The Western approach to pain management is focused on the use of pharmacotherapy, physical therapy, nerve blocks, nerve ablations, implantable devices. Even though increasing of understanding of the mechanisms of pain for the treatments; some pains remain intractable (Hariharan et al, 2007; Wagner et al, 2007; Laxmaiah et al, 2009). In contrast, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) centres primar...

Public interest in CAM for cancer care likely will influence the need for continued scientific evaluation. The NCI BCS program evaluates case studies involving novel alternative therapies for cancer treatment. Through the NCI BCS program, meaningful data are generated that may lead to NCI-supported research projects, including prospective studies, clinical trials, and advances in scientific kno...

BACKGROUND Plantar fasciitis (PF) is the most common reason for heel pain. The efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) as an ideal alternative to conservative treatments and surgery is controversial, and almost all previous articles compared general ESWT with placebo without indicating the kind of shock wave. We undertook a meta-analysis to compare the efficacy of general ESWT, foc...

BACKGROUND This study explored the psychological and behavioral mechanisms of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in Japanese cancer patients using two applied behavioral models, the transtheoretical model (TTM), and theory of planned behavior (TPB). PATIENTS AND METHODS Questionnaires were distributed to 1100 patients at three cancer treatment facilities in Japan and data on 521...

Although most patients with cancer pain can attain a favorable balance between analgesia and side effects with a conventional approach to opioid therapy, a substantial minority cannot. For these patients, an important subgroup of whom have neuropathic pain, alternative therapeutic strategies are needed. With a detailed assessment, clinicians should be able to choose among the large and diverse ...

oVerView Research into body work based complementary and alternative therapies, such as osteopathy and chiropractic has highlighted barriers and benefits of professionalization for these professions. There has been no examination of the road massage therapy has taken towards legitimation and professionalization. This review article examines the drive by massage therapists for legitimation as he...

BACKGROUND Currently, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are experiencing growing popularity, especially in former industrialized countries. However, most of the underlying physiological and molecular mechanisms as well as participating biological structures are still speculative. Specific and non-specific effects may play a role in CAM. Moreover, trust, belief, and expectation may be...