by Daniel Szoke  and Holly Hazlett-Stevens

Received: 17 June 2025;  Published: 09 October 2025;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2504042

Chronic stress increases a person’s vulnerability for physical and mental health conditions that take root in the “common soil” of inflammation. Dispositional, or trait, mindfulness has been identified as a protective factor against perceived stress. However, the theory that trait mindfulness can prospectively predict lower perceived stress in natural settings has yet to be thoroughly tested. The current study used a daily diary prospective design to observe perceived stress in response to difficult events. Partici [...]

by Kathryn Curtis  , Hance Clarke  , Daniel Santa Mina  , Gitte Bechsgaard  , Aliza Weinrib  , Jennifer Jones  , Darren Au  and Joel Katz

Received: 29 April 2025;  Published: 30 September 2025;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2503041

The objective of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a specialized Iyengar-informed yoga intervention for individuals who experience chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP). This prospective, multi-wave pilot RCT was pre-registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03460028) and designed in accordance with the 2010 CONSORT statement. Participants (N = 21) with CPSP were out-patients or community members affiliated with a Toronto hospital. Participants were randomized to an 8-wee [...]

by Gerhard Litscher

Received: 24 September 2025;  Published: 25 September 2025;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2503040

This personal report summarizes the key experiences and insights gained from attending the 2025 International Symposium organized by the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies (WFAS) and the Acupuncture Science Association of Sweden (ASAS), held in Stockholm. The event brought together international experts to explore recent advances in acupuncture research, clinical applications, education, and global integration. Despite notable challenges—including issues with AI-assisted real-time translation and [...]

by Tracie D. Parkinson  and Stephen D. Smith

Received: 11 March 2025;  Published: 23 September 2025;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2503039

Hatha yoga is a common style of yoga used for physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual benefits, enhancing quality of life and well-being. The current study used a randomized control trial (RCT) to investigate whether completing an eight-week posture-based Hatha yoga program would lead to greater psychological benefits than taking part in an eight-week lecture series about the history and philosophy of yoga. Fifty-five participants (42 female, age range 18-32) completed five self-report measures both before and a [...]

by David Cawthorpe

Received: 04 March 2025;  Published: 11 September 2025;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2503038

This paper presents a unifying transcultural perspective on human illness, health and wellbeing by integrating insights from cognitive psychology, existential psychotherapy, Zen philosophy, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and quantum consciousness theory. Kahneman and Tversky’s work on heuristics and biases highlights cognitive constraints shaping decision-making, while Yalom’s existential therapy explores fundamental struggles with death, freedom, and meaning. Watts’ Zen philosophy critiques the illusion of eg [...]

by Waqar Husain

Received: 30 May 2025;  Published: 10 September 2025;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2503037

Honor and shame function as moral currencies in many collectivistic cultures, shaping individual behavior, gender roles, and psychosocial well-being. This paper introduces Atimiaphobia—a newly proposed specific phobia defined as the intense and persistent fear of losing honor (particularly for men) or being labeled as shameless (particularly for women). Rooted in patriarchal, collectivist, and honor-based cultures, atimiaphobia manifests through intrusive thoughts, hypervigilance, emotional turmoil, and compu [...]

by Elliot Nyagumbo  , Trust Nyirenda  , Cephas Mawere  , Alfred M. Mutaramutswa  , Godwins Ngorima  , Donald T. Kapanga  , Fabian Maunganidze  , Marvellous Matsheza  , William Pote  , Lucy Mabaya  and Michael Bhebhe

Received: 05 March 2025;  Published: 19 August 2025;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2503036

Medicinal plants remain central to healthcare in Africa, where up to 80% of the population relies on traditional remedies to manage a range of health conditions, including skin ailments. In Zimbabwe, the country's rich biodiversity and favourable agroecological zones support a diverse range of ethnomedicinal plants. However, much of the knowledge surrounding these plants remains dispersed and scientifically under-evaluated. This review consolidates evidence from ethnobotanical surveys, peer-reviewed research, and g [...]

by Ryan S. Wexler  , Natasha Parman  , Devon J. Fox  , Danielle ZuZero  , Anand Parikshak  , Sophia Kwin  , Austin R. Thompson  , Hans L. Carlson  , Thomas Kern  , Scott D. Mist  , Ryan Bradley  , Heather Zwickey  and Courtney K. Pickworth

Received: 06 January 2025;  Published: 07 August 2025;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2503035

Lumbosacral radicular pain (LRP) is a common sequelae of low back pain, the world’s leading cause of years lived with disability. LRP typically causes numbness, weakness, and tingling into the lower extremity and is associated with high rates of pain and impaired function. Despite its prevalence, there is significant heterogeneity among clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of LRP, which may contribute to poor patient outcomes. The aim of the present study was to identify treatments that participants [...]

by Ali Asghar Fallahi  and Shahnaz Shekarforoush

Received: 27 November 2024;  Published: 05 August 2025;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2503034

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, prompting extensive research into effective methods for treatment and prevention. Among these, exercise training and physical activity are widely recognized as the safest and most effective strategies for improving health. Specifically, exercise training has been explored for its role in cardioprotection, particularly in reducing damage caused by ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury and myocardial infarction (MI). Both high-intensity interval trainin [...]

by Pamela Whitaker

Received: 11 May 2025;  Published: 28 July 2025;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2503033

Performance art is both a visual arts practice and kinaesthetic approach to place-based health. The perspective of this commentary is to promote the attributes of performance art to showcase its capacity to extend people into new configurations of cultural engagement with beneficial effects. Performance art is an opportunity to engage both mind and body in actions that transform predictability and encourage wellness within the context of people’s life studios (their everyday lives). Wellness is defined here in rela [...]