International Hypnosis Research Institute - Naturopathic Medicine

Women Sufferers of the Incurable Fibromyalgia Syndrome Targeted in a New Program

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 09:15:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Full Headline: Women Sufferers of the Incurable Fibromyalgia Syndrome Targeted in a New Program Developed by The International Hypnosis Research Institute Founder Anniston, Alabama. (October 21, 2010) - The International Hypnosis Research Institute announced its approval of a nine-week hypnotherapy program specifically designed to achieve symptom reduction for the over 5 million women in the United States who suffer from the incurable Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS). The program was authored and produced by Tim Brunson, PhD, the Institute's Executive Director and founder. He is a leading authority on complementary health care issues. [More]

Naturopathic Medicine

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 14:27:00 -0500

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

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:55:00 -0500

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.

Natural remedy use in a prospective cohort of breast cancer patients in southern Sweden.

Sun, 08 May 2011 20:55:00 -0500

BACKGROUND: complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is common among breast cancer patients. Several CAM therapies may have negative side effects or interact with conventional therapies. We studied biologically based CAM use with and without vitamins/minerals in relation to patient and tumor characteristics as well as treatment in an ongoing prospective cohort of 855 primary breast cancer patients. METHODS: patients from two hospitals in southern Sweden were included. Pre-operative and follow-up questionnaires containing questions on food intake, lifestyle, and concomitant medications, including natural remedies, were completed up to five years postoperatively. Clinical information was obtained from clinical records and tumor characteristics from pathology reports. RESULTS: CAM and/or vitamins/minerals were used by 34.2% pre-operatively and by 57.9% during at least one visit. Over 100 different preparations were reported. At least eight of the commonly used preparations may interact with conventional breast cancer therapies. CAM users more often had a BMI <25 kg/m(2) (OR 1.76; 95%CI 1.33-2.33), were more often nulliparous (OR 1.59; 1.08-2.34), alcohol (OR 2.13; 1.44-3.14), antidepressants (OR 1.48; 1.02-2.15), and hormone therapy users (OR 1.57; 1.18-2.07), less often smokers (OR 0.71; 0.50-0.99), and consumed less coffee (OR 0.88; 0.82-0.95) than non CAM users. Tumor characteristics were not associated with CAM use. CAM use was more common among tamoxifen (OR 1.32; 1.00-1.75) and less common among chemotherapy (OR 0.63; 0.42-0.92) treated patients. Vitamins/minerals use was more common in aromatase inhibitor treated patients (OR 1.84; 1.33-2.53). There was no significant association between short-term disease-free survival and CAM use. CONCLUSION: CAM use was common and associated with certain patient characteristics. CAM use may cause clinically significant drug interactions and it is therefore of clinical interest to identify potential CAM users. Acta Oncol. 2011 Jan;50(1):134-43. Epub 2010 May 25. Hietala M, Henningson M, Ingvar C, Jönsson PE, Rose C, Jernström H. Department of Oncology, Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Sweden.

Integration of complementary and alternative medicine into medical schools in..

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 11:39:00 -0500

Full Title: Integration of complementary and alternative medicine into medical schools in Austria, Germany and Switzerland - Results of a cross-sectional study. BACKGROUND: The results of a survey of decision makers (directors of clinical departments, along with research and education institutes) at German medical schools in 1997 demonstrated that although most respondents were in favour of integrating complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) into medical school curricula, only a minority had implemented these into their medical schools. The aims of this study were to evaluate the current opinions on CAM from decision makers at medical schools in three German-speaking countries and the present extent to which it has been integrated. METHODS: In 2004 we sent a standardised questionnaire to 1,017 department directors at medical schools in Austria (A, n = 75), Germany (G, n = 873) and Switzerland (CH, n = 69). RESULTS: 487 questionnaires (overall response rate: 48%, country-specific response rate: A 39%; G 49%; S 42%) were returned. 40% of respondents had a positive opinion on CAM, whereas 28% had a neutral and 29% a negative opinion and 3% were unsure with a significant difference between Germany (44% positive opinion) in favour for CAM vs. Switzerland (22%; p = 0,021). The CAM therapies rated most positively were acupuncture (53%), osteopathy (52%) and naturopathy (38%) with no statistical differences between the countries. Naturopathy (39%) and herbal medicine (34%) were viewed more positively in Germany compared to Austria (4%, p = 0.001 and 8%, p = 0.01), but not to Switzerland (27%, p = 0.289 and 24%, p = 0.353). The majority of respondents favoured the integration of CAM into the medical system (research 85%, teaching 84% and treatment 60%). However, only 162 respondents (34%) indicated that CAM therapies had already been integrated into the curriculum at their medical schools (treatment 26%, research 19% and education 18%) with no significant differences between the countries. Respondents of Switzerland indicated lower activity of CAM integration (treatment 10% and research 10%) compared to Austria (28%, p = 0.016 and 28%, p = 0.016) and Germany (27%, p = 0.01 and 20%, p = 0.174). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of respondents favoured the integration of CAM into the medical system. However, this integration remains limited and does not reflect the high usage of CAM in the population. Wien Med Wochenschr. 2010 Nov 16. Brinkhaus B, Witt CM, Jena S, Bockelbrink A, Ortiz M, Willich SN. Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité University Medical Center, Berlin, Germany, benno.brinkhaus@charite.de.

Toxic effects of the easily avoidable phthalates and parabens.

Sun, 27 Feb 2011 11:39:00 -0500

Some environmental toxins like DDT and other chlorinated compounds accumulate in the body because of their fat-soluble nature. Other compounds do not stay long in the body, but still cause toxic effects during the time they are present. For serious health problems to arise, exposure to these rapidly-clearing compounds must occur on a daily basis. Two such classes of compounds are the phthalate plasticizers and parabens, both of which are used in many personal care products, some medications, and even foods and food preservation. The phthalates are commonly found in foods and household dust. Even though they have relatively short half-lives in humans, phthalates have been associated with a number of serious health problems, including infertility, testicular dysgenesis, obesity, asthma, and allergies, as well as leiomyomas and breast cancer. Parabens, which can be dermally absorbed, are present in many cosmetic products, including antiperspirants. Their estrogenicity and tissue presence are a cause for concern regarding breast cancer. Fortunately, these compounds are relatively easy to avoid and such steps can result in dramatic reductions of urinary levels of these compounds. Altern Med Rev. 2010 Sep;15(3):190-6. Crinnion WJ. Environmental Medicine, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, Tempe, AZ, USA. w.crinnion@scnm.edu

Role of naturopathy and yoga treatment in the management of hypertension.

Sun, 30 Jan 2011 11:37:00 -0500

AIM: The primary aim was to study the effect of naturopathy and yoga interventions in treatment of mild to moderate hypertension. DESIGN: The variables of interest were measured at the beginning and end of the intervention using a pre-post design. SETTING: The study was conducted by INYS medical research society in Jindal Nature Cure Institute, Bangalore. SUBJECTS: A total of 104 subjects, already diagnosed with mild to moderate hypertension and on treatment with antihypertensive medicines were included in study. INTERVENTIONS: The intervention consisted of various inpatient administration of different naturopathy treatments, yoga therapies, low calorie and low sodium diet for 21 days. Antihypertensive medicines were withdrawn for some patients in one week based upon response to the treatment. OUTCOME MEASURES: The outcome measures were values of diastolic and systolic blood pressure and body weight. Subjects were followed for a period of one year after every 3 months. RESULTS: After starting nonpharmacological approach of naturopathy and yoga, Systolic blood pressure came down from mean of 139.6 to 129.6 where as it came down from 91.2 to 86.1 for diastolic blood pressure. At the same time favorable effect was also seen in other variables like lipid profile and body weight. At the end of one year out of 57 patients who came for follow-up, 14 cases were found to have blood pressure within normal ranges without any medication over the previous 12 months. CONCLUSION: Naturopathy and yoga therapy can be considered as a valuable nonpharmacoloical approach in treatment of hypertension. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2011 Feb;17(1):9-12. Murthy SN, Rao NS, Nandkumar B, Kadam A. INYS Medical Research Society, Jindal Naturecure Institute, Jindal Nagar, Bangalore 560073, India.

Complementary therapy in palliative medicine.

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 11:34:00 -0500

Even in the palliative context complementary therapy has a high value for patients and their relatives. In contrast to the methods of conventional medicine naturopathy as a holistic system has positive meanings for patients and their family. Complementary medicine in the palliative setting can be used as a supportive therapy in carefully selected cases. Doctors and patients should be careful regarding effect and side effects and should make sure that supportive therapy is given adequately and in effective doses. Complementary therapy should not be used in order to avoid the question of life and death. An adequate approach to the topic is mandatory, which acknowledges the needs of patients but also looks for their safety. Patients following alternative therapies sometimes neglect helpful therapeutic options. Carefully providing information on these therapies is mandatory. Physicians should avoid losing patients' confidence in their competence and attention in their final course of disease. Also in palliative medicine a sensitive approach to the topic of complementary medicine is mandatory, which accounts for the eligible wishes of patients and their relatives but puts the patients safety first. Internist (Berl). 2010 Dec 24. [Article in German] Hübner J, Stoll C. Palliativmedizin, supportive und komplementäre Onkologie, Universitäres Centrum für Tumorerkrankungen, Klinikum der J.W. Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60595, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland, Jutta.Huebner@kgu.de.

Naturopathy and the primary care practice.

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 13:19:00 -0500

Naturopathy is a distinct type of primary care medicine that blends age-old healing traditions with scientific advances and current research. Naturopathy is guided by a unique set of principles that recognize the body's innate healing capacity, emphasize disease prevention, and encourage individual responsibility to obtain optimal health. Naturopathic treatment modalities include diet and clinical nutrition, behavioral change, hydrotherapy, homeopathy, botanical medicine, physical medicine, pharmaceuticals, and minor surgery. Naturopathic physicians (NDs) are trained as primary care physicians in 4-year, accredited doctoral-level naturopathic medical schools. At present, there are 15 US states, 2 US territories, and several provinces in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand that recognize licensure for NDs. Fleming SA, Gutknecht NC. Prim Care. 2010 Mar;37(1):119-36. Department of Family Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1100 Delaplaine Court Madison, WI 53715-1896, USA. sara.fleming@fammed.wisc.edu

Teaching research literacy: a model faculty development program at Oregon College of...

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 13:17:00 -0500

Full Title Teaching research literacy: a model faculty development program at Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. Content on integrative healthcare and complementary and alternative medicine is being taught in hundreds of educational programs across the country. Nursing, medical, osteopathic, chiropractic, acupuncture, naturopathic, and other programs are finding creative and innovative ways to include these approaches in new models of education and practice. This column spotlights such innovations in integrative healthcare and CAM education and presents readers with specific educational interventions they can adapt into new or ongoing educational efforts at their institution or programs. We invite readers to submit brief descriptions of efforts in their institutions that reflect the creativity, diversity, and interdisciplinary nature of the field. Please submit to Dr Sierpina at vssierpi@utmb.edu or Dr Kreitzer at kreit003@umn.edu. Submissions should be no more than 500 to 1,500 words. Please include any Web site or other resource that is relevant, as well as contact information. Kreitzer MJ, Sierpina V, Fleishman S. Explore (NY). 2010 Mar-Apr;6(2):112-4.

Evidence-based complementary oncology: innovative approaches to optimise standard therapy strategies

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 13:17:00 -0500

Cancer diseases demand diagnostic and therapeutic measures with proven quality, safety and efficacy. Bases for evaluation of new clinical and therapeutic measures are clinical studies representing level I (randomised controlled trials [RCTs]) or level II (epidemiological cohort studies), in accordance with recommendations of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, University of Oxford, UK. Evidence-based treatment of cancer follows recommendations of international expert panels and includes indication-based surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormone and antibody therapy. These therapies have all proven their potency to destroy cancer and their curative feasibility. This review provides an overview of some of the complementary therapies that are also recommended to support and optimise the standard evidence based cancer treatments. Beuth J. Anticancer Res. 2010 May;30(5):1767-71. Institute of Naturopathy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. hans.beuth@uk-koeln.de

'Becoming accepted': The complementary and alternative medicine practitioners' response...

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:08:00 -0500

Full Title 'Becoming accepted': The complementary and alternative medicine practitioners' response to the uptake and practice of traditional medicine therapies by the mainstream health sector. This Australian study sought to understand how practitioners of the traditional systems of what is now termed complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are responding to the adoption of their traditional medicine therapies by the mainstream health care system, and the practice of these therapies by mainstream health care practitioners. A grounded theory approach was used for this study. In-depth interviews were conducted with 19 participants who were non-mainstream practitioners from five traditional systems of medicine - Traditional Chinese Medicine,Ayurveda, Naturopathy, Homeopathy and Western Herbal Medicine. Four main conceptual categories were identified: Losing Control of the CAM Occupational Domain (the participants' main concern); Personal Positioning; Professional Positioning (the core category); and Legitimacy.These categories formed the elements of the substantive theory of 'becoming accepted' as a legitimate health care provider in the mainstream health system, which explained the basic social process that the study's participants were using to resolve their main concern. Wiese M, Oster C. Health (London). 2010 Jul;14(4):415-33. Flinders University, Australia. marlenewiese@bigpond.com

Multifactorial lifestyle interventions in the primary and secondary prevention of...

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 13:04:00 -0500

Full Title Multifactorial lifestyle interventions in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus--a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. This systematic review aims to summarize the available randomized trials of multifactorial lifestyle interventions in the primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Randomized trials investigating the effects of lifestyle interventions including the elements of diet, physical activity, and stress management in people at increased risk for or with manifest coronary heart disease or type 2 diabetes mellitus were searched for in five electronic database and by citation tracking. Quality was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool. Exploratory effect size calculations were performed for a variety of laboratory and clinical outcome measures. Twenty-five trials including a total of 7,703 participants met the inclusion criteria. Fifteen trials were in patients with coronary heart disease, seven in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and three on primary prevention. The interventions varied greatly regarding concept, intensity, and providers. Compared to participants in "usual care" control groups, there were no consistent effects on lipid levels and blood pressure and small effects on body mass index and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Composite cardiac event rates were significantly less in the intervention groups of the few trials reporting these outcomes. Mortality was also lower in the intervention groups, but the difference was not statistically significant, and confidence intervals were wide. The evidence base for multifactorial lifestyle interventions is weak. Effects on surrogate measures seem minor, but there may be clinically relevant effects on major clinical endpoints. Angermayr L, Melchart D, Linde K. Ann Behav Med. 2010 Aug;40(1):49-64. Competence Centre of Complementary Medicine and Naturopathy, Technische Universität München, Kaiserstr 9, 80801, Munich, Germany. Lucia.Angermayr@mnet-online.de

The CDC fourth national report on human exposure to environmental chemicals...

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 12:58:00 -0500

Full Title The CDC fourth national report on human exposure to environmental chemicals: what it tells us about our toxic burden and how it assist environmental medicine physicians. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) conducts ongoing assessments of the levels of environmental chemicals in the U.S. population. This ongoing study utilizes lab samples from the individuals who are part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The NHANES samples from the years 1999-2000, 2001-2002, and 2003-2004 (each representing about 2,400 individuals) were used for the CDC's national reports. In the CDC Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals ("the fourth report") complete data from the above sample years were included. Each year additional chemicals are measured; the fourth report contains information on 75 previously untested compounds, for a total of 212 compounds measured. In the fourth report, blood and urinary levels of eight different forms of arsenic are reported. The fourth report, for the first time, also includes levels of solvents (30 different compounds) and provides adult rather than juvenile values for mercury. In the majority of individuals tested, acrylamides, cotinine, trihalomethanes, bisphenol A, phthalates, chlorinated pesticides, triclosan, organophosphate pesticides, pyrethroids, heavy metals, aromatic hydrocarbons, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, benzophenone from sunblock, perfluorocarbons from non-stick coatings, and a host of polychlorinated biphenyls and solvents were found. This review provides many of the ranges for xenobiotic toxins so a clinician can identify a patient's current exposure and toxic load compared to the national averages and monitor the effectiveness of prescribed treatments. Crinnion WJ. Altern Med Rev. 2010 Jul;15(2):101-9. Environmental Medicine, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, Tempe AZ, USA. w.crinnion@scnm.edu

The Mind/Body Connection: Energy “Medicine & Emotional Cleansing

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:25:00 -0500

by Blanc Greenberg, ND The molecules in the body are constantly recreating. We can clearly comprehend this when we analyze the organ of the skin and how the layers of cells are constantly in motion of reproduction and rejuvenation. Intellectually, though, we do not always apply this fundamental truth to the rest of the structure --specifically when it deals with illness and/or disharmony in the body or the mind. [More]