Complementary Medicine Journal
Year:2012 | Volume:2 | Issue:3|Papers Count:7

Introduction: Low back pain is a common complaint in different communities. Low back pain has negative effects on different aspects of the life. Different methods has been used for reduction effects. Foot reflexology causes pain reduction. This study has been conducted to examines effect of foot reflexology on pain intensity in patients with low back pain.methods: in this quasi- experimental study and 3 groups, 150 men with low back pain visited to Baghiatallah hospital in Tehran, First were selected by purposive sampling and then they with random allocation method had been divided into three groups: Experimental (foot reflexology was applied in real points once a week for three weeks), placebo (sham foot reflexology was applied low pressure in all points once a week for three weeks) and control (without any intervention). Date was collected by demographic questionnaire, Visual Analog Scale and Short Form Mc-Gill Questionnaire. For analyzing of data Spss 18, univariance and q square have been used.Results: The results of study with univariance showed that pain is reduced between three groups after intervention (p<0.001). Foot reflexology massage caused reduction in pain intensity in patients by low back pain.Conclusion: In the end, the study showed foot reflexology massage has effect on reducing pain intensity. So it is suggested for nurses to use foot reflexology for reducing pain in patients with low back pain.

Introduction: Sleep disturbance is one of the most common problems in menopausal women. One of these alternative therapies, is acupressure. Based on the fact the researchers decided to study the effect of acupressure on sleep quality in menopausal women.Methods: In this study, a single-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to select menopausal women with sleep disturbance. As a sample 70 menopausal women were selected through random allocation software in both treatment groups (Using the wrist strap with pushbutton 15 minutes Three times a week for a month plus usual care menopause) And placebo treatment (using the wrist strap but contrary to plus usual care menopause) were used.  For data analysis the Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests were used.Results: After the intervention, a significant difference in the sub-scale scores of subjective sleep quality (p<0.001), Actual sleep time (p=0.037), sleep efficiency (p<0.001), sleep disorders (p<0.001), consumption of sleep medications (p=0.037) the daily performance (p=0.007), Sleep latency (p<0.001) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index mean score between treatment and placebo groups were observed.Conclusions: This study showed that acupressure can be effective in improving sleep quality in menopausal women.

Introduction: Maintaining oral health care of patients with an endotracheal tube is one of the most important responsibility of nurses. This study was conducted to compare the effect of two mouthwashes (Echinacea and chlorhexidine) on the oral health of patients in intensive care units.Methods: This is a randomized clinical trial that 70 unconscious patients with an oral endotracheal tube, the age of 18-65 years were enrolled with simple sampling and randomly divided into experimental (Echinacea) and control (chlorhexidine) groups. Before (first day) and after the intervention (fourth day), data were collected using an oral health checklist. For data analysis, SPSS-16 software, Chi-square, Fisher exact test, student t test, and Friedman test were used.Results: There was no significant difference between intervention and control groups in terms of demographic characteristics, oral health, and other characteristics (P=0.4). Oral health between intervention and control groups showed no significant differences after 4 days (P=0.27). Before and after the study, oral health of intervention group (Echinacea), have improved and the difference was significant (P<0.0001). In addition, oral health of control group (chlorhexidine), have improved and the difference was significant (P<0.0001). In other words, the effect of Echinacea on oral health is as same as chlorhexidine.Conclusion: Oral health of patients in intervention (Echinacea) and control (chlorhexidine) groups improved equally. Due to the advantages of herbal medicine, the Echinacea can be considered as an alternative to chlorhexidine.

Introduction: Vasomotor symptoms are the most common disorders in menopause,  which is followed by heart discomfort especially palpitation. Recently, Interest ofmenopausal women has increased in alternative herbal medicines for alleviation these symptoms. Aim of this study was to investigate the effect of red clover on intensity of vasomotor symptoms and heart discomfort of healthy menopausal women between 50-59.Methods: This tripled blinded clinical trial was carried out on 72 healthy menopausal women who were reffered to Abuzar screening clinic in Tehran and they randomly were devided into two groups (A and B). The intervention group took 2 capsules daily containing 40 mg dried leaves of red clover for 30 days. The control group took two capsules containing 40 mg starch in the same way. The outcomes measured in this study were vasomotor symptoms and heart discomfort which obtained through Menopause Rating Scale.Results: There was no statistical difference in demographic characteristics, vasomotor symptoms and heart discomfort, between two groups before intervention and two groups were equal. The intensity of vasomotor symptoms decreased from 55.5% to 34.72% in the intervention group and from 62.5% to 55.77% in the control group (P=0.003) . Also the intensity of heart discomfort declined after one month intervention(P=0.01).Conclusion: In the study, red clover compared with placebo significantly reduced the  intensity of vasomotor symptoms and heart discomfort and it should be considered, there was no side effect in this study. So application of this supplement not only is suggested to alleviate the intensity of these symptoms, yet further studies to evaluate the effect of red clover on menopausal symptoms are recommended.

Introduction: World wild use of complementary medicine especially herbal remedies  and inadequacy of evidences for safety and efficacy of medicinal herbs during pregnancy is an important subject and needs especial attention. This study was performed to assess the knowledge of pregnant women in Tehran about the efficacy and safety of herbal medicine and their practice during pregnancy.Methods: In this cross-sectional study which was conducted in Tehran in 1390, 600 pregnant women were in gestational age more than 32 weeks or 1 week after childbirth were collected from governmental hospitals by multistage sampling method and were studied. Data gathering tool was a researcher made questionnaire including questions about demographic characteristics, some information about pregnancy, the use of herbs in pregnancy, awareness of the effects and safety of herbs and their source of information. Data analyzed by student T tests and chi-square test.Results: Four hundred and two patients (67%) of the sample had used at least one type of herbal medicine during their current or previous pregnancies with a mean of 2.71±1.94 herbs per individual. Two commonly used herbs were peppermint (32.8%) and olibanum (26.3%). The women’s information about the indications for using herbal medicine was mainly funded from sources other than physicians. In many cases, non-established indications for the use of herbs were mentioned. Also, more efficacy and safety of herbal remedies were mentioned as the main cause for using them.Conclusion: The knowledge about medicinal plants and their safety and efficacy in pregnant women is not enough. Considering the high frequency of herbal medicine use during pregnancy, pregnant women need appropriate sources of information about these medicines. Further, health care providers should ask pregnant women about taking herbal medicines.

Introduction: Hot flashes are a common side effect of menopause on quality of life.One of the treatments for hormone replacement therapy is Phytoestrogens, so researchers were supposed to study the effect of flaxseed and soy on hot flashes that menopause do.Methods: A randomized clinical trial monitored 90 postmenopausal women who complain of hot flashes in Clinic of Arak city were divided in three group. in First group, daily 25 grams of flaxseed, a second group of 25 grams of soy and controls 25 g wheat flour for 8 consecutive weeks was given. lack of menstruation in the last 12 months, having normal blood pressure, lack of anxiety medications, antidepressants, hormones estrogen and progesterone in 6 months and Anticoagulant, and medications such as ibuprofen, and asthma and allergy were criteria for the inclusion of study and exclusion criteria of the study include: lack of proper use of herbal medicines, causing irritation and sensitivity to drugs and changing of their location. At begining, week four and week eight, the severity and frequency and statistical analysis were used.Results: Severity among treatment groups flaxseed, soybeans and wheat flour in the first, fourth and eighth weeks, has a significant difference, P-value=0.000 However the three groups at the beginning, middle and end of the study there was no significant difference, start P-value=0.653, in the middle P-value=0.485 and the end of study s were P-value=0.409. Frequency was not significantly different between the three groups, but significant differences were observed in eight weeks and soybeans led to a lower frequency.Conclusion: The results showed that flaxseed and soy has redued number and severity of hot flashes in postmenopausal women and soybeans led to a lower frequency of hot.

Introduction: The effect of acupuncture in pain relief has been determined. This study was designed with the aim of abstraction the factors which cause to use acupuncture for pain relief.Methods: This qualitative study was a kind of conventional content analysis and was composed of 14 patients and acupuncture providers which were selected by purposeful sampling and the variety of age, education, sex, kind of pain among patients and having work experience among acupuncture providers were considered. Information was collected by deep and semi-structured interview. The method of data analyze was content analyze with inductive approach. The acceptance and exactness of data was repeatedly performed with modulation in data collection, the variety of participants, review and repeated overview of data, review the participants and members of survey team.Results: final results of the survey were 5 themes including: A) limitations in common medicine with major categories: the complexities of treatment, side effects of standard medication, lack of improvement, low satisfaction B) effectiveness of acupuncture with major categories: the characteristic of acupuncture, being natural and academic, the cost of effectiveness C) outer promoters with major categories: interaction of standard medicine and acupuncture, supportive sources, the way of introduction, the role of media D) inner promoters with major categories: individual characteristics, health condition E) inhibition in acupuncture with major categories: doubt in impact, opposition with use, performance barriers.Conclusions: Knowing the reasons of choosing acupuncture by patients, to be relived from pain which includes limitations in common medicine, effectiveness of acupuncture, outer promoters, inner promoters, inhibition in acupuncture, we can step forward with principal planning to develop some of the reasons and eliminate the barriers to make acupuncture more applicable.