Body, Mind & Spirit Articles and Latest News

Kara Neumann, spiritual healing, and the law.

WMJ. 2009 Nov;108(8):415-6

Authors: Leiker M

PMID: 20041581 [PubMed - in process]

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The role of spirituality healing with perceptions of the medical encounter among Latinos.

J Gen Intern Med. 2009 Nov;24 Suppl 3:542-7

Authors: Reyes-Ortiz CA, Rodriguez M, Markides KS

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the relationship between spirituality healing and perceptions about the medical encounter among Latinos. OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between spirituality healing and attitudes of self-reported perceptions about the medical encounter. DESIGN: A cross-sectional telephone survey. PARTICIPANTS: 3,728 Latinos aged >or=18 years residing in the United States from Wave 1 of the Pew Hispanic Center/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Latino Health Survey. MEASUREMENTS: Dependent variables were ever prayed for healing (yes/no), ever asked others to pray for healing (yes/no), considered important spiritual healing (very vs. somewhat or not important), and ever consulted a ‘curandero’ (folk healer in Latin America) (yes/no). The primary independent variables were feelings about the last time seeing a Doctor (confused by information given, or frustrated by lack of information) and perception of quality of medical care (excellent, good, fair or poor) within the past 12 months. RESULTS: Six percent of individuals reported that they had ever consulted a curandero, 60% prayed for healing, 49% asked others to pray for healing, and 69% considered spiritual healing as very important. In multivariable analyses, feeling confused was associated with increased odds of consulting a curandero (OR = 1.58; 95% CI, 1.02-2.45), praying for healing (OR = 1.30; 95% CI, 1.03-1.64), asking others to pray for healing (OR = 1.29; 95% CI, 1.03-1.62), and considering spiritual healing as very important (OR = 1.30; 95% CI, 1.01-1.66). Feeling frustrated by a lack of information was associated with asking others to pray for healing (OR = 1.29; 95% CI, 1.04-1.60). A better perception of quality of medical care was associated with lower odds of consulting a curandero (OR = 0.83; 95% CI, 0.70-0.98). CONCLUSION: Feelings about the medical encounter were associated with spirituality healing, praying for healing, and asking others to pray for healing. Feeling confused and perception of poor quality of medical care were associated with consulting a curandero.

PMID: 19842004 [PubMed - in process]

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Unconventional medicine in dermatology outpatients in Turkey.

Int J Dermatol. 2009 Jun;48(6):639-44

Authors: Gönül M, Gül U, Cakmak SK, Kiliç S

BACKGROUND: Many people use unconventional therapies for health problems, but the extent and pattern of this use in dermatology have not been studied in detail. This article reports the first investigation on the use of unconventional therapies in dermatology in Turkey. AIM: To determine the prevalence and characteristics of unconventional therapies used by dermatology outpatients in Turkey. METHODS: A questionnaire was employed to determine the use of unconventional therapies in patients attending a dermatology clinic in Ankara, Turkey. The patients were questioned about the number of attendances at dermatology clinics, whether they had ever used unconventional therapies and/or drugs without the suggestion of a medical doctor for the current dermatologic disorder, and the forms of unconventional therapies employed. The data were compared statistically with the age, sex, and education status of the patients. RESULTS: The respondents included 443 men and 563 women, with a total of 1006 patients. The mean age of the patients was 36.62 +/- 17.55 years. Of the 1006 patients, 337 (33.5%) had used at least one form of unconventional therapy. The most common diagnoses of the patients using unconventional therapy were acne, psoriasis, contact dermatitis, and fungal infections. The most frequent forms of unconventional therapy used by the patients were humectants, cologne, spiritual healing, and herbs. Unconventional therapy use according to the sex, age, and education status of the patients did not show any significant difference. A significant relationship was found between some forms of unconventional therapy and some skin disorders, including: generalized pruritus and application of cologne; warts and spiritual healing; fungal infections and application of henna; psoriasis and herbal therapy or spiritual healing; alopecia areata and application of garlic; acne and application of lemon juice, clay, or cosmetics. CONCLUSION: Regardless of patient age, sex, and education status, dermatology outpatients use unconventional therapies for their health. Dermatologists should be aware of the tendency of patients to use unconventional therapies and should guide patients towards the use of harmless treatments.

PMID: 19538378 [PubMed - in process]

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Related Articles

Knowledge and perception of stroke amongst hospital workers in an African community.

Eur J Neurol. 2009 May 22;

Authors: Akinyemi RO, Ogah OS, Ogundipe RF, Oyesola OA, Oyadoke AA, Ogunlana MO, Otubogun FM, Odeyinka TF, Alabi BS, Akinyemi JO, Osinfade JK, Kalaria RN

Background and purpose: Stroke is a growing public health problem worldwide. Hospital workers are sources of knowledge on health issues including stroke. The present study aimed at assessing the knowledge and perception of a sample of Nigerian hospital workers about stroke. Methods: Hospital-based, cross-sectional survey. Respondents selected by systematic random sampling were interviewed using a 29-item pre-tested, structured, semi-closed questionnaire. Results: There were 370 respondents (63% female, mean age: 34.4 +/- 7.5 years; 61% non-clinical workers). Twenty-nine per cent of respondents did not recognize the brain as the organ affected. Hypertension (88.6%) was the commonest risk factor identified; 13.8% identified evil spirit/witchcraft as a cause of stroke, whilst one-sided body weakness (61.9%) was most commonly identified as warning symptom. Hospital treatment was most preferred by 61.1% of respondents whilst spiritual healing was most preferred by 13.0%. In the bivariate analysis, higher level of education and being a clinical worker correlated with better stroke knowledge (P < 0.001). Conclusion: This study demonstrates gaps in the knowledge of these hospital workers about stroke, and treatment choice influenced by cultural and religious beliefs. Health education is still important, even, amongst health workers and stroke awareness campaigns may need to involve faith-based organizations.

PMID: 19486134 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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The effect of cultural background on the usage of complementary and alternative medicine for chronic pain management.

Pain Physician. 2009 May-Jun;12(3):685-8

Authors: Ho KY, Jones L, Gan TJ

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain is a debilitating problem with significant impact on healthcare utilization in the US. Many chronic pain patients use complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) in addition to standard pharmacologic therapy. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to identify differences in the characteristics of usage of CAM for chronic pain control among several ethnic groups. DESIGN: We recruited 92 consecutive patients seeking treatment at the pain clinic and interviewed them using a questionnaire. RESULTS: The most common pain complaint was back pain (55.4%) and the mean pain duration for all chronic pain problems was 9.8 years. Approximately 81% of respondents were using or have used CAM before. The commonest CAM used by patients in our study included massage therapy, spiritual healing as well as the consumption of mineral and vitamin supplements. Sixty-three percent of them were satisfied with CAM treatment compared to 56% of patients who were satisfied with prescription therapy. However, there was no difference in the use of CAM among the different ethnic groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that CAM is used very frequently in patients with chronic pain. However, it did not show any ethnic or racial differences in CAM utilization.

PMID: 19461837 [PubMed - in process]

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Integration of complementary medical treatments with rehabilitation from the perspectives of patients and their caregivers: A qualitative inquiry.

Clin Rehabil. 2009 May 15;

Authors: Chang LH, Wang J

Objective: This article uses a qualitative design and examines how patients and their caregivers integrate pluralistic health practices into rehabilitation from their perspectives. Design: Ethnography was used as the framework for research design. Data were collected via participant observation, taped in-depth interviews and regular chart review, and all interviews were transcribed verbatim. Setting: An inpatient rehabilitation unit in Taiwan. Subjects: Twenty-one patients, their caregivers and their rehabilitation professionals. Results: The patients and their caregivers used pluralistic illness explanations and treatments to make sense of their suffering, to control healing and to find the hope that rehabilitation professionals often deliberately avoided giving. Spiritual healing and therapies related to Traditional Chinese Medicine, such as functional food and herbal medicines, were popular alternative therapeutics. Although the patients and their caregivers perceived opposition from the medical staff on the unit, they used a variety of covert strategies to integrate their pluralistic illness explanations and treatments into their daily routines without openly challenging the rehabilitation primacy. Conclusion: Aware of the rehabilitation staff’s opposition, the patients and caregivers resorted to a variety of underground strategies to conceal their use of complementary medical treatments.

PMID: 19447842 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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The use of complementary and alternative therapies in Western Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Med J. 2009 May;30(5):682-6

Authors: Jan MM, Basamh MS, Bahassan OM, Jamal-Allail AA

OBJECTIVE: To examine the use of complementary and alternative therapies (CAT) in our region, particularly for children with chronic conditions, and explore contributing factors to their use. METHODS: A prospective random sample of mothers visiting the out patient department of King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia were identified from the 1st of June, 2006 to the 31st of May, 2008. A survey using a structured 50-item questionnaire was used to examine their demographics, child’s medical problem, and the use of CAT. RESULTS: Seventy-nine mothers were interviewed, and their child’s condition was acute in 47%, chronic, or recurrent in 53%, and treatable in 84%. Neurological complaints were reported in 25%. Thirty-three (42%) families used CAT in their child, mostly (57%) before seeking medical help. Religious and spiritual healing was used in 82%, oral, or topical preparations or herbs in 30%, and physical interventions in 21%. Factors associated with using CAT included child’s age <1 year (p=0.008), less than high school education of the fathers (p=0.01), chronic medical condition (p=0.00008) or neurological disorder (p=0009), and positive family history of using CAT (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Many parents refer to CAT typically before seeking medical help. Pediatricians should counsel and caution parents regarding the lack of studies demonstrating efficacy and safety of CAT in young children.

PMID: 19417970 [PubMed - in process]

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Related Articles

Use of antidepressants and complementary and alternative medicine among outpatients with depression in Taiwan.

Arch Psychiatr Nurs. 2009 Feb;23(1):75-85

Authors: Hsu MC, Moyle W, Creedy D, Venturato L, Ouyang WC, Tsay SL

Understanding use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and antidepressants during patient’s recovery for depression is important to enhance their psychological functioning and promote positive health care outcomes. This study investigated the use of antidepressant treatment and CAM in outpatients with depression 1 month after discharge from psychiatric hospitalization. Telephone surveys were conducted. Of the 201 participants, 50.2% reported using CAM 1 month after discharge. Nearly 41% (n = 82) used a combination of both antidepressant treatment and CAM after hospital discharge. The most commonly used CAMs were spiritual healing, relaxation techniques, and herbal medicine. Symptom relief was the top reason participants used CAM for depression. A number of factors were associated with higher odds of using CAM. CAM is often considered as a valued component of holistic care plan after discharge. It is important for nurses to identify the CAM approaches patients are using so that this information can assist in the education of patients and family about the benefits of contemporary treatments for depression, possible interactions when combining treatments, and the CAM and conventional medicine that can be helpful to relieve depression symptoms and psychological distress.

PMID: 19216991 [PubMed - in process]

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Related Articles

Complementary therapies for neuropathic and neuralgic pain: systematic review.

Clin J Pain. 2008 Oct;24(8):731-3

Authors: Pittler MH, Ernst E

OBJECTIVE: To assess the evidence from rigorous clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses of complementary and alternative therapies for treating neuropathic and neuralgic pain. METHODS: Systematic searches were carried out in the databases Medline, Embase, Amed, Scopus, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Natural Standard, and the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Each database was searched from its respective inception until March 2006. To be included, trials were required to state that they were randomized. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were included if based on the results of randomized trials. No language restrictions were imposed. RESULTS: Five relevant systematic reviews and meta-analyses and 15 additional trials met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Data on the following complementary and alternative medicine treatments were identified: acupuncture, electrostimulation, herbal medicine, magnets, dietary supplements, imagery, and spiritual healing. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of our findings, the evidence is not fully convincing for most complementary and alternative medicine modalities in relieving neuropathic or neuralgic pain. However, for topically applied capsaicin there is evidence of effectiveness beyond placebo. The evidence can be classified as encouraging and warrants further study for cannabis extract, magnets, carnitine, and electrostimulation.

PMID: 18806539 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Association of complementary and alternative medicine use with highly active antiretroviral therapy initiation.

Altern Ther Health Med. 2008 Sep-Oct;14(5):18-22

Authors: Merenstein D, Yang Y, Schneider MF, Goparaju L, Weber K, Sharma A, Levine AM, Sharp GB, Gandhi M, Liu C

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is associated with the timing of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) initiation among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected participants of the Women’s Interagency HIV Study. STUDY METHODS: Prospective cohort study between January 1996 and March 2002. Differences in the cumulative incidence of HAART initiation were compared between CAM users and non-CAM users using a logrank test. Cox regression model was used to assess associations of CAM exposures with time to HAART initiation. MAIN OUTCOME AND EXPOSURES: Study outcome was time from January 1996 to initiation of HAART. Primary exposure was use of any CAM modality before January 1996, and secondary exposures included the number and type of CAM modalities used (ingestible CAM medication, body practice, or spiritual healing) during the same period. RESULTS: One thousand thirty-four HIV-infected women contributed a total of 4987 person-visits during follow-up. At any time point, the cumulative incidence of HAART initiation among CAM users was higher than that among non-CAM users. After adjustment for potential confounders, those reporting CAM use were 1.34 times (95% confidence interval: 1.09, 1.64) more likely to initiate HAART than non-CAM users. CONCLUSION: Female CAM users initiated HAART regimens earlier than non-CAM users. Initiation of HAART is an important clinical marker, but more research is needed to elucidate the role specific CAM modalities play in HIV disease progression.

PMID: 18780580 [PubMed - in process]

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