<p> This study tested the effects of hypnosis for injection anxiety, medication side-effects from injectable medications, and general pain with patients who have MS. This seven- to nine-week hypnotic protocol was implemented based on the Palsson hypnosis protocol for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (2006). </p><p> The subjects were randomly assigned to receive in-person hypnosis in addition to listening to a self-hypnosis CD at home five days per week (N=13), or to a standard care group where they received no additional intervention for seven to nine weeks (N=14). The standard care group could listen to a self-hypnosis CD at home five days per week with no in-person treatment. </p><p> An additional goal of this randomized control trial was to teach patients to practice self-hypnosis to improve disease self-management and self-efficacy. </p><p> Paired t-tests were conducted from baseline to Time 3 in both groups to assess the significance of changes in the mean scores over time. The experimental group did not yield statistically significant results over time from baseline to Time 3 in medication side-effects or pain. However, the results did indicate a marginally significant (p=.09) decrease in injection anxiety. In addition, the experimental group showed statistically significant improvement in self-efficacy over time (p=.025), compared with the control group. The latter did not demonstrate any changes in self-efficacy. As expected, the control group did not show any statistically significant changes in their scores from baseline to Time 3 in injection anxiety, medication side-effects, or pain.</p>

<p> The Feldenkrais Method generates a range of healthful or salutogenic outcomes, yet its contribution to the field of mind-body medicine (MBM) remains largely unexamined. The Feldenkrais Method is a form of somatic education offering both practices and theoretical perspectives for an integrated mind-body approach. Research shows that the Feldenkrais Method produces outcomes on a range of functional, psychophysical, and psychosocial measures. This thesis argues that the Feldenkrais Method is an awareness practice of value for mind-body and integrative approaches to health. </p><p> Possible mechanisms and dynamics of action of the Feldenkrais Method are presented. This thesis proposes that non- or preconscious intentionality and "know-how" can be an important aspect of healthy behavior. Somatics practices and somatic awareness can play an important role in creating an intentional arc toward health. This study supports the importance of research into the Feldenkrais Method in relation to MBM and health.</p>

<p> This dissertation examines the processes of healing and transformation experienced by persons in the Cuban American, white, middle class Orisha worship community in Miami, FL, focusing on all the areas in which healing can take place. Orisha worship uses a holistic approach to health, in which physical, mental and spiritual illnesses may be healed. In the process of healing, persons embody the discourse of mastery and enslavement and the social processes of this Orisha worship community, via religious rituals, and exist in relation to Orishas. My research question focuses on how people in the Orisha worship community of Miami who are ill seek embodied healing and advice from orishas who are not ill and have the power to heal them. My data was gathered using questionnaires for direct interviews, and observations during religious rituals including ceremonies (both public and private), drummings and <i>Ocha </i> birthday parties. I also draw on my personal experiences and initiation onto the Orisha worship community. My overall findings indicate that there are a variety of modalities of healing in Orisha worship, each with the aim of manipulating <i>ashe,</i> the divine force in Orisha worship. People take an active role in changing their illnesses by performing <i> ebos;</i> or by becoming initiated in Orisha worship through receiving <i> collares, guerreros</i> or making <i>Ocha;</i> or via the healing and transformative effects of spirit possession. People are agents of change that seek to ameliorate their symptomology by invoking and employing the spiritual world. My research contributes to the Anthropological literature on embodiment, personhood and healing.</p>

<p> The present mixed method study examined the impacts of brief mindfulness training on cultivation of mindfulness traits, physical and emotional well-being, and relationship quality. Twenty-nine graduate students were organized into a control (n = 14) and a treatment (n = 15) group. All participants completed pre/post measures of their mindfulness competencies, physical and emotional well-being, and relationship quality. The treatment group participated in a 4-week mindfulness training workshop. The control group exhibited no significant changes over the study period. The treatment group exhibited significant improvement of self-reported mindfulness competencies and improved emotional and physical well-being and relationship quality. The results of the present study are encouraging, emphasizing the value of brief training designs for cultivating mindful awareness. Continued practice and research in this area is expected to introduce more and more people to the benefits of mindfulness, enabling them to experience the benefits of more personally attuned and aware living. </p>

The White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy (WHCCAMP) suggests that CAM may be useful in contributing to the achievement of the nation's health objectives listed in Healthy People 2010 (Chapter 8: CAM and wellness in health promotion, 2002). The purpose of this study was to compare CAM practitioners and practices in Australia, where CAM has been embraced, to those in the United States. Overall there were many similarities and few differences between the two country's results. The themes that resulted from analyzing the transcripts of 5 in-depth interviews with practitioners included; collaboration and integration, community descriptions, general characteristics of practice, general characteristics of practitioner, growth and life purpose, holism, need for health culture change, personalized attention/tailored intervention, and technology use. The implications that resulted may inform users of CAM, students of medicine, and American citizens who desire safe alternative ways to improve their health. / Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasingly in demand and utilized by the public, specifically by families and their children who are being cared for by current mainstream in-hospital services. Integrative medicine (IM) is a strategy by which conventional health care is attempting to address the use of CAM and explore considerations to implement a pediatric integrative medical (PIM) service. This study will add the otherwise unexplored perspectives of CAM practitioners and hospital administrators to current literature. Semi-structured interviews with 10 CAM practitioners and 4 administrators were conducted. A qualitative comparative content analysis explored considerations for CAM integration in a pediatric hospital, including varied attitudes; levels of understanding and experiences with CAM; communication between professionals; expectations; skepticism and resistance to change; gaining knowledge about CAM; opposing health care ideologies; adapting to different health care environments; funding; safety; redistribution of care; therapeutic milieu; and patient centered care. There is a reservation toward IM in pediatric hospitals, despite generally positive personal and professional experiences and attitudes towards CAM. The realities and challenges of IM are identified. Implications for inclusion of key stakeholder perspectives are discussed in the context of IM for pediatric patients. / Graduate

<p> Clinicians working in community mental health clinics are at high risk for burnout. Burnout is a problem involving emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Reiki is a holistic biofield energy therapy beneficial for reducing stress. The purpose of this study was to determine if 30-minutes of healing touch could reduce burnout in community mental health clinicians. This quantitative study utilized a cross-over design to explore the efficacy of Reiki versus sham-Reiki, a pseudo treatment designed to mimic true Reiki, as a means to reduce symptoms of burnout in community mental health clinicians. The Maslach Burnout Inventory - Human Services Survey and several other measures were administered before and after the intervention phases throughout the study. The results suggest that hands-on interventions are beneficial in reducing stress for community mental health clinicians and that Reiki has a positive effect greater than relaxing touch alone. The findings show that Reiki reduces burnout in community mental health clinicians. </p>

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the amount of time which was spent in giving preventive pressure area care in both a sample of hospital patients and a sample of community patients. A pilot study was carried out to test the methodology, which was subsequently used with only minor modifications, for the main study. Bedfast or chairfast patients were studied from admission to the selected hospital wards or community nursing areas for a period of six weeks or until they were discharged from care, developed pressure sores, died, or became mobile. Data was collected by means of interviews and observations made of patients, nurses and relatives. A diary sheet was designed for use by nurses in hospital and by nurses and relatives in the community, on which they were asked to record pressure area care as it was given. Information collected by this means included the time spent in care, the method used and observation of the skin areas. The researcher also collected data about the patient's appetite, Norton Score, age, sex and diagnosis. The outcome measure used was whether or not the patient developed a pressure sore which was defined for this study as a break in the skin due to pressure. Due to geographical dispersion of patients within the community in the health district used for that part of the study, fewer community patients (n = 30) were included in the study than the number of hospital patients studied (n = 88). Discriminant analysis was used on the results to distinguish between groups of patients. Results of this study showed that a higher percentage (29%) of the hospital patients developed pressure sores than among the community patients studied (20%). The average total time spent on pressure area care daily was higher for the community patients than for the hospital patients. Interestingly, of the six community patients who developed pressure sores, five were dependent entirely upon the nursing service for pressure area care, whilst the usual pattern at home was that relatives and nurses shared the care. Frequency of pressure area care given showed a significant relationship with outcome for both hospital and community patients. It should be noted that whilst the number of patients who developed sores is reported here, and this is related to the total number of patients studied, this study is not an incidence or a prevalence study, and should not be considered as such. The study appears to show that nursing care devoted to the prevention of pressure sores in terms of time and frequency is significantly related to outcome and thus to effectiveness.

The World Health Organization estimates that 4 billion people use herbal medicine for some aspect of primary health care. These herbal products are however mostly used without the necessary clinical trial done to prove their pharmacological activities and, therefore, their quality, efficacy and safety. It was the objective of this study to review the current international guidelines for the evaluation of herbal medicine / to gain a perspective on the number, type and quality of clinical trials that have been done on herbal medicine and to adopt a set of guidelines that could be used to conduct trial on a traditional herbal medicine used in South Africa. To verify these guidelines, a protocol for a clinical trial was drafted and submitted for approval to the regulatory and ethical authorities in South Africa.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Victoria University (Melbourne, Vic.), 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.