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Natural Therapies (natural + therapy)
Selected AbstractsMigraine Prevention: What Patients Want From Medication and Their Physicians (A Headache Specialty Clinic Perspective)HEADACHE, Issue 5 2006Todd D. Rozen MD Objective.,To document the results of a migraine patients survey, from a headache specialty clinic, in which patients were asked to rank, in order of importance, certain characteristics of migraine preventive treatment. Methods.,A 10-question survey was completed by 150 patients (114 females and 36 males) with a history of migraine who presented to the Michigan Head Pain & Neurological Institute. The patients were asked to rank, in order of importance, characteristics of migraine preventive treatment. Each characteristic was rated individually on a 1 to 10 scale (1 being of little importance and 10 being extremely important). The mean rating of each characteristic was then calculated and the results analyzed. Results/Discussion.,From this migraine preventive treatment survey, the most important thing to migraineurs, from a headache specialty clinic population, is that the prescribing physician involves them in the decision making of choosing a preventive agent. The physician taking time to explain the possible medication side effects is the second most highly ranked characteristic. Migraine preventives with published efficacy in the medical literature are also deemed very important. Migraineurs do not mind using more than 1 preventive agent at one time if greater efficacy can be achieved. Agents that may affect weight and /or cause sedation may be important factors as to why patients (especially females) may not want to take a preventive medication. Natural therapies and once-daily dosing are ranked lower overall but still are important characteristics of preventive treatment. Some gender differences are noted in the ranking of migraine preventive characteristics. [source] CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF ORIGANUM ONITES L. ESSENTIAL OILS AND EXTRACTSJOURNAL OF FOOD SAFETY, Issue 1 2009MIHRIBAN KORUKLUOGLU ABSTRACT Essential oils (EOs) and extracts (methanol, acetone and diethyl ether) of fresh and dried oregano (Origanum onites L.) were used to determine the antifungal effect on Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus (two strains), Aspergillus niger (two strains), Aspergillus parasiticus, Fusarium semitectum, Fusarium oxysporum, Mucor racemosus and Penicillium roqueforti by disk diffusion methods. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of all samples were determined. The antifungal activity of the fresh herb was greater than that of the dried herb. MIC values for fresh and dried methanol extracts were 150,950 µg/mL and 750,950 µg/mL, respectively. MFC values for methanol extracts were determined between 300 and 1200 µg/mL for fresh oregano and between 750 and 1100 µg/mL for dried oregano. The EOs of fresh and dried oregano totally inhibited test fungi. EOs produced the lowest MIC and MFC values: 8.5 µg/mL and 9.0 µg/mL, respectively (P < 0.005). The highest extract activity was exhibited by fresh oregano against A. alternata (24 mm) followed by P. roqueforti (20 mm). The greatest total antifungal effect was observed from methanol extracts. The chemical composition of fresh oregano EO and extracts was examined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Over 80 volatiles were detected, of which 42 were positively identified by matching both MS fragmentation patterns with standardized retention characteristics. p-Cymene, thymol and carvacrol were the most prominent, followed by ,-pinene, camphor and borneol. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS In the past decade interest in natural antimicrobial plant extracts has been growing. Various plants have historically been used for the purposes of food preservation and flavor enhancement as well as medicinal purposes. An example is oregano, the leafy part of the plant belonging to the Labiatae family. It has been used to improve the flavor and the organoleptic properties of many foods from numerous cultures. It has also been used to prolong the storage life of foods probably because of antifungal properties. The preservative nature of fresh oregano has been employed in many food applications, including meat and fish products, as well as in pharmaceuticals, alternative medicines and natural therapies. [source] Review article: complementary and alternative therapies for inflammatory bowel diseaseALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 3 2006L. LANGMEAD Summary Complementary and alternative medicine includes a wide range of practices and therapies outside the realms of conventional western medicine. Despite a lack of scientific data in the form of controlled trials for either efficacy or safety of complementary and alternative medicine, use by patients with inflammatory bowel disease, particularly of herbal therapies, is widespread and increasing. There is limited controlled evidence indicating efficacy of traditional Chinese medicines, aloe vera gel, wheat grass juice, Boswellia serrata and bovine colostrum enemas in ulcerative colitis. Encouraging results have also been reported in small studies of acupuncture for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Contrary to popular belief, natural therapies are not necessarily safe: fatal hepatic and irreversible renal failure have occurred with some preparations and interactions with conventional drugs are potentially dangerous. There is a need for further controlled clinical trials of the potential efficacy of complementary and alternative approaches in inflammatory bowel disease, together with enhanced legislation to maximize their quality and safety. [source] The Sociopolitical Status of U.S. Naturopathy at the Dawn of the 21st CenturyMEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2001Hans A. Baer Naturopathic medicine in the United States had its inception around the turn of the 20th century. Subsequently, it underwent a process of relatively rapid growth until around the 1930s, followed by a period of gradual decline almost to the point of extinction due to biomedical opposition and the advent of "miracle drugs." Because its therapeutic eclecticism had preadapted it to fit into the holistic health movement that emerged in the 1970s, it was able to undergo a process of organizational rejuvenation during the last two decades of the century. Nevertheless, U.S. naturopathy as a professionalized heterodox medical system faces several dilemmas as it enters the new millennium. These include (1) the fact that it has succeeded in obtaining licensure in only two sections of the country, namely, the Far West and New England; (2) increasing competition from partially professionalized and lay naturopaths, many of whom are graduates of correspondence schools; and (3) the danger of cooptation as many biomedical practitioners adopt natural therapies, [naturopathy, alternative medicine, medical pluralism] [source] Ferulic acid, a natural protector against carbon tetrachloride-induced toxicityFUNDAMENTAL & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 4 2005M. Srinivasan Abstract The present work is aimed at evaluating the protective effect of ferulic acid (FA), a naturally occurring phenolic compound on CCl4 induced toxicity. The activities of liver markers (alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, , -glutamyl transferase), lipid peroxidative index (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, hydroperoxides, nitric oxide, protein carbonyl content), the antioxidant status (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and reduced glutathione) were used as biomarkers to monitor the protective role of FA. The liver marker enzymes in plasma and lipid peroxidative index in liver and kidney were increased in CCl4 -treated groups, which were decreased significantly on treatment with FA. The antioxidants, which were depleted in CCl4 -treated groups, were improved significantly by FA treatment. Administration of FA to normal rats did not produce any harmful effects. Thus our results show that FA is an effective antioxidant without any side-effects and may be a great gain in the current search for natural therapy. [source] Corticosteroid phobia and other confounders in the treatment of childhood atopic dermatitis explored using parent focus groupsAUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2010Saxon D Smith ABSTRACT Background/Objectives:, Anxieties associated with corticosteroid treatment and preference for ,safer natural therapy' are common in parents of children with atopic dermatitis. We used focus groups to explore the source of these attitudes. Methods:, The study involved 16 parents. Parents expressed difficulties with living with and treating atopic dermatitis which were categorized into themes using qualitative data analysis software. Results:, Themes identified include: emotional impact of atopic dermatitis; difficulty in accepting ,control' verses ,cure'; topical corticosteroid negative perceptions; anxiety and confusion with treatment; preference for ,natural' therapy; and attitude-changing positive experiences. Conclusions:, Our findings illustrate the emotional impact of atopic dermatitis and the frustration with the lack of potential cure. ,Corticosteroid phobia' was universal among parents in our cohort and is a fear generated by doctors, pharmacists, close acquaintances and information from the internet. Participants expressed high levels of parental guilt linked to a desire for an eradicable ,cause' for atopic dermatitis, despite intellectually understanding this is a genetically determined condition. Parents were willing to change attitudes with accurate information from perceived reliable sources, positive hospitalization experiences and a relationship with a trusted dermatologist. Parents' suggestions to improve confidence included the provision of readily available information and better access to doctor- and nurse-led paediatric dermatology services. [source] | ||||||||||