has assisted thousands of people in moving towards their goals. He is a member of the International Medical and Dental Hypnosis Association, the International Hypnosis Federation, the National Guild of Hypnotherapy, the American Council of Hypnotic Examiners and the American Board of Hypnotherapy.

For more information visit: www.HypnosisHealthInfo.com/

Complementary medicine--the facts.



The popularity of complementary medicine in the western world continues to grow. Complementary medicine has a wide scope of topics including acupuncture, hypnosis, meditation, chiropractic manipulation, tai chi, yoga, botanical and herbal supplements and many other undefined modalities such as copper bracelets, magnets, holy water etc. For most modalities the mechanism of action is unknown and the evidence of benefit is poor. Some modalities such as acupuncture, hypnosis and tai chi may improve pain and other subjective complains. It seems that most of the beneficial effects of complementary medicine are placebo effects. Complementary treatment may be associated with side effects and should not be an alternative to the conventional medicine. Complementary medicine can be used as an adjunct to the conventional medicine and should be used in full agreement with and under the supervision of the attending physician. Patients should be informed about the existing evidence and what to expect from complementary medicine. Further meticulous research should be conducted to expand our knowledge in complementary medicine.

Harefuah. 2011 Aug;150(8):657-8, 687. Grossman E.

A survey of accessibility and utilisation of chiropractic services...



Full Title: A survey of accessibility and utilisation of chiropractic services for wheelchair-users in the United Kingdom: What are the issues?

BACKGROUND: People with physical disabilities experience barriers to healthcare across all services despite a legal and moral obligation to the contrary. Complementary medicine is considered as supplementary to conventional care and integration of these approaches is essential to achieve optimal care. This paper explores the utilization of chiropractic services and practitioner experiences of treating wheelchair-users which appears under-reported. METHODS: A 20 item questionnaire was posted to 250 randomly selected chiropractors registered with the General Chiropractic Council. Follow-up questionnaires were sent 7 days after the initial return date. Quantitative data were subjected to frequency analysis. RESULTS: The response rate was 64% (n = 161). The majority (66%) of chiropractors had been in practice less than 10 years and were practice owners (50%). Fifty-two percent of chiropractors sampled had treated a patient in a wheelchair in the previous 5 years. The majority (87%) had treated between 1 and 5 such patients. Patients with multiple sclerosis, stroke and cerebral palsy most commonly presented for treatment. The majority of patients' presenting complaint was musculoskeletal in origin, primarily for pain control. Only 13% of respondents worked in a fully accessible clinic. Impracticality of alterations was the most common reason for inaccessibility. CONCLUSIONS: Wheelchair-users seem to be an underserved patient group in relation to chiropractic services. Chiropractic management is primarily utilised for pain control in patients with physical disabilities in which mobility may be improved or maintained. Co-management of wheelchair-users with GPs appears to be desirable in order to achieve optimal patient care however more research is required regarding the efficacy of chiropractic treatment for a range of disabling conditions. Physical access was identified as a key barrier to accessing care.

Chiropr Man Therap. 2011 Sep 13;19(1):20. McKay ND, Langworthy J. Anglo-European College of Chiropractic, 13-15 Parkwood Road, Bournemouth, UK. naomi.chiro@gmail.com.

Efficacy of electromyographic biofeedback and electrical stimulation...



Full Title: Efficacy of electromyographic biofeedback and electrical stimulation following arthroscopic partial meniscectomy: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of electromyographic biofeedback training and electrical stimulation therapy for rehabilitation following arthroscopic partial meniscectomy. Design: Randomized, prospective, controlled single-blind trial. Setting: Department of physical medicine and rehabilitation, university hospital. Subjects: Forty-five patients who had undergone surgery for arthroscopic partial meniscectomy were randomly divided into three groups with 15 patients in each group. Interventions: The control group had home exercise, the second and third groups received electromyographic biofeedback training or electrical stimulation therapy to quadriceps muscle in addition to home exercise. Main measures: The patients were evaluated for: visual analogue scale, gait velocity (m/s), time using a walking aid after surgery, Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale score, knee flexion-extension angle, maximum and average contraction powers of vastus medialis obliquus and vastus lateralis muscles on the day before the operation and two and six weeks after. Results: The time using a walking aid was 8.3 ± 8.0, 1.5 ± 2.5 and 4.5 ± 5.5 days, respectively, for the home exercise, electromyographic biofeedback training and electrical stimulation groups, and significantly shorter in the electromyographic biofeedback training than in the home exercise group (P < 0.017). While significant progress was detected in Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale score in the second and sixth postoperative weeks compared to the preoperative within-group evaluation for each of the three groups (P < 0.017), there was significant difference in Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale in the second postoperative week in favour of electromyographic biofeedback training compared to home exercise (P < 0.017). There were significant differences in vastus medialis obliquus average and vastus lateralis maximum and average contractions in favour of electromyographic biofeedback compared to home exercise and electrical stimulation in the second postoperative week (P < 0.017). Conclusions: The addition of electromyographic biofeedback training to a conventional exercise programme following arthroscopic partial meniscectomy helps to speed up the rehabilitation process.

Clin Rehabil. 2011 Oct 4. Akkaya N, Ardic F, Ozgen M, Akkaya S, Sahin F, Kilic A. Universty of Pamukkale, Medicine Faculty, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Denizli, Turkey.

Dr. James Oschman on Energy Medicine



Acupuncture as an Adjunct to Pulmonary Rehabilitation.



PURPOSE: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by airflow limitation and by both systemic and airway inflammation. In COPD, acupuncture has been shown to improve quality-of-life scores and decrease breathlessness; similar findings have also been reported after pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). The hypothesis of this study was that acupuncture in conjunction with pulmonary rehabilitation would improve COPD outcome measures compared to pulmonary rehabilitation alone. METHODS:: The design was a randomized prospective study; all subjects had COPD. There were 19 controls, 25 who underwent PR, and 16 who had both acupuncture and PR. The primary outcome measure was a change in measures of systemic inflammation at the end of PR and at 3 month followup. Lung function, including maximum inspiratory pressure (PiMax), quality-of-life scores, functional capacity including steps taken, dyspnea scores, and exercise capacity, were secondary endpoints. RESULTS: After PR, both groups had significantly improved quality-of-life scores, reduced dyspnea scores, improved exercise capacity, and PiMax, but no change in measures of systemic inflammation compared with the controls. There were no differences in most of the outcome measures between the 2 treatment groups except that subjects who had both acupuncture and PR remained less breathless for a longer period. CONCLUSION: The addition of acupuncture to PR did not add significant benefit in most of the outcomes measured.

J Cardiopulm Rehabil Prev. 2011 Oct 5. Deering BM, Fullen B, Egan C, McCormack N, Kelly E, Pender M, Costello RW. Departments of Respiratory Medicine, Beaumont Hospital and the associated Education and Research Centre (Mss Deering, Egan, and McCormack and Drs Kelly and Costello), and School of Public Health, Physiotherapy, and Population Science,University College of Dublin (Mss Fullen and Pender), Dublin, Ireland.

Reiki therapy: a nursing intervention for critical care.



Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is not generally associated with the complexity and intensity of critical care. Most CAM therapies involve slow, calming techniques that seem to be in direct contrast with the fast-paced, highly technical nature of critical care. However, patients in critical care often find themselves coping with the pain and stress of their illness exacerbated by the stress of the critical care environment. Complementary and alternative medicine-related research reveals that complementary therapies, such as Reiki, relieve pain and anxiety and reduce symptoms of stress such as elevated blood pressure and pulse rates. Patients and health care professionals alike have become increasingly interested in complementary and alternative therapies that do not rely on expensive, invasive technology, and are holistic in focus. Reiki is cost-effective, noninvasive, and can easily be incorporated into patient care. The purpose of this article is to examine the science of Reiki therapy and to explore Reiki as a valuable nursing intervention.

Crit Care Nurs Q. 2011 Jul-Sep;34(3):213-7. Toms R. Nelda C. Stark College of Nursing, Texas Woman's University, Houston, TX 77030, USA. rtoms@twu.edu

A tennis ball and music as a patient’s solution for pulsatile tinnitus.



We present the case of a 74-year-old man with a pulsatile somatosound causing insomnia and day-time irritation. Given the lack of salvation after medical therapy the patient went in search for a solution and found it in a tennis ball and radio. In this case, the somatosound was due to an extracranial arteriovenous malformation, but the differential diagnosis of pulsatile somatosounds is quit extended, ranging form vascular disorders to tumoral processes. This makes these cases challenging for all caretakers.

Acta Chir Belg. 2011 Jul-Aug;111(4):253-5. Deylgat B, Van Lysebeth L, Brugman E, Ceuppens H. Department of Vascular and Thoracic surgery, AZ Groeninge Kortrijk, Belgium. bert.deylgat@hotmail.com

Mirrored-self misidentification in the hypnosis laboratory:...



Full title: Mirrored-self misidentification in the hypnosis laboratory: Recreating the delusion from its component factors.

Introduction. Mirrored-self misidentification is the delusional belief that one's reflection in the mirror is a stranger. According to Langdon and Coltheart's (2000) "two-factor" theory of monothematic delusions, the delusion can arise from deficits in face processing (Factor 1) and belief evaluation (Factor 2). This study gave participants separate hypnotic suggestions for these two factors to create a hypnotic analogue of the delusion. Method. Forty-six high hypnotisable participants received a hypnotic suggestion for either Factor 1 alone or for Factors 1 and 2, either with hypnosis (hypnosis condition) or without (wake condition). Participants were asked to look into a mirror and to describe what they saw. Participants who reported seeing a stranger in the mirror also received a series of challenges. Results. Overall, 70% of participants in the hypnosis condition passed the delusion; only 22% of participants in the wake condition passed. Importantly, in hypnosis, the Factor 1 alone suggestion was just as effective in creating the delusion as the combined Factor 1 and Factor 2 suggestion. Conclusion. These results suggest that hypnotic suggestion can recreate the mirrored-self misidentification delusion from its component factors. Notably, the hypnotic context, itself known to disrupt belief evaluation, can act as Factor 2.

Cogn Neuropsychiatry. 2011 Sep 14. Connors MH, Barnier AJ, Coltheart M, Cox RE, Langdon R. a ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders , Macquarie Centre for Cognitive Science, Macquarie University , Sydney , Australia.

Giovanni Maciocia



Giovanni Maciocia is one of the most highly respected practitioners of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in Europe. Originally from a medical family in Italy, he trained in England at the International College of Oriental medicine graduating in acupuncture in 1974 after a three-year course. He has been in practice since then.

In 1980, 1982 and 1987 he attended three postgraduate courses in acupuncture in China at the Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the duration of three months each, gaining invaluable knowledge and clinical experience. He reads Chinese and has therefore access to all the Chinese medicine textbooks, old and modern, published in China.

Giovanni Maciocia is the author of Tongue Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine, The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, The Practice of Chinese Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Chinese Medicine Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine and The Channels of Acupuncture, which have become textbooks for all major acupuncture colleges in the world.

For more information visit: www.giovanni-maciocia.com.

New homeopathic medicines: use of modern drugs according to the principle of similitude.



BACKGROUND: The homeopathic method is based on the application of the principle of therapeutic similitude (similia similibus curentur), using medicines that cause effects similar to the symptoms of disease in order to stimulate the reaction of the organism against disturbances. Such vital, homeostatic or paradoxical reaction of the organism can be scientifically explained on the basis of the rebound effect of modern drugs. AIMS: This article presents the conclusion of a study aiming at a method to use modern drugs with homeopathic criteria. METHODS: Adverse effects as catalogued in United States Pharmacopoeia Dispensing Information Drug monographs were collected. RESULTS: A homeopathic materia medica and repertory comprising 1251 modern drugs to be employed according to the principle of therapeutic similitude was developed. CONCLUSION: Besides supplying a basis for homeopathy as a medical rationale related to scientific pharmacology, this study makes available a method that may broaden the scope of intervention of homeopathy in present day diseases.

Homeopathy. 2011 Oct;100(4):244-52. Teixeira MZ. Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.

Interventions for sexual problems following treatment for breast cancer: a systematic review.



Sexual functioning is an important element of quality of life. Many women experience sexual problems as a result of a breast cancer diagnosis and its treatment. Little is known about the availability and the effectiveness of interventions for sexual problems in this patient population. Six electronic databases were searched using Medical Subject Headings and keywords. Additional hand searching of the references of relevant papers was also conducted. The searches were conducted between October 2010 and January 2011. Papers were included if they evaluated interventions for sexual problems caused as a result of breast cancer or its treatment. Studies were only included if sexual functioning was reported using a patient-reported outcome questionnaire. Studies were excluded if sexual functioning was measured but improving sexual problems was not one of the main aims of the intervention. 3514 papers were identified in the initial search. 21 papers were selected for inclusion. Studies were of mixed methodological quality; 15 randomised trials were identified, many included small sample sizes and the use of non-validated questionnaires. Three main types of interventions were identified: Exercise (2), medical (2) and psycho-educational (17). The psycho-educational interventions included skills-based training such as problem-solving and communication skills, counselling, hypnosis, education and specific sex-therapies. Interventions were delivered to individual patients, patients and their partners (couple-based) and groups of patients. The widespread methodological variability hinders the development of a coherent picture about which interventions work for whom. Tentative findings suggest the most effective interventions are couple-based psycho-educational interventions that include an element of sexual therapy. More methodologically strong research is needed before any intervention can be recommended for clinical practice. Improved screening and classification of sexual problems will ensure interventions can be more effectively targeted to suit individual patient needs.

Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2011 Sep 9. Taylor S, Harley C, Ziegler L, Brown J, Velikova G. Psychosocial Oncology and Clinical Practice Research Group, St James's Institute of Oncology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK, s.s.taylor@leeds.ac.uk.

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