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Madsen C, Vaughan M, Koehlmoos TP. Use of Integrative Medicine in the United States Military Health System. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE : ECAM 2017; 2017:9529257. [PMID: 28690665 PMCID: PMC5485330 DOI: 10.1155/2017/9529257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Revised: 03/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Integrative medicine (IM) is a model of care which uses both conventional and nonconventional therapies in a "whole person" approach to achieve optimum mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, and environmental health, and is increasingly popular among patients and providers seeking to relieve chronic or multifactorial conditions. The US Department of Defense (DoD) shows particular interest in and usage of IM for managing chronic conditions including the signature "polytrauma triad" of chronic pain, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among its beneficiaries in the Military Health System (MHS). These modalities range from conventional nondrug, nonsurgical options such as cognitive-behavioral therapy to nonconventional options such as acupuncture, chiropractic, and mind-body techniques. These are of particular interest for their potential to relieve symptoms without relying on opiates, which impair performance and show high potential for abuse while often failing to provide full relief. This review describes the use of IM in the MHS, including definitions of the model, common therapies and potential for use, and controversy surrounding the practice. More research is needed to build a comprehensive usage analysis, which in turn will inform sound clinical and financial practice for the MHS and its beneficiaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathaleen Madsen
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Megan Vaughan
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Defense and Veterans Center for Integrative Pain Management, Rockville, MD, USA
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Hou ZK, Chang X, Liu FB, Xie N, Guo N, Chen XL. Controversies on the values for health instruments of Chinese medicine. Chin J Integr Med 2016; 23:146-152. [PMID: 27041333 DOI: 10.1007/s11655-016-2494-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Currently, there are increasing debates on the necessity of health instruments in Chinese medicine (CM) emerging in China. This study aims to reevaluate its status and values. Analyzing the causes, limits, advantages, and properties characters of health instruments in CM, it is found that weak fundamental research, incomplete self-awareness, and complicated social factors are the primary causes of debates. A comprehensive analysis showed health instruments in CM have health evaluation benefits to people from a dominant Chinese culture, meet the requirements of cultural background, and bring long-term value to Chinese instrument researches. However, its values and status should be treated differently depending on various subtypes. Although little theoretical and practical evidences proved that patients-reported health instruments in CM should be proposed independently, the doctors- and nurses-reported questionnaires are necessary. With this in mind, the study group proposes the 'Chinese cultural instruments (CCIs)' and 'health-related CCIs'. The latter one aims to evaluate the health status of people in a dominant Chinese culture. The CCIs theory represents Chinese instrument researches on a larger regional and higher level, and resolves the debates on instruments between CM and Western medicine in China. Health instruments in CM bring more scientific and social benefits for Chinese instrument researches. However, it does not include cultural demands, and lacks scientific significance. CCIs have all its virtues, and add solutions to the latter's theory bottleneck and scientific debates, thus bringing increased benefits to clinical assessment in complementary and alternative medicine researches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng-Kun Hou
- Gastroenterology Department, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China.
| | - Xiang Chang
- Encephalopathy Department, Xi'an Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, 710001, China.,Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Feng-Bin Liu
- Gastroenterology Department, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Nelson Xie
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Health Statistics, School of Medical and Molecular Biosciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, 2007, Australia
| | - Nicole Guo
- Nursing Department, Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park, SA, 5041, Australia
| | - Xin-Lin Chen
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China
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Pandolfi M, Carreras G. Logical reasoning alone is often not enough. Eur J Intern Med 2015; 26:e6. [PMID: 25269433 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejim.2014.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2014] [Revised: 09/02/2014] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Giulia Carreras
- Cancer Prevention and Research Institute (ISPO), via delle Oblate 2, 50139 Florence, Italy
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