by Paul Andrew Entwistle

Received: 09 March 2022;  Published: 26 September 2022;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2203046

Much has been written about the aetiological role of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in the development of chronic adult physical and emotional health problems but current screening methods utilising questionnaires and formal interviewing often fail to show consensus across populations and surveys. This paper proposes that hypnotic regression might provide an alternative approach to ACE screening through its facility in revealing unsuspected and seemingly minor ACEs, which nevertheless can go on to have long t [...]

by Heather J. Leach  , Emma L. Gomes  , Mary C. Hidde  , Kate Lyden  , Angela D. Bryan  , Myles G. Cockburn  and Wells A. Messersmith

Received: 17 July 2023;  Published: 20 December 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2304060

Physical activity (PA) after a colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis can improve physical function and quality of life and is associated with decreased mortality rates and longer disease-free survival. The accelerated use of videoconference technology during and following the COVID-19 pandemic offers an opportunity to explore the potential of a virtually supervised intervention to help survivors of CRC increase PA. A two-arm single blind pilot randomized controlled trial of individuals who had completed treatment for C [...]

by Ludek Fiala  , Jiri Lenz  and Sarka Papadaki

Received: 28 December 2024;  Published: 06 June 2025;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2502023

This research focused on the evaluation of the relationship between the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device and Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in women. Sexual desire disorder is part of a group of sexual dysfunctions. A group of 60 women with a diagnosis of hypoactive sexual desire were tested in the period from July 2023 to July 2024 at the Institute of Sexology of the 1st Faculty of Medicine in Prague. These patients were examined for levels of prolactin, sex hormone binding globulin, total testoster [...]

by Ana Valado  , Márcia Morais  , Stephanie Fortes  , Joana Rosado  , João Paulo Figueiredo  and Armando Caseiro

Received: 20 November 2023;  Published: 21 May 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2402028

Hydrotherapy is highly recommended for older adults because it offers warmth and support, so people with pain or reduced mobility and balance can move and exercise more freely compared to regular physical activity. The high plasma antioxidant capacity of uric acid in neutralizing oxidative species and the importance of nitric oxide (NO) in vasodilation and inflammatory response are relevant in older adults. This work aimed to evaluate hydrotherapy's effect on uric acid and NO concentrations in a population aged ≥ 6 [...]

by Kajsa Landgren  , Hólmfríður Margrét Bjarnadóttir  , Helga Sif Friðjónsdóttir  and Jóhanna Bernharðsdóttir

Received: 19 December 2024;  Published: 15 April 2025;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2502018

Depression, insomnia, cravings, and anxiety are significant and often long-lasting health problems. As medication has limited effect and often side effects, complementary methods such as ear acupuncture are used in mental health care. To describe mental health care users' experiences of ear acupuncture, including ratings of sleep, anxiety, depression, stress, pain, and cravings. This mixed methods study included in- and outpatients at a mental health rehabilitation service in Iceland. Standardized ear acupuncture ( [...]

by Gaëtan Collignon  , Aminata Bicego  , Marie-Elisabeth Faymonville  , Olivia Gosseries  , Vincent Bonhomme  , Dominique Dive  , Corine Sombrun  , Antoine Bioy  and Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse

Received: 14 August 2024;  Published: 05 March 2025;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2501012

Auto-induced cognitive trance (AICT) is a method for voluntarily entering modified state of consciousness. The therapeutic implications of AICT are still unknown. Since complementary approaches based on modified states of consciousness are recognized to be beneficial for patients suffering from chronic pain (e.g., hypnosis, meditation), we here present the first case report of a 68-year-old man with a long history of chronic pain linked to an open Spina Bifida L4-L5, who used AICT to improve his health condition. S [...]

by Thao N. Le  and Emma L. Brown

Received: 18 June 2024;  Published: 23 December 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2404070

This qualitative study explores the mental health challenges faced by Hawaiʻi farmers and allied agricultural producers, focusing on the main stressors they encountered and the coping mechanisms they employed. Through interviews with 77 farmers across all four counties, data revealed that significant stressors for Hawaiʻi farmers were legislative and policy issues, financial and economic concerns, as well as pests and diseases. Farmers employed various coping strategies to mitigate stress, primarily along the lines [...]

by Kristi Kanel

Received: 30 January 2019;  Published: 30 April 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.1902030

While it may seem intuitive to suggest that compassion aids in the healing process, there is actual evidence to support that compassion changes physiology, which in turns affects emotional and physical healing. The focus of this opinion paper is on the use of compassion between health care providers and patients based on the use of compassion in the mental health field. Not only do patients benefit from compassion, but health care providers may also benefit. Creating compassionate relationships with patients may [...]

by Nasim Foroughi  , Laura Douglass  , Caroline A. Smith  and Phillipa Hay

Received: 11 July 2022;  Published: 09 October 2022;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2204047

Depression and mental health-related issues are increasingly prevalent in young adolescents and adults and so is the use of Complementary Therapies (CTs) to treat depression. Systematic reviews have found that, of all CTs, acupuncture, exercise, and the herbal remedy St John’s Wort have the greatest amount of evidence for efficacy in treating depression. We aimed to assess Mental Health Literacy (MHL) levels in the treatment of depression and Complementary Therapy’s (CT) usage in adolescents and adults. Surveys wer [...]

by Tracy O'Halloran  , Jennifer Symonds  and Linda Bhreathnach

Received: 02 November 2023;  Published: 11 May 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2402026

This systematic review examined the impact of wellbeing interventions on the anxiety levels of children attending low-income schools. Studies, published between January 2000 and April 2022, were included if they had samples of school aged children attending low-income schools who were given a universal school-based wellbeing intervention. Ten databases were searched systematically to identify 542 records. After title and abstract screening, 43 records remained for full text screening, and of these studies, 10 met i [...]

by Kunsang Yang Yang

Received: 15 June 2024;  Published: 15 January 2025;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2501004

This is a conceptual paper comparing how narrative therapy and Buddhist mantra-based meditation promote mental healing. Narrative therapy promotes mental healing by shifting families’ attention to their subjugated stories of strengths and personal agencies. Whilst Buddhist meditation has been integrated into psychotherapy developed in the West, the application is primarily the focus on breath as a way to help sufferers attain mindfulness. Mantra-based meditation uses the recitation of mantra as the focus inst [...]

by Syd Hiskey  and Neil E Clapton

Received: 07 April 2024;  Published: 21 May 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2402029

The work of psychotherapy demands much of those who engage in it. Compassion provisioned by therapists requires varying competencies, yet remains a highly embodied and enactive endeavour. Therapist skill can be cultivated in this area and enhanced through a variety of body-mind trainings, including various forms of therapist personal practice. However, much clinical training/continued professional development centres on education workshops, emphasising knowledge above skill. Given this we present feasibility data f [...]

by Jennifer S. Jewell  , Ashley Brooks-Russell  and Jenn Leiferman

Received: 11 November 2022;  Published: 29 January 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2301010

Postpartum depression (PPD) affects a notable number of women. While many of the risk and protective factors for PPD are specific to the mother, there are also factors that are related to the partner. However, the partner is often overlooked when assessing the landscape of PPD and potential treatment programs. This study sought to expand the knowledge on partner perceptions during the perinatal period. This online, cross-sectional survey of fathers who were in relationships with mothers who had given birth within t [...]

by Gerhard Litscher

Received: 18 April 2023;  Published: 19 April 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2302020

This editorial briefly describes possible relationships and similarities between chess and acupuncture. Although the methods of chess and acupuncture could not be more different, possible joint effects on the brain can be hypothesized. However, the effectiveness of these joint effects has yet to be proven in scientific studies. Both chess and acupuncture can be used to improve physical and mental well-being. According to the author, the Yintang point could play a key role here.

by A. Maya Kaye

Received: 14 October 2023;  Published: 27 April 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2402024

Fueled by decreased state support, economic pressures, and a growing emphasis on academic capitalism, higher education in the United States faces significant challenges. These shifts have fostered fast-paced, competitive environments, impacting the quality and equity of faculty-student mentoring in graduate programs, particularly for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), and first-generation students. This article proposes a novel framework, the compassion-focused mentoring conceptual model (CFM-CM), to addre [...]

by James David Adams, Jr.

Received: 24 May 2019;  Published: 24 May 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.1902032

Highlights of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Nervous System Conditions: An Interview with Dr. James David Adams, Jr.

by Boju Sun  , Maya Kudo  , Misa Hayashi  , Lingling Qin  , Lili Wu  , Tonghua Liu  and Ming Gao

Received: 25 October 2021;  Published: 30 June 2022;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2202023

YNCRG is a combination of five traditional Chinese ingredients with medicinal properties. We studied its effects and mechanism of action on a rat model of non-alcoholic fatty liver with metabolic syndrome. Eight-week-old male SHRcp rat(s) and Wister Kyoto (WKY) rats were adaptively fed for one week, after which they were randomly divided into three groups, including the control group (n = 9), the YNCRG group (n = 8), and the WKY group (n = 8). The WKY group could freely consume water, the control group was provided [...]

by Vivian Huang  and Alexandra J. Fiocco

Received: 02 April 2024;  Published: 23 July 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2403042

This survey-based, cross-sectional study explored the independent and synergistic effect of filial piety discrepancy (FPD), acculturation, and living arrangement on the psychological, social, and physical wellbeing of older Chinese immigrants living in Canada. A total of 299 older Chinese immigrants were recruited from community organizations in the Greater Toronto Area. Participants completed questionnaires that assessed demographic information, filial piety, living arrangement, acculturation, and three domains of [...]

by Nils Altner  and Jasmin Friedrich

Received: 05 September 2022;  Published: 14 November 2022;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2204049

In this study, we present the results of a 48-hour mindfulness-based and compassion-based training for teachers (N = 59). This study included 3,250 students in two years. We strengthened the resources of teachers and students for health, especially for preventing addiction. The didactic approach was based on the concepts of embodiment and resonance. We first trained teachers and then encouraged them to teach students in the classroom. Qualitative data were collected on the presence of teachers, relationship buildin [...]

by OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine Editorial Office

Received: 02 April 2022;  Published: 18 April 2022;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2202018

Interview with Dr. James David Adams. The skin is where pain is sensed and where chronic pain is created. The safest and most effective treatment for pain is topical plant medicines. Chronic pain can be cured with topical plant medicines. Transient receptor potential cation channels in the skin sense pain. Chronic pain involves a pain chemokine cycle. Monoterpenoids and diterpenoids from plants can stop this pain chemokine cycle and cure chronic pain.

by Hannah O'Connor  , Joseph Biederman  , Maura DiSalvo  , Gagan Joshi  , Stephen V. Faraone  and Janet Wozniak

Received: 25 January 2024;  Published: 04 June 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2402031

The aim of this paper is to examine effects of stimulant treatment in children and adolescents with high levels of emotional dysregulation in a psychiatric outpatient clinic. Subjects were referred children and adolescents 6-17 years of age who presented to a child psychiatric outpatient clinic between September 2016-November 2021 and received a prescription for a stimulant medication. Children were stratified into those with low and high levels of emotional dysregulation as defined by an aggregate T-score of <1 [...]

by OBM Integrative and Complementary Med Editorial Office

Received: 07 January 2021;  Published: 07 January 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2101001

The editors of OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following reviewers for assessing manuscripts in 2020. We greatly appreciate the contribution of expert reviewers, which is crucial to the journal's editorial process. We aim to recognize reviewer contributions through several mechanisms, of which the annual publication of reviewer names is one. Reviewers receive a voucher entitling them to a discount on their next LIDSEN publication and can download a [...]

by Tamerah Nicole Hunt  , Kylie Roberts  , Megan Byrd  , Kaytlyn Johnson  and Christina Gipson

Received: 28 July 2023;  Published: 04 January 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2401002

Current research shows that mindfulness and physical training programs have been shown to help reduce stress independently, however, limited research is available exploring the possible additive effects of implementing both training programs together [1, 2]. To test the feasibility and effectiveness of the Mind-Body Fitness program through a case-series pilot program, seven elementary school teachers completed a nine-week mindfulness and fitness program. The Perceived Stress Scale [3] was administered at three time [...]

by Saba Tanveer  , Ali Saad R. Alsubaie  , Rezzan Khan  , Hajra Ahmed  , Mahpara Safdar  , Zainab Bibi  , Sadaf Yousaf  , Bismillah Sehar  , Iftikhar Alam  , Aiman Hadayat  and Falak Zeb

Received: 31 May 2023;  Published: 15 November 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2304051

Nutrition counseling may assist liver transplant patients in controlling weight gain, addressing micronutrient deficiencies, and maintaining metabolic status. This study aimed to determine the effect of nutritional counseling on nutritional status, liver profile, and serum electrolytes of liver transplant patients. In this case-control study, 100 patients were recruited from Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, who were potential liver transplant candidates. They were divided into two groups: a case group, who [...]

by Pamela Fox  , Gerald H. Burgess  and Chris Irons

Received: 18 February 2023;  Published: 05 January 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2401004

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between self-compassion and possible predictors of depressed mood in parents of people with eating disorders. A questionnaire design was conducted cross‐sectionally in a sample of 112 parents of people with eating disorders. Participants completed measures of depressed mood, experiences of entrapment, shame, guilt, self-criticism and self-compassion. Regression analyses showed entrapment and self-criticism to be mediators between the relationship of shame and d [...]