Complementary Medicine Journal
Year:2013 | Volume:2 | Issue:4|Papers Count:7

Nowadays in many countries “massage” as an important part of nursing care is considered and in many clinical situations it is used as complementary treatment for stress reduction. This study with the goal of comparing of reflexive and stroke massages on physiologic indices in patients with MI was performed.Materials and Methods: This clinical trial was performed in 2012 on 105 patients who were randomly assigned into three groups: reflexive massage, stroke massage and control groups (each with 35 patients). In the intervention groups each patient took massages for 15 minutes in morning and afternoon in one day. Vital signs and arterial O2 saturation were measured before and after the massage by blood pressure cuff, thermometer, and pulse oxymeter. Paired T test and X2 test were used to analyze data.Results: The stroke massage produced significant difference between arterial O2 saturation levels (p=0.002) and temperature rates (p=0.017) in morning and afternoon in a day. Reflexive massage as well, causing significant difference between the mean of heart rate and temperature rates in morning and afternoon in a day (P=0.001). No significant differences in physiologic indices were seen in control group.Conclusion: Results showed that both massages were effective on vital signs, but stroke massage besides effect on vital signs of the patients, had a positive effect on their arterial O2 saturations, so doing this massages on these patients is recommended.

Introduction: Pruritus is a common and troublesome side effect of end stage renal disease. It can directly influences on quality of life in affected patients. Unfortunately present treatment options are not successful in alleviating this symptom and yet kidney transplantation is the best option. Since one of the recent therapies in reducing pruritus is complementary medicine, the present study investigated the effect of massage with/without aromatic substances on alleviating pruritus.Methods: this study was a crossover clinical trial which has been performed in selected dialysis centers in Isfahan Medical University. Sampling was convenience and all hemodialyzed patients who were dialyzed three sessions a week for 3-5 hours, participated in the study. Subjects were randomly allocated in two groups. Participants in with/without aromatherapy massage group were delivered 6 sessions massage with aromatic substances firstly, and then after one week washout, delivered 6 sessions massage without aromatic substances, simultaneously In without/with aromatherapy massage group the order of interventions were vice versa. Each massage session took 7 minutes. 3-5 milliliters of aromatic substances (mixture of lavender, peppermint and tea tree oils which diluted to 5% by using sweet almond oil) or sweet almond oil were used in each session.Results: in this study 40 patients participated in the investigation, were randomly allocated in two groups. The groups were matched in sex, age, underling diseases, degree of xerosis and physiologic parameters but the length of being treated with hemodialysis were significantly different between two groups (p=0.03). Analyses of data showed a statistically significant difference before and after both interventions in both periods (p<0.05) but there was no significant difference between two interventions in both groups.Conclusions: use of massage regardless to be with or without aromatic substances can significantly alleviate pruritus in hemodialyzed patients.

Introduction: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing rapidly in the world. Dietary modification in these patients helps to control blood sugar. Traditional herbs and spices also can be used to control blood glucose concentrations. Research shows that adding cinnamon to the diet reduced the serum glucose in diabetic patients.Considering the contradictory results, this study was to determine the effect of cinnamon on HbA1c in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.Methods: This clinical trial study was accomplished in two groups, so that, 71 type 2 diabetic patients were selected randomly in two groups (cinnamon, placebo) of them 35 were in cinnamon Group and 36 placebo groups. Two groups were matched according to BMI, HbA1c, and FBS. Participants in cinnamon group were treated with cinnamon (1 g/day) in an outpatient setting (shahid ghodsi center).Another group also give same appearance drug (placebo) for60 days. Follow-up were done at 30 and 60 days later. HbA1c at the first day and end of study was determined. Analysis of data was done with spss.Results: There was no significant difference2 in the change HbA1c from baseline and 60 days later in two groups (p=0.870).Conclusions: In this study, HbA1c did not change significantly in these patients. So we cannot advise cinnamon for treating type2 diabetes patients. But we suggest this study accomplish with higher dose of cinnamon for treating type2 diabetes patients.

Introduction: Aging is a critical period of human life and the issues and needs of this stage is a social necessity. Awareness of mental health and effective non-pharmacological interventions is helpful to achieve the mental health during this period. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of a poetry therapy on the cognitive status of the elderly.Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 72 elderly people in Arak city sanitarium who were included in sample research, and randomly allocated in two groups of intervention (n=39) and controls (n=33) were classified. Group intervention program designed poetry therapy group and 12 sessions of 60 minutes was carried out for 6 weeks. Without special intervention group participated in regular team meetings. Additionally, the data collection tools were the questionnaire, the demographic information and the cognitive status questionnaire (AMT). To analyze and collect data, chi-square and t-tests and paired t- test were used.Results: Findings of this study showed a significant difference between pre and post intervention, where the cognitive status mean score in experimental group increased from 7.17 to 7.38 (p<0.01). It means that cognitive status increase by means of poetry therapy technique, but no significant difference was observed in the control group (p>0.07).Conclusion: According to this study we can say that a group poetry therapy is effective on cognitive status. It is recommended to use such an easy and low cost skill at nursing homes and even your own houses to promote mental health and cognitive status.

Introduction: Hot flashes is the most common problem in postmenopausal women, which may have adverse effects on their quality of life. Concerns about the effects of hormone replacement therapy has been increased the desire to investigate alternative treatments such as herbal therapy for this problem. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of sage extract on frequency of hot flashes in postmenopausal women.Method: This study was a randomized controlled trial. Using a triple- blind design (participants and researcher blind to group assignment and data analyst blind to groups until after initial analyses), participants were assigned randomly to sage extract or identical placebo. Participants included 84 women aged 45 to 60 referred to the Health Center of Branch No.1 of Lahijan with complain of hot flashes in the fall of 1391.The main variable of this study was the frequency of hot flashes. Participants using a hot flash check list, recorded their frequency of their hot flashes before and 8 weeks after the beginning the intervention (daily intake of100 mg capsules of salvia extract or identical placebo capsules).Results: The two groups were similar in terms of the mean number of hot flashes before the intervention. After 8 weeks of intervention the mean number of hot flashes decreased in both groups. But statistically significant difference was found between the participants’ pre-intervention and post-interventionin sage group. (p=0.004).Conclusion: This study showed that both the sage extract and placebo were effective in reducing the frequency of hotflashes but the sage was more effective. Therefore this native and cheap plant can be used for this common problem of postmenopausal women.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to compare the effect of powdered and fresh ginger root on nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.Methods: In this clinical trial study 100 pregnant women below 17 weeks gestational age, age 18-35 years, who had nausea and vomiting in 24 hours were randomly placed in two groups of 50. The first group took 250 mg ginger powder and second group took fresh ginger root as one teaspoonful ginger syrup, four time per day and for four days. Before and after interventions the rate of nausea and the number of vomiting in mothers were measured and the results analyzed.Results: Results showed fresh root of ginger compared with ginger powder is almost the same reduced in average of the rate of severity of nausea [2.98±(3.1) compared with 2.66±(2.84)] and average of the number of vomiting [0.74±(1.08) compared with 0.58±(1.01)]. All of the mothers participating in this study had normal delivery and the syrup of ginger fresh root was more satisfied (90% compared with 80%).Conclusion: Notify to the result of this study, it is seem the ginger powder and fresh root can be effective for pregnancy nausea and vomiting.

Introduction: One of the most common problems in menopausal women is sleep disturbance and different ways are used to solve these problems. The aim of this study was to investigate effect Lemon Balm on sleep disturbance among menopause women.Methods: In this study a randomized controlled trial design was employed. Participants consisted of 100 women with menopause aged 50-60, who suffered from insomnia. After obtaining inform consent from the subjects completed demographic and Petersburg sleep quality index Questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics (T-Test, pair T-Test) were used to analyze the data.Results: Most of the women were in the 50-52 year group (62%), menopause age was 45- 49 (58%), and number of children was 3-4 and age difference with their spouse was1-4 year (42%). Most of them were illiterate and at medium economic class. Also, the results of the initial PSQI showed a frequency of sleep disturbance of 70%. The results show 20 percent of the participants in the intervention group and 8 percent in the placebo group showed an improvement in the quality of sleep.Discussion: The results show the effect of lemon balm herbal supplement on sleep disorders in postmenopausal women.Therefore, we recommend that medical staff should consider this problem and dealing with it in herbal supplements offer.