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Simple Summary: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies include a wide range of procedures and products that are often used by cancer patients to directly combat cancer and to protect normal cells from the toxic effects of conventional therapies. Most often, their use is self-prescribed based on a collection of scattered information from websites and advice from relatives or friends. In this paper, we examined the potential known benefits and harms associated with the most commonly used alternative treatments to provide a practical guide for caregivers and patients. CAM is used by about 40% of cancer patients in Western Countries, with peaks of 80% for breast cancer patients. Cancer patients use CAM to boost immune function, to control cancer symptoms and treatment-related side effects, and to improve health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) and survival. Unfortunately, self-prescription of natural remedies in cancer patients can lead to unexpected toxicities and can reduce the effectiveness of cancer therapy. Although CAM usually refers to all the "natural or organic" products/methods that are generally considered less toxic, there are concerns about drug interactions, especially in patients participating in clinical trials with experimental agents. Despite the claims of the promising and potential benefits made by prescribers, many CAMs lack clear scientific evidence of their safety and efficacy. Given the widespread use of CAM—both clearly declared and overt—in this review, we focused on the most important known data on the risk of interactions between biologics and oncology drugs with the goal of opening up CAM in accordance with the meaning of integrative medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To conduct an integrative literature review to reveal any evidence supportive of the integration of traditional therapies for First Nations peoples in Australia within a western healthcare model, and to identify which, if any, of these therapies have been linked to better health outcomes and culturally safe and appropriate care for First Nations peoples. If so, are there indications by First Nations peoples in Australia that these have been effective in providing culturally safe care or the decolonisation of western healthcare practices. Integrative literature review of peer-reviewed literature. Online databases searched included CINAHL, Medline, Scopus, ScienceDirect InformitHealth, and ProQuest. Databases were searched for papers with full text available and published in English with no date parameter set. The PRISMA guidelines were used during the literature review and the literature was critiqued using the Critical Appraisal Skills tool. Seven articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Four articles selected were qualitative, two used a mixed method design, and one used a quantitative method. Six themes arose: (i) bush medicine, (ii) traditional healers, (iii) traditional healing practices, (iv) bush tucker, (v) spiritual healing, and (vi) therapies that connected to cultures such as yarning and storytelling. There is limited literature discussing the use of traditional therapies in Western healthcare settings. A need exists to include traditional therapies within a Western healthcare system. Creating a culturally safer and appropriate healthcare experience for First Nations people in Australia and will contribute to advancement in the decolonisation of current healthcare models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with intellectual disability are often uncooperative for complete dental evaluation and treatment. Many of these patients fall within autistic spectrum disease. These patients are also said to be associated with other medically relevant disorders such as seizures, and metabolic and hormonal dysfunction. Undertaking treatment of such patients under general anaesthesia will require complete medical evaluation. As many of the antiepileptic drugs interact with anaesthetic agents, a sound knowledge of drugs taken by the patient is necessary. However, when the patient is under alternative therapy, this problem becomes multi-fold. This paper will discuss the basic, but real problems with the gap of understanding between allopathic and alternative therapy, the importance of reviewing the patients', previous medical records, and its medico-legal consequences. It will also raise the issue of delays in management with increased cost and time of hospitalisation in such patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) consist of a broad group of restorative resources often linked to existing local cultures and established health care systems and are also increasingly used in children with some serious illnesses. In this narrative review, we examine the epidemiology of the use, efficacy, and safety of complementary and alternative medicine in pediatric oncology, neurology, and hepatology. We searched for relevant articles published in Pubmed evaluating CAM use and its efficacy in safety in children affected by oncologic, neurologic and liver diseases. CAM is used to improve the success of conventional therapies, but also to alleviate the pain, discomfort, and suffering resulting from the diseases and their treatment, which are often associated with a significant burden of adverse effects. CAM use must be evaluated in children with neurological, oncological and liver diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior studies exploring the effectiveness of traditional Korean medicine (TKM) treatment for facial palsy have mainly focused on Bell's palsy, and there are few studies on the effectiveness of TKM treatments for traumatic facial palsy following mandibular fracture. The patient was a 24-year-old Korean man with left-sided facial paralysis following a left mandibular fracture. Surgery was performed for the fracture and the facial palsy was treated using conventional medicine (CM) treatments for approximately 3 months, but there was no improvement observed in the patient's condition. Subsequently, the patient underwent an integrative Korean medicine treatment regimen consisting of acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, cupping, moxibustion, and herbal medication for a duration of 2 months. After 2 months of treatments, the House–Brackmann facial grading scale changed from Ⅴ to II and Yanagihara's unweighted grading score increased from 9 to 34. This case presentation and previous studies of traumatic facial palsy using TKM treatment show that TKM treatment may be considered a complementary or alternative treatment method to CM treatment in patients with traumatic facial palsy. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42023445051. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minnesota has the largest Somali diaspora in the world. Uniquely, the Minnesotan Somali diaspora utilizes traditional healing practices along with Western medicine. Therefore, medical providers who regularly interact with Somali patients must be aware of traditional healing practices. A scoping review inclusive of three databases (Embase Classic + Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, PsychINFO) was conducted. Fifty-eight studies met established criteria. Traditional medicine is performed with conventional medicine. Illnesses are acknowledged to be caused by a malfunctioning body, evil eye, and/or zar (possession). Examples of the utilization of dawo dhaqmeed (traditional practices) included ilko dacowo (dental enucleation), khat (catha edulis), guboow (use of a fire-heated object), cupping, xoq (scraping), xidhayn (female genital mutilation), duugto (massage), baan (nutrition), herbs, caano geel (camel milk), Qur'anic healing, prayer, zam zam (holy water), tahliil liquid (blessed water), and amulets. Practices ranged from benign to harmful. Identifying Somali traditional healing practices is the first step in understanding the health of the Somali community in Minnesota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and purpose: Many people worldwide suffer from chronic pain. It is a very inconvenient condition on its own, not only an accompanying symptom of other diseases. Conventional drug treatment may be insufficient in some cases or may even cause serious side effects in the long term. In response to this, we aim to demonstrate the diversity of alternative pain management techniques in this review and identify conditions where such techniques may be beneficial to patients. State of knowledge: This paper evaluates some of the most common alternative pain management methods (acupuncture, massage, chiropractic, mind body therapies, herbal medicine, music therapy) and their application in specific cases of chronic pain. We also describe the possible mechanisms of action involved in the effectiveness of these techniques, based on contemporary studies. Summary: In conclusion, there are conditions where alternative medicine may be beneficial for patients suffering from chronic pain. The studies taken into account showed the best effects for chronic musculoskeletal pain treated with methods such as acupuncture and massage. Mind-body therapies may reduce stress levels and symptoms of depression associated with chronic pain, consequently improving the quality of patients' lives. However, alternative methods should not yet be considered as replacements for conventional drug therapy. More studies are needed to evaluate whether alternative therapies will play a significant role in chronic pain management in the future.

Objectives: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has become increasingly popular among cancer patients and is often used concomitantly with standard cancer therapies. Nonetheless, disclosure of CAM utilization by cancer patients to physicians, along with the provision of information on CAM therapies by physicians, is poor. This review explores the literature to synthesize existing information on communication about CAM usage, reasons for nondisclosure, and the clinical implications thereof. Methods: A search of medical literature published between December 1, 2009, and October 1, 2021 (last searched on April 18, 2022), on communications between physicians and cancer patients about CAM treatments was conducted through MEDLINE and EMBASE. Results were screened for inclusion, dually reviewed, and assessed using the QualSyst quality appraisal instrument. Findings were categorized and synthesized for review. Results: A total of 30 articles were located (n = 8721 total participants), which discussed elements related to patient disclosure of CAM use (n = 16), provider experiences or perceptions related to communication about CAM (n = 3), patterns of this communication (n = 6), and recommendations for effectively discussing CAM with cancer patients (n = 5). Reports indicate that nondisclosure is common throughout the cancer care spectrum. Factors influencing nondisclosure range from patient beliefs and attitudes about their provider, demographic characteristics, disease progression, physician–patient relationship, physician noninquiry, and type of CAM used; ultimately creating a gap in care that may have serious medical implications. Discussion: Many of the studies identified are small and confined to a single-center, hospital-network, or geographic setting, thereby limiting the applicability of findings and recommendations. Nonetheless, improving patient–physician communication is essential in delivering evidence-informed, patient-centered care and crucial for achieving patient satisfaction and positive health outcomes. The lack of adequate CAM dialogue about CAM use increases the risk of adverse interactions with conventional cancer treatments and results in missed opportunities for providers and patients to engage in vital information exchange. Future research and education are necessary to further identify barriers surrounding patient–provider communication about CAM treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective. Several treatments are used to attain good control of symptoms and to reduce asthmatic exacerbations. The survey was designed to compare different systems of treatments for asthma and to explore the most preferred treatment in terms of efficacy, side effects, long-term use, and satisfaction. Materials and Methods. The cross-sectional survey was conducted; primary data were collected from asthmatic patients in different hospitals and clinics of allopathic, homeopathic, and herbal practitioners in Karachi, Pakistan. The study duration was from January 2020 to December 2020. Asthmatic patients aged over 13 years were selected for the study. A written informed consent was taken from the patients before the interview. Collected data were analyzed by the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) 22. Result. Among 255 asthmatic patients; 51.4% (n = 131) were male and 48.6% (n = 124) were female. For control of acute attacks of asthma 88.2% (p = 0.0001) of patients significantly preferred allopathic treatment while 6.3% (p = 0.008) used homeopathic treatment and 5.5% chose herbal treatment. For maintenance of asthma, 78.8% (p = 0.0001) patients used allopathic treatment while 12.4% (p = 0.0001) homeopathic and 8.8% (p = 0.0001) patients used herbal treatment. About 63.4% (p = 0.0001) of the asthmatic patients used short-acting β-2 agonists for managing acute asthmatic episodes while long-acting β-2 agonists (p = 0.0001) and inhaled corticosteroids (p = 0.0001) were found to be the preferred medicines for maintenance therapy. Effectiveness of treatment (p = 0.004) and cost effectiveness (p = 0.0001) significantly act as contributing factors for the selection of the treatment. The majority of the patients were satisfied with their chosen treatments for control of asthmatic symptoms. Conclusion. Most asthmatic patients preferred allopathic treatment for the management of acute episodes and control of asthmatic symptoms. It was found that the major factors for selecting a specific treatment include effectiveness, cost, and minimal side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pain and inflammation management in the medical field are necessary in every pathology regardless of the origin. When it comes to the veterinary field, pain and inflammation reduction is the key to full recovery, considering the animal patient's behavior in such cases. Also, because the medication may in some cases be inaccessible or hard to be administered, veterinarians and owners should take alternative medicine into account, as many literature researches had indicated high efficacy. This research aims to analyze the latest discoveries regarding the inflammation and pain management through curcumin treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]