scholarly journals Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Cancer Pain: An Overview of Systematic Reviews

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanju Bao ◽  
Xiangying Kong ◽  
Liping Yang ◽  
Rui Liu ◽  
Zhan Shi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Therapy ◽  
Cancer Pain ◽  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Randomized Controlled Studies ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

Background and Objective. Now with more and more published systematic reviews of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) on adult cancer pain, it is necessary to use the methods of overview of systematic review to summarize available evidence, appraise the evidence level, and give suggestions to future research and practice.Methods. A comprehensive search (the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, and ISI Web of Knowledge) was conducted to identify all systematic reviews or meta-analyses of CAM on adult cancer pain. And the evidence levels were evaluated using GRADE approach.Results. 27 systematic reviews were included. Based on available evidence, we could find that psychoeducational interventions, music interventions, acupuncture plus drug therapy, Chinese herbal medicine plus cancer therapy, compound kushen injection, reflexology, lycopene, TENS, qigong, cupping, cannabis, Reiki, homeopathy (Traumeel), and creative arts therapies might have beneficial effects on adult cancer pain. No benefits were found for acupuncture (versus drug therapy or shame acupuncture), and the results were inconsistent for massage therapy, transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS), andViscum albumL plus cancer treatment. However, the evidence levels for these interventions were low or moderate due to high risk of bias and/or small sample size of primary studies.Conclusion. CAM may be beneficial for alleviating cancer pain, but the evidence levels were found to be low or moderate. Future large and rigor randomized controlled studies are needed to confirm the benefits of CAM on adult cancer pain.

scholarly journals Addressing barriers to the conduct and application of research in complementary and alternative medicine: a scoping review

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasamin Veziari ◽  
Saravana Kumar ◽  
Matthew Leach
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Educational Strategies ◽  
The Cochrane Library ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

Abstract Background Over the past few decades, the popularity of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has grown considerably and along with it, scrutiny regarding its evidence base. While this is to be expected, and is in line with other health disciplines, research in CAM is confronted by numerous obstacles. This scoping review aims to identify and report the strategies implemented to address barriers to the conduct and application of research in CAM. Methods The scoping review was undertaken using the Arksey and O’Malley framework. The search was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, EMCARE, ERIC, Scopus, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, JBI and the grey literature. Two reviewers independently screened the records, following which data extraction was completed for the included studies. Descriptive synthesis was used to summarise the data. Results Of the 7945 records identified, 15 studies met the inclusion criteria. Using the oBSTACLES instrument as a framework, the included studies reported diverse strategies to address barriers to the conduct and application of research in CAM. All included studies reported the use of educational strategies and collaborative initiatives with CAM stakeholders, including targeted funding, to address a range of barriers. Conclusions While the importance of addressing barriers to the conduct and application of research in CAM has been recognised, to date, much of the focus has been limited to initiatives originating from a handful of jurisdictions, for a small group of CAM disciplines, and addressing few barriers. Myriad barriers continue to persist, which will require concerted effort and collaboration across a range of CAM stakeholders and across multiple sectors. Further research can contribute to the evidence base on how best to address these barriers to promote the conduct and application of research in CAM.

scholarly journals Instrument to Measure Health Literacy About Complementary and Alternative Medicine

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 489-499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Shreffler-Grant ◽  
Clarann Weinert ◽  
Elizabeth Nichols
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Psychometric Evaluation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
State University ◽  
Montana State University ◽  
Exploratory Factor Analyses ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

Background and Purpose: Health literacy is an essential skill for today’s health care consumers. The growth in use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) adds to the complexity of being sufficiently health literate. The purpose of this article is to describe the initial psychometric evaluation of the “Montana State University (MSU) CAM Health Literacy Scale,” a newly developed instrument to measure an individual’s health literacy about CAM. Methods: Exploratory factor analyses, reliabilities, and conceptual considerations were used. Results: The outcome is a 21-item instrument with Cronbach’s alpha of .753 and 42.27% explained variance. Convergent validity assessments revealed weak but significant correlations between the scale and measures of general health literacy. Conclusions: The MSU CAM Health Literacy Scale has promise for use in future research and clinical endeavors.

scholarly journals Utilization of Complementary and Alternative Medicine among Korean Elite Athletes: Current Status and Future Implications

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Bo-Young Youn ◽  
Seongwan Ju ◽  
Shinhyoung Joo ◽  
Hoseok Kang ◽  
Kiyoung Jeon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Herbal Medicine ◽  
General Population ◽  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
Elite Athletes ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Future Research ◽  
National Team ◽  
The Status ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

The objective of the study was to explore the status of usage of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among Korean elite athletes. A survey was emailed to all Korean national sports federations recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia. A total of 705 Korean elite athletes participated in this study. The athletes had to be any of the following to participate in this survey: elite intercollegiate athletes, professional athletes, and national team athletes. 83.3% of the participants stated that they have previously experienced Korean medicine (KM). Compared to the general population in Korea, athletes had more experience (general population = 73.8%). The participants without experience mentioned that they either did not need any KM treatments (39.8%) or lacked information (39.8%) regarding KM treatments. The primary reason for the utilization of KM was the effectiveness of treatments. Therefore, 70.8% of the participants have mentioned recommending KM to others. Generally, athletes are worrisome that the consumption of herbal medicine may not be doping-free; however, it is vital to note that 62% of the participants expressed that prescribed herbal medicine is safe. Overall, this research demonstrates a high prevalence of KM usage by intercollegiate, professional, and national team athletes in Korea. Hence, this study’s results may serve as the foundation in future research directions for promoting KM among Korean elite athletes.

Trends in complementary and alternative medicine use among newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients.

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (7_suppl) ◽  
pp. 92-92
Author(s):  
Kyle Brian Zuniga ◽  
Shoujun Zhao ◽  
Benjamin E Cedars ◽  
Janet E. Cowan ◽  
Stacey Kenfield ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
Essential Fatty Acids ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Newly Diagnosed ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Cam Use ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

92 Background: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is common among prostate cancer (PCa) patients. The benefits and risks of the majority of CAM is inconclusive, and thus understanding trends in use is necessary to guide future research. We sought to investigate the prevalence of CAM use and trends in newly diagnosed PCa patients using the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor (CaPSURE). Methods: Between 1996-2017, 7,989 CaPSURE subjects completed questionnaires on use of over 50 CAM types. For prevalence, subjects were identified as users if they ever indicated CAM use. We then performed univariate analyses to examine associations between sociodemographic and clinical characteristics with CAM use using chi-squared tests. To observe trends in CAM use among newly diagnosed patients, we limited subject responses to questionnaires completed within 24 months of diagnosis (7,358 subjects). We then grouped subjects by diagnosis year and calculated percent change in use. Results: Overall, 56% of subjects reported any CAM use. Commonly used CAM were multivitamins (40% of participants) and essential fatty acids and omega-3 (24% of participants). Compared to non-CAM users, a greater proportion of CAM users were college-educated, had a higher household income, and lived in the West and Midwest regions of the U.S (all p < 0.01). In exploring trends, we found that overall CAM use increased by +203% (19% to 56%) between those diagnosed in 1996-1999 and 2010-2017. Between those diagnosed in 2005-2009 and 2010-2017, the largest changes in use were seen in acupuncture (+289%), Vitamin D (+204%), selenium (-59%), and vitamin E (-39%). Conclusions: PCa patients reported widespread CAM use in 1996-2017. Multivitamins were the most prevalent CAM, and use of acupuncture and Vitamin D increased dramatically. This information may help to prioritize research needs and reinforces the importance of discussing CAM use with patients, with referral to specialists (e.g., nutritionists) when indicated.

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