Complementary Therapies Used Among Adult Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Aceh, Indonesia

Purpose: This study aimed to reveal Complementary Therapies (CT) use among adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Aceh, Indonesia, and to determine the reasons of using the CT.Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was undertaken using a self-reported questionnaire. One hundred and fifty four adult patients with T2DM has been completed the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data.Results: Herbs as a part of biological based therapies were the most popular of CT use among subjects in this study (100%) followed by mind-body intervention (94.2%), manipulation and body based methods (19.5%) and alternative medical methods (3.9%). The reasons for using each CT based on the belief in effects of CT on lowering blood sugar (100%), maintaining healthy body (76.6%), and relieving symptoms of DM (35.7%). Relatives and friends (98.7%) were main resources to obtain the CT information, and the family members (91.0%) were main support of CT use. While, the nature (89.0%) was the easiest source to access a CT product, followed by local markets (36.4%).Conclusion: This study found that herbs were believed by all subjects could reducing blood glucose, maintaining healthy body, and relieving symptoms of DM. Family members and easy to access the CT products from nature took the important role in influencing a person to use CT. More experimental studies examining effects of each CT especially herbal medicine and mind-body intervention are needed in the future

Circumventing the Snake Oil: An Analysis of CAM Cancer Therapies

Since the dawn of recorded human history, humans have searched for ailments to the diseases that plague our everyday lives. However, as each new cure or treatment was discovered, thousands of unsubstantiated and unproven therapies follow behind it. With the advancement of the internet and modern communication, these therapies have found their ways into the minds of consumers. The article highlights three common unproven therapies used by patients, as well as addressing the nuances of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)

How Do We Know It Works? Approaches to the Evaluation of Complementary Medicine

Complementary medicine is a term used to cover a vast array of treatment procedures as wide ranging as aroma therapy, iridology, acupuncture, homeopathy and osteopathy. It is sometimes known as alternative or even folk medicine. These complementary therapies exist because people find them helpful. Research must, therefore, be directed at asking 'Who?' ,. 'What?', and 'How?'. In the following chapter ways of answering these questions are examined. Emphasis is given to the need for a variety of different research strategies and tactics. A preliminary outline of an overall approach which would hold together the strands in a fruitful way is proposed, based on facet Meta-Theory. In considering the emerging research prospect for the study of complementary medical practice it is important to clarify some initial premises. These provide a framework within which to consider a great variety of research possibilities. They also point towards areas of study that might not otherwise be apparent

Complementary therapies education for the 21st century

Over the past ten years, an innovative portfolio of over 30 courses in Complementary Therapies (CT) has been developed at the University of Westminster, London, UK. The degrees were the first of their kind and the portfolio now provides the widest selection of CT courses in Europe. This paper explores the history and context of this comprehensive portfolio. The nature of the shared innovative health sciences, practitioner development and research themes of the degrees are described. The role of the unique Polyclinic in preparing students to work in the integrated inter-professional healthcare provision of the 21st century is discussed

Research issues in complementary therapy

A question frequently asked by healthcare professionals and journalists is, "Do complementary therapies work?" Such a question needs to acknowledge that therapies that come under the umbrella of 'complementary and alternative therapies' are many and diverse. The extent to which therapeutic interventions are defined as complementary or alternative is influenced by the leading paradigm of the day, and the power of professional bodies. The House of Lords Select Committee report divides complementary therapies into three discrete groups (Table 1). This classification was essential to the Select Committee's conclusions regarding regulation, research and availability on the National Health Service (NHS) of the approaches

Relationships and implications for complementary and alternative medicine in Aotearoa New Zealand: A discussion paper

The purpose of this paper is to initiate a discussion on contextualising the relationship between the nursing profession and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) within Aotearoa New Zealand. There is limited research and data linking complementary and alternative medicine to nursing or how this could be integrated into health care delivery. The authors’ intentions are to raise awareness of a trend within health and wellness that could have implications for the nursing profession in Aotearoa New Zealand. Existing knowledge from overseas research is discussed to raise awareness on complementary and alternative medicine knowledge and any perceptions or educational needs nurses may require when considering the utilisation of complementary and alternative medicine. A range of questions are presented aimed at highlighting areas of development and future research for nursing in Aotearoa New Zealand if complementary and alternative medicine therapies or theory are applied within mainstream health care settings. Ngā ariā matua Te kaupapa ia o tēnei tuhinga he wāhi i te kōrero kia whakatatangia mai te hononga o te umanga tapuhi ki ngā rongoā tāpiri, kaupapa tuarua hoki (CAM) i Aotearoa. He iti noa ngā rangahau me ngā raraunga e tūhono ana i ngā rongoā tāpiri, kaupapa tuarua hoki ki te ao tapuhi, me pēhea rānei e taea te tūhono ki te horanga taurimatanga hauora i Aotearoa. Te whāinga ia o ngā kaituhi he whakapiki i te māramatanga ki tētahi ia i roto i te hauora me te waiora e puta ake ai he pānga ki te umanga tapuhi i Aotearoa. Ka whakamahia ngā mōhiotanga mai i ngā rangahau i tāwāhi hei whakapiki i te māramatanga ki ngā rongoā tāpiri, kaupapa tuarua hoki, me ngā kitenga, ngā hiahia whakangungu rānei e tika ana mā te tapuhi ina whakaaro ake ki te whakamahi i ngā rongoā tāpiri, kaupapa tuarua hoki. Ka tāpaetia mai te huhua o ngā pātai hei miramira i ngā wāhanga mō te whanaketanga me ngā rangahau mō te mahi tapuhi i Aotearoa mehemea ka whakamahia ngā rongoā tāpiri, kaupapa tuarua hoki i ngā horopaki hauora auraki

Systematic reviews of complementary therapies - an annotated bibliography. Part 1: Acupuncture

Background Complementary therapies are widespread but controversial. We aim to provide a comprehensive collection and a summary of systematic reviews of clinical trials in three major complementary therapies (acupuncture, herbal medicine, homeopathy). This article is dealing with acupuncture. Potentially relevant reviews were searched through the register of the Cochrane Complementary Medicine Field, the Cochrane Library, Medline, and bibliographies of articles and books. To be included articles had to review prospective clinical trials of acupuncture; had to describe review methods explicitly; had to be published; and had to focus on treatment effects. Information on conditions, interventions, methods, results and conclusions was extracted using a pretested form and summarized descriptively. Results From a total of 48 potentially relevant reviews preselected in a screeening process 39 met the inclusion criteria. 22 were on various pain syndromes or rheumatic diseases. Other topics addressed by more than one review were addiction, nausea, asthma and tinnitus. Almost unanimously the reviews state that acupuncture trials include too few patients. Often included trials are heterogeneous regarding patients, interventions and outcome measures, are considered to have insufficient quality and contradictory results. Convincing evidence is available only for postoperative nausea, for which acupuncture appears to be of benefit, and smoking cessation, where acupuncture is no more effective than sham acupuncture. Conclusions A large number of systematic reviews on acupuncture exists. What is most obvious from these reviews is the need for (the funding of) well-designed, larger clinical trials

Trends in nursing and midwifery research and the need for change in complementary therapy research

In recent years there has been a change in nursing and midwifery research. Whilst many of the subjects being studied remain the same, nurses and midwives have started to employ a range of data collection methods that are relatively new to the profession. Predominantly quantitative research, which concentrates on reduction, objectivity, manipulation, categorization, passivity, control, prediction, causality and generalizability (Munhall & Oiler 1986), is starting to be replaced by other approaches perhaps more congruent with nursing, midwifery and caring. As Moody (1990) stated, ‘the 1980s ushered in an array of diverse, sophisticated research methods…’ with other authors adding that ‘nursing is just beginning to authenticate new territory that incorporates a plurality of methods’ (Nagle & Mitchell 1991). The following is an exploration of the recent apparent shift away from a focus on quantitative research in nursing and midwifery towards the use of qualitative methods which emphasize a greater degree of individuality, humanism, participation and interaction. It is suggested that the traditional quantitative research paradigm still exists in the field of complementary therapy research and that the shift that has taken place in nursing and midwifery research needs to be considered more seriously in the field of research in complementary therapies