The latest medical research on Complementary Medicine

The research magnet gathers the latest research from around the web, based on your specialty area. Below you will find a sample of some of the most recent articles from reputable medical journals about complementary medicine gathered by our medical AI research bot.

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An Individualized Yoga Intervention for People with Functional Neurological Disorder: Case Series.

International Journal of Epidemiology

Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a heterogeneous condition of neurological symptoms that cannot be linked to a specific neurological cause...

Music Therapy to Facilitate Relationship Completion at the End of Life: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Journal of Music

The concept of relationship completion is embodied as the core belief for end-of-life care in Taiwan, known as the Four Expressions in Life. No stu...

Embodied Resilience: A Quasi-Experimental Exploration of the Effects of a Trauma-Informed Yoga and Mindfulness Curriculum in Carceral Settings.

International Journal of Epidemiology

Individuals who are incarcerated likely experience trauma or exacerbate existing trauma, which has significant health risks. Trauma-informed care a...

A vision to enhance self-regulation in children: The promise of pediatric hypnosis.

Clin Hypnosis

Pediatric hypnosis practices are a valuable tool for enhancing emotional self-regulation and promoting resilience. Hypnotically informed materials,...

Therapeutic Singing and Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract Exercises for Individuals with Parkinson's Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Single Session Intervention.

Journal of Music

Individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) experience speech and voice-related symptoms that diminish communication and quality of life. Semi-occlud...

Peer Support Groups Integrated with Trauma-Sensitive Yoga for Women Survivors of Sexual Violence: A Feasibility Study and Qualitative Examination.

International Journal of Epidemiology

Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) is an evidence-based yoga protocol and approach used for somatic trauma care. Seven women participated ...

Effect of Electroacupuncture Stimulation on Brown Adipose Tissue Thermogenesis.

JAMS Journal of Acupuncture and

: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a unique thermogenic tissue in mammals mediated by uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). The energy generated by glucose and triglyceride metabolism is released and transmitted throughout the body as heat. Understanding the factors influencing BAT function is crucial to determine its metabolic significance and effects on overall health. Although studies have shown that electroacupuncture (EA) at specific acupoints (e.g., ST36) can stimulate BAT, its effects at other acupoints are not well understood. Further research is needed to investigate the potential effects of EA at these acupoints and their association with BAT activation.

: This study aimed to investigate the effects of EA at the GV20 and EX-HN3 acupoints. Specifically, the effects of EA on BAT thermogenesis were analyzed by infrared thermography, western blotting, and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

: A total of 12 C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into the EA and control groups. The EA group received EA at GV20 and EX-HN3 for 20 min once daily for 14 days. The control group underwent the same procedure but without EA. The core body temperature was monitored. Infrared thermal images of the back of each mouse in both groups were captured. BAT samples were collected after euthanasia to analyze UCP1 protein and UCP1 mRNA.

: The average skin temperature in the scapular region of the EA group was increased by 1.1℃ compared with that of the C group (p < 0.05). Additionally, the average temperature along the governor vessel in the EA group was increased by 1.6℃ (p = 0.045). EA significantly increased the expression of UCP1 protein (p = 0.001) and UCP1 mRNA (p = 0.002) in BAT, suggesting a potential link between EA and BAT thermogenesis.

: EA induced BAT thermogenesis, suggesting GV20 and EX-HN3 as potential acupoints for BAT stimulation. The experimental results also highlighted unique meridian characteristics as demonstrated by elevated skin temperature along the governor vessel in mice.

Characteristics of the New Mast Cell-Rich Nodal Structure in the Rat Skin Surface.

JAMS Journal of Acupuncture and

: Acupuncture, practiced for millennia, lacks a clear anatomical definition for acupoints. A prevailing theory suggests that acupoints overlap with skin areas with higher mast cell density. Skin spots stained with intravenously infused Evans blue (EB), indicative of neurogenic inflammation, have recently been posited as acupoints in rats.

: To demonstrate the concordance between EB-reactive skin spots and mast cell-enriched acupoints.

: We employed staining and RNA-seq analysis to delineate the morphological characteristics and gene expression profiles of EB-reactive skin spots in rats.

: EB infusion revealed a novel nodal structure on the rat skin surface, visible to the naked eye, with dimensions of approximately 1 mm in both diameter and height. Around 30 such nodes were identified on one side of the abdominal area, spaced roughly 3 mm apart, excluding the linea alba. RNA-seq analysis indicated that the gene expression patterns within these nodes markedly differed from both non-nodal skin areas and lymph nodes. Histological examination using toluidine blue revealed a significantly greater mast cell count in the nodes than in non-nodal skin regions. Additionally, the nodes stained positively with Alcian blue and Hemacolor, reagents known to mark primo vascular tissues.

: Our findings suggest that EB-reactive nodes are indeed rich in mast cells. Further research is warranted to establish these skin nodes as surface primo nodes.

Effects of Tumor Microenvironment on the Primo Vascular Pattern in the Mouse Model of Metastatic Breast Cancer.

JAMS Journal of Acupuncture and

: Tumor survival, promotion, and metastatic functions are regulated by the tumor microenvironment (TME). The primo vascular system (PVS), the third circulatory system in animals, is currently thought to be a highly effective pathway for the spread of cancer cells.

: In the present study, we intend to determine the TME effects on the PVS pattern in breast cancer for the first time.

: Heterotopic and orthotopic metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) mice models were created. After 35 days, the skin was retracted, and a 2 cm skin incision was made up and down from the surface of the tumor tissue. In preparation for PVS staining, the dyes (trypan blue and alamarBlue) were injected throughout the tumor tissues. Under a stereomicroscope, PVS in heterotopic and orthotopic tumors was seen.

: According to our data, there are no appreciable variations in PVS patterns and density between heterotopic and orthotopic animal models. Furthermore, alamarBlue is a good option for tumor PVS staining, as demonstrated by our research.

: For the first time, our data gave significant new information about the PVS in TNBC. Creating new anti-cancer treatments may be made possible by a better understanding of the biological characteristics of the TME and PVS.

Warm Acupuncture Reduces Pain and Inflammation in Rats with Lumbar Disc Herniation Induced by Autologous Nucleus Pulposus Transplantation via Regulating p38MAPK/NF-κB Pathway.

JAMS Journal of Acupuncture and

: Warm acupuncture (WA) has analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. However, the underlying mechanism of these effects remain unclear.

: To explore the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of WA and the potential underlying mechanism in male Sprague-Dawley rats with non-compressive lumbar disk herniation (LDH) caused by autologous nucleus pulposus (NP) transplantation.

: We used low-frequency (2 Hz) electrical stimulation and WA (40℃) to treat GB30 and BL54 acupoints in rats for 30 mins per day. We monitored the paw withdrawal threshold of rats during the experiment and measured serum cytokine levels using commercial kits. Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) tissue pathology was analyzed via H&E staining. We used qRT-PCR to measure the mRNA expression levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α genes in DRG. Western blot was used to analyze the expression levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNFα, P-p38MAPK, p38MAPK, P-IκBα, IκB α, and NF-κB p65 proteins.

: WA treatment significantly increased the pain threshold of rats, reduced serum IL-6, PEG2, NO, SP, NP-Y, and MMP-3 levels, and effected histopathological improvements in the DRG in rats. Moreover, WA treatment significantly downregulated the expression levels of inflammation-associated genes (Il-1β, Il-6, and Tnf-α) and proteins (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, P-p38MAPK, P-IκBα, and NF-κB p65) in the DRG of non-compressive LDH rats.

: WA can alleviate pain and inhibit inflammatory response in rats with non-compressive LDH caused by autologous NP transplantation, and these effects are likely associated with the inhibition of the p38MAPK/NF-κB pathway.

Effect of Single Acupuncture Point (Liver 7) on Pain and Range of Motion on Osteoarthritis of Knee.

JAMS Journal of Acupuncture and

: Osteoarthritis of the knee (OAK) is a chronic degenerative musculoskeletal disorder that strongly affects the elderly population and decreases their quality of life. Pain, stiffness, and restricted knee movements are the major characteristic features of OAK. There are no studies available on the effect of the liver 7 (LR 7) acupuncture point on pain and range of motion.

: To study the effectiveness of the LR 7 acupuncture point on pain and range of motion in chronic OAK patients.

: Thirty-five subjects aged between 40 and 65 years were recruited from Government Yoga and Naturopathy Medical College, Chennai. Participants were included in the study after they fulfilled the eligibility criteria. The duration of acupuncture was 20 minutes (5 days/week) for 2 weeks. Baseline and post-intervention assessments were performed using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and the degree of knee flexion and extension was measured using a goniometer.

: Pre- and post-trial outcomes were compared using paired t-tests. LR 7 acupuncture reduced the WOMAC score from 49 to 30 (p < 0.001), indicating that pain was alleviated. Treatment increased the range of knee flexion from 110 to 115 degrees and reduced knee extension (p < 0.01) from 16 to 9 degrees (p < 0.001). These findings indicate that acupuncture treatment improved the range of knee movement.

: The present study showed that 10 sessions of LR 7 acupuncture for people with OAK significantly reduced pain and increased range of motion. We conclude that LR 7 acupuncture is an adjuvant therapy for alleviating pain and managing OAK.

Factors Influencing Music Therapists' Retention of Clinical Hours with Autistic Clients over Telehealth During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Journal of Music

The 2019 coronavirus disease pandemic influenced music therapists to migrate services to online platforms, though some lost clinical hours during t...