Integrative Medicine

A special issue of Medicines (ISSN 2305-6320).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 October 2015) | Viewed by 10981

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin and Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI 53295, USA
Interests: acupuncture; anti-stress effect of oxytocin; brain gut axis; gastrointestinal motility; integrative medicine; loving kindness meditation; social interaction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Medicines is an international open-access journal of conventional medicine and proven or evidence-based traditional, complementary and alternative medicine, published quarterly online.

Conventional Western medicine (CWM) has established an ever-growing expansion of scientific knowledge, basic science research, and technology. On the other hand, the interest in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has increased dramatically over the past decade. CAM includes acupuncture, massage, mediation, exercise, and herbs, etc. Integrative medicine means the integration of CWM and CAM. Integrative medicine can cover the disadvantage of CWM and CAM and integrate the efficacy of CWM and CAM.

Integrative medicine emphasizes the innate healing mechanism of the human organism. Whenever there is a loss of balance in the physical body, there is also a loss of balance in the other dimensions of human life. There is a great deal of research and evidence supporting mind-body interactions and therapies, such as Yoga, Tai-chi, Qi-gon and Zen.

Collaboration of CWM and CAM should be developed for future medicine. We can change the situation through the education of doctors and medical students. We also need to educate the public, to teach people how to take greater responsibility for their health.

This special Issue focuses on the latest innovative aspects in the field of integrative medicine. We welcome papers reporting the latest results of evidence-based CAM and those exploring integrative medicine. Studies concerning biomedicine based on modern technology are especially welcome. Manuscripts should deal with, but are not limited to, the keywords listed below.

Prof. Dr. Toku Takahashi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Medicines is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.


Keywords

  • alternative and complementary medicine
  • integrative medicine
  • acupuncture
  • herbal medicine
  • mind-body therapy
  • mindfullness

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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Article
Right Place, Right Time: Preferences of Women with Ovarian Cancer for Delivery of CAM Education
by Judith Ann Ebbert, Kristine A. Donovan, Cecile A. Lengacher, Donna Fabri, Richard Reich, Ellen Daley, Erika Lynne Thompson and Robert M. Wenham
Medicines 2015, 2(3), 236-250; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines2030236 - 31 Aug 2015
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5189
Abstract
The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility of on-site complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) education sessions to maximize quality of life for women with ovarian cancer. The pilot intervention consisted of four weekly sessions, each focusing the techniques and [...] Read more.
The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility of on-site complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) education sessions to maximize quality of life for women with ovarian cancer. The pilot intervention consisted of four weekly sessions, each focusing the techniques and benefits of a particular CAM topic (e.g., nutrition, massage, relaxation). Participants were recruited from the Center for Women’s Oncology at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center from 2010 to 2012. Eligible participants had an ovarian cancer diagnosis with a life expectancy of at least 12 months, and were 18 years or older. The Gynecologic Oncology research nurse invited women in the outpatient clinic who matched the eligibility criteria. The research nurse explained the study and provided an informed consent form and return envelope. Because ovarian cancer is not only a rare cancer but, also, most patients seen at Moffitt have recurrent or advanced disease, many women did not have an adequate ECOG score. Many women who consented had rapid changes in health status, with morbidity and mortality outpacing recruitment of the 20 needed to proceed with the four education sessions. Baseline and follow-up surveys were conducted to assess changes in QOL, knowledge, and satisfaction with the intervention. While 27 women consented and 24 women completed the baseline survey, only five women participated in the intervention. The five women who participated were all white, and at time of consenting had a mean age of 60 (SD 9.08) and an average of 102 months (SD 120.65) since diagnosis, and were all on active treatment, except for one. The intervention pilot did not encounter difficulties with regard to recruitment, but suffered problems in achieving an adequate number of women to launch the on-site sessions because of rapidly changing morbidity and significant mortality. The team recognized that a larger-scaled intervention comprised of on-site sessions was impractical and compared attendance rates with a more convenient format currently underway in the Women’s Oncology program at Moffitt. While low participation prevented an intervention analysis of scientific merit, the study data is informative with regard to barriers, facilitators, and alternative methods for sharing useful information to women with advanced ovarian cancer. The comparison strongly suggested that CAM education for women compromised by the disease and treatment associated with ovarian cancer would best be delivered in the convenient-access format that allowed remote access to live and recorded discussions of specific topics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrative Medicine)
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Review

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Review
The Use of Conservative and Alternative Therapy for Low Back Pain
by Ping Chung Leung
Medicines 2015, 2(3), 287-297; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines2030287 - 9 Sep 2015
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5269
Abstract
Low back pain may have complex patho-physiological causes leading to chronicity that resists conventional managements. Complementary and alternative treatment options have, therefore, gained popularity. In this chapter, acupuncture, manual therapy, and natural healing for low back pain will be discussed. Special emphasis is [...] Read more.
Low back pain may have complex patho-physiological causes leading to chronicity that resists conventional managements. Complementary and alternative treatment options have, therefore, gained popularity. In this chapter, acupuncture, manual therapy, and natural healing for low back pain will be discussed. Special emphasis is given on the role of the individual in the control and prevention of low back pain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrative Medicine)
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