OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine is an international peer-reviewed Open Access journal published quarterly online by LIDSEN Publishing Inc. It covers all evidence-based scientific studies on integrative, alternative and complementary approaches to improving health and wellness.

Topics contain but are not limited to:

  • Acupuncture
  • Acupressure
  • Acupotomy
  • Bioelectromagnetics applications
  • Pharmacological and biological treatments including their efficacy and safety
  • Diet, nutrition and lifestyle changes
  • Herbal medicine
  • Homeopathy
  • Manual healing methods (e.g., massage, physical therapy)
  • Kinesiology
  • Mind/body interventions
  • Preventive medicine
  • Research in integrative medicine
  • Education in integrative medicine
  • Related policies

The journal publishes a variety of article types: Original Research, Review, Communication, Opinion, Comment, Conference Report, Technical Note, Book Review, etc.

There is no restriction on paper length, provided that the text is concise and comprehensive. Authors should present their results in as much detail as possible, as reviewers are encouraged to emphasize scientific rigor and reproducibility.

Publication Speed (median values for papers published in 2023): Submission to First Decision: 5.9 weeks; Submission to Acceptance: 14.7 weeks; Acceptance to Publication: 8 days (1-2 days of FREE language polishing included)

Editorial Board (28)

Editor-in-Chief

Gerhard Litscher, Univ.-Prof. Prof. hc mult. MSc PhD MDsc (Biography)

Full professor at Swiss University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SWISS TCM UNI), High-Tech Acupuncture and Digital Chinese Medicine, Switzerland

Website1 | Website2 | E-Mail

Research Interests: Evidence-based complementary medicine; integrative medicine; biomedical engineering; traditional Chinese medicine; neuromonitoring; high-tech acupuncture; digital Chinese medicine; laser medicine

Special Issues and Collections in LIDSEN journals: 

Special IssueHigh-Tech and Digital Chinese Medicine (DCM)

Special IssueAuricular Medicine: Prevention, Auriculodiagnosis and Auriculotherapy using Evidence-Based Complementary Medical Methods

CollectionTrends in Acupuncture and Laser Research and Education

CollectionEvidence-Based Integrative Medicine for Epidemics

Editorial Board Members

James D. Adams, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: California Indian healing; traditional healing; medicinal plants; phytochemistry; pharmacology; pain; stroke

Special Issues and Collections in LIDSEN journals: 

Special IssueTopical Treatment of Pain: Perspectives on Complementary, Traditional, and Plant Medicine

Special IssueAdvantages of Traditional Healing and Use of Plant Medicines

Steven K. H. Aung, MD

1. Director and Clinical Professor, Integrative Health Institute (IHI), Departments of Medicine and Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2C8, Canada
2. Adjunct Professor, Faculties of Extension, Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rehabilitation Medicine, and School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2C8, Canada

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM); acupuncture; integrative medicine

Nancy Nies Byl, PT, MPH, PhD, FAPTA

Professor Emeritus, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: Neural consequences of repetitive strain injuries; focal dystonia; Parkinson’s disease; stroke; repetitive strain injury; aging; neural plasticity; neurological or musculoskeletal degenerative disease; rehabilitation; physical therapy

Lisa A. Conboy, MA, MS, SCD

1. Instructor in Medicine, Part-time, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
2. Director of Research Department, The New England School of Acupuncture at MCPHS University, Newton, MA, USA
3. Founding member, Researcher, Kripalu Center for Yoga and health, Stockbridge, MA, USA

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: the associations between social factors and health; women's health; complementary and alternative medicine; qualitative research methodology; yoga; Ayurveda; Chinese medicine; acupuncture; meditation; mind-body therapies; placebo; patient-practitioner relationship; consciousness and health

Edwin L. Cooper, PhD, SCD, Distinguished Professor

1. Laboratory of Comparative Immunology, Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
2. Founding Editor in Chief, Developmental and Comparative Immunology, 1977
3. Founding Editor in Chief, eCAM, 2004

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: antimicrobial peptides; CAM mechanisms with applications to biomedicine; comparative immunology; invertebrate immune systems; evolution of neuroimmune systems

Joao Bosco Guerreiro da Silva, PhD

Professor of Acupuncture Service, Department of Medicine II,Rio Preto Medical School (Famerp),Brazil

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: clinical acupuncture; acupuncture in pregnancy; acupuncture education; herbal medicine; integrative medicine

W. Douglas Evans, PhD

Professor of Prevention and Community Health & Global Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: Behavioral health; community health; health communication; health information technology; nutrition; risk assessment, management and communication; underserved populations

Vittorio Gebbia, MD, PhD

Full Professor of Medical Oncology Unit, University of Enna Kore, Enna, Italy.

Website | E-Mail

Research interests: Lung and Breast cancer; chemotherapy; oncology

Brenda Golianu, MD

Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: integrative pediatric medicine; perioperative and pain medicine; acupuncture; laser acupuncture; acupressure

Andrew A. Gumbs, MD, Professor

Department of Surgery, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, 39120 Germany

Website | E-Mail

Research interests: artificial intelligence; gallbladder diseases; laparoscopy; hernia

Karyn Ogata Jones, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Communication, Clemson University, USA

Website | E-Mail

Research interests: Health behavior interventions; social determinants of health; strategies to identify/reduce/eliminate the impact of health disparities

Kun-Chan Lan, PhD

Professor, Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704, Taiwan

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: Computerization of traditional Chinese medicine (automatic diagnosis, painless acupuncture, intelligent prescription system); realistic Network Simulation, Intelligent Transport System (ITS), Sensor Network, and Health Informatics

Special Issues and Collections in LIDSEN journals: 

Special IssueArtificial Intelligence and Robotic in Complementary and Integrative Medicine

Sing Kai Lo, PhD

Associate Vice President (Graduate Studies) and Dean of Graduate School, The Education University of Hong Kong, HKSAR, China

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: epidemiological methods; social and personal wellbeing; traditional Chinese medicine

Rodrigo Alvaro B. Lopes-Martins, PhD

Professor, Head of Research Group in Biophotonics and Experimental Therapeutics – Health Technologies, Universidade Evangélica de Goiás - Goiás, Brazil

Website1 | Website2 | E-Mail

Research Interests: Muscle-Skeletal disorders; photobiomodulation; health technologies; inflammation; longevity; aging; muscle function; sports physiology; human physiology; muscle physiology; exercise physiology; exercise science; sports injuries

Bruno Lunenfeld, MD, PhD

Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: Pathology; Reproductive Medicine; Endocrinology; Reproductive Biology

Marianna Mazza, MD, PhD, Professor

Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Department of Geriatrics, Neuroscience and Orthopedics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.

Website | E-Mail

Research interests: Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Sleep Disorders, Eating Disorders, Psychopharmacotherapy, Psychotherapy, Neurosciences, Psychoanalysis.

Sanghamitra M. Misra, MD

Assistant Professor, Academic General Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: hospital-based integrative medicine; CAM use in underserved populations; integrative therapies for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and asthma; integrative medicine education

Special Issues and Collections in LIDSEN journals: 

Special IssueSupporting Children with Integrative Techniques During and After Public Health Crises

Srinivas Nammi, PhD

1. School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Penrith, Australia
2. National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM), Western Sydney University, Penrith, Australia

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: chronic kidney disease; fatty liver disease; herbal pharmacology; insulin resistance; lipid disorders; metabolic syndrome; obesity; pharmacokinetics and drug interactions; type 2 diabetes and its complications

Special Issues and Collections in LIDSEN journals: 

Special IssueMedicinal Plants and Functional Foods for the Treatment of Metabolic Disorders

Solomon Ike Okosun, MS, MPH, PhD, FRSPH, FTOS, FACE

Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: Chronic diseases epidemiology; epidemiology of metabolic syndrome; epidemiology of chronic diseases in populations of African origin; immigrant health; data management and analyses & secondary data analysis

Sok Cheon Pak, PhD

1. Senior Lecturer and Program Leader of the Bachelor of Health Science, School of Biomedical Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, NSW, Australia
2. Adjunct Professor, Wonkwang Health Science University, Korea

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: bee venom application; acupuncture: pain threshold; morphine dose reduction; medicinal herbs: anti-inflammatory; anti-allergic; immune-enhancing; polycystic ovarian syndrome; pap smear; evidence-based practice

Special Issues and Collections in LIDSEN journals: 

CollectionEvidence-based Practice in Complementary Medicine

Special IssueEvidence-based Practice in Complementary Medicine

Special IssueComplementary, Traditional, and Integrative Medicine for COVID-19

Im Quah-Smith, MD, PhD

1. Auricular Medicine, The Mater Hospital Centre for Wellbeing, North Sydney, NSW 2060, Australia
2. Adjunct Lecturer, School for Womens and Childrens Health, UNSW Medicine, NSW 2041, Australia.
3. Independent Medical Researcher, Roseville Wellness Group, Roseville, NSW 2069, Australia

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: acupuncture; auriculotherapy; laser; neuromodulation based healing approaches; brain sciences; meditation; higher consciousness research; stress management; mental health and wellbeing; preventative care

Special Issues and Collections in LIDSEN journals: 

Special IssueAcupuncture for Treatment of Depression and Trauma

Robert B. Raffa, PhD

1. Professor Emeritus & Past Chair, Temple University School of Pharmacy (Philadelphia, PA) and Adjunct Professor, University of Arizona College of Pharmacy (Tucson, AZ), USA
2. Chief Scientific Officer, Neumentum, Inc, Palo Alto, CA, USA

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: Drug receptor pharmacology; Analgesia; Opioids; Drug discovery

Jack Warren Salmon, PhD

Professor of Health Policy and Administration, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: corporatization of medicine and pharmacy; managed care pharmacy; urban health care delivery; comparative health care systems; global pharmaceutical industry developments; alternative and complimentary medicines; selected health policy issues

Special Issues and Collections in LIDSEN journals: 

Special IssueComplementary Medicine and Local Public Health Reorganization

Enrica Santarcangelo, PhD, Associate Professor

Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

Website | E-Mail

Research interests: hypnotizability; sensorimotor integration; cognitive control of cardiovascular system; imagery; suggestions; cognitive control of pain

Venkat Sharma, PhD

Dean and Professor, College of Science and Health, William Paterson University of New Jersey, Wayne, NJ, USA

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: transcription and cytokine biology; immunology; nano-Immunology; biochemistry of leukemia; HIV-associated B-cell lymphomas and biomedical ethics

Peta Stapleton, PhD

Associate Professor, Faculty of Society and Design, Bond University, Australia

Website | E-Mail

Research interests: Complementary and alternative medicine/integrative medicine; energy psychology; health psychology; eating disorders; obesity

Special Issues and Collections in LIDSEN journals: 

CollectionMind-Body Approaches that are Revolutionizing the Health Field

Wing Fai Yeung, PhD

Associate Professor, School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, The Hong Kong SAR, China

Website | E-Mail

Research interests: Traditional Chinese medicine; sleep and mood disorders; acupuncture

Section Board for 'Psychotherapy'

Marianna Mazza, MD, PhD, Professor

Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Department of Geriatrics, Neuroscience and Orthopedics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.

Website | E-Mail

Research interests: Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Sleep Disorders, Eating Disorders, Psychopharmacotherapy, Psychotherapy, Neurosciences, Psychoanalysis.

Section Board for 'Nursing / Caring'

Jack Warren Salmon, PhD

Professor of Health Policy and Administration, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: corporatization of medicine and pharmacy; managed care pharmacy; urban health care delivery; comparative health care systems; global pharmaceutical industry developments; alternative and complimentary medicines; selected health policy issues

Section Board for 'Arts Therapies'

Section Board for 'Physiotherapy'

Nancy Nies Byl, PT, MPH, PhD, FAPTA

Professor Emeritus, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: Neural consequences of repetitive strain injuries; focal dystonia; Parkinson’s disease; stroke; repetitive strain injury; aging; neural plasticity; neurological or musculoskeletal degenerative disease; rehabilitation; physical therapy

Rodrigo Alvaro B. Lopes-Martins, PhD

Professor, Head of Research Group in Biophotonics and Experimental Therapeutics – Health Technologies, Universidade Evangélica de Goiás - Goiás, Brazil

Website1 | Website2 | E-Mail

Research Interests: Muscle-Skeletal disorders; photobiomodulation; health technologies; inflammation; longevity; aging; muscle function; sports physiology; human physiology; muscle physiology; exercise physiology; exercise science; sports injuries

Section Board for 'Complementary Therapies'

Edwin L. Cooper, PhD, SCD, Distinguished Professor

1. Laboratory of Comparative Immunology, Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
2. Founding Editor in Chief, Developmental and Comparative Immunology, 1977
3. Founding Editor in Chief, eCAM, 2004

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: antimicrobial peptides; CAM mechanisms with applications to biomedicine; comparative immunology; invertebrate immune systems; evolution of neuroimmune systems

Sok Cheon Pak, PhD

1. Senior Lecturer and Program Leader of the Bachelor of Health Science, School of Biomedical Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, NSW, Australia
2. Adjunct Professor, Wonkwang Health Science University, Korea

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: bee venom application; acupuncture: pain threshold; morphine dose reduction; medicinal herbs: anti-inflammatory; anti-allergic; immune-enhancing; polycystic ovarian syndrome; pap smear; evidence-based practice

Enrica Santarcangelo, PhD, Associate Professor

Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

Website | E-Mail

Research interests: hypnotizability; sensorimotor integration; cognitive control of cardiovascular system; imagery; suggestions; cognitive control of pain

Section Board for 'Integrative Health / Medicine'

Steven K. H. Aung, MD

1. Director and Clinical Professor, Integrative Health Institute (IHI), Departments of Medicine and Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2C8, Canada
2. Adjunct Professor, Faculties of Extension, Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rehabilitation Medicine, and School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2C8, Canada

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM); acupuncture; integrative medicine

W. Douglas Evans, PhD

Professor of Prevention and Community Health & Global Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: Behavioral health; community health; health communication; health information technology; nutrition; risk assessment, management and communication; underserved populations

Sanghamitra M. Misra, MD

Assistant Professor, Academic General Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: hospital-based integrative medicine; CAM use in underserved populations; integrative therapies for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and asthma; integrative medicine education

Section Board for 'Nutrition and Dietary Supplements'

Solomon Ike Okosun, MS, MPH, PhD, FRSPH, FTOS, FACE

Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: Chronic diseases epidemiology; epidemiology of metabolic syndrome; epidemiology of chronic diseases in populations of African origin; immigrant health; data management and analyses & secondary data analysis

Section Board for 'Mind-Body Medicine'

Section Board for 'Traditional and Conventional Medicine'

James D. Adams, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: California Indian healing; traditional healing; medicinal plants; phytochemistry; pharmacology; pain; stroke

Kun-Chan Lan, PhD

Professor, Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704, Taiwan

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: Computerization of traditional Chinese medicine (automatic diagnosis, painless acupuncture, intelligent prescription system); realistic Network Simulation, Intelligent Transport System (ITS), Sensor Network, and Health Informatics

Sing Kai Lo, PhD

Associate Vice President (Graduate Studies) and Dean of Graduate School, The Education University of Hong Kong, HKSAR, China

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: epidemiological methods; social and personal wellbeing; traditional Chinese medicine

Section Board for 'Botanical and Herbal Medicine'

Srinivas Nammi, PhD

1. School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Penrith, Australia
2. National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM), Western Sydney University, Penrith, Australia

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: chronic kidney disease; fatty liver disease; herbal pharmacology; insulin resistance; lipid disorders; metabolic syndrome; obesity; pharmacokinetics and drug interactions; type 2 diabetes and its complications

Section Board for 'Acupuncture and Moxibustion'

Lisa A. Conboy, MA, MS, SCD

1. Instructor in Medicine, Part-time, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
2. Director of Research Department, The New England School of Acupuncture at MCPHS University, Newton, MA, USA
3. Founding member, Researcher, Kripalu Center for Yoga and health, Stockbridge, MA, USA

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: the associations between social factors and health; women's health; complementary and alternative medicine; qualitative research methodology; yoga; Ayurveda; Chinese medicine; acupuncture; meditation; mind-body therapies; placebo; patient-practitioner relationship; consciousness and health

Joao Bosco Guerreiro da Silva, PhD

Professor of Acupuncture Service, Department of Medicine II,Rio Preto Medical School (Famerp),Brazil

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: clinical acupuncture; acupuncture in pregnancy; acupuncture education; herbal medicine; integrative medicine

Brenda Golianu, MD

Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: integrative pediatric medicine; perioperative and pain medicine; acupuncture; laser acupuncture; acupressure

Im Quah-Smith, MD, PhD

1. Auricular Medicine, The Mater Hospital Centre for Wellbeing, North Sydney, NSW 2060, Australia
2. Adjunct Lecturer, School for Womens and Childrens Health, UNSW Medicine, NSW 2041, Australia.
3. Independent Medical Researcher, Roseville Wellness Group, Roseville, NSW 2069, Australia

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: acupuncture; auriculotherapy; laser; neuromodulation based healing approaches; brain sciences; meditation; higher consciousness research; stress management; mental health and wellbeing; preventative care

Section Board for 'General'

Bruno Lunenfeld, MD, PhD

Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: Pathology; Reproductive Medicine; Endocrinology; Reproductive Biology

Robert B. Raffa, PhD

1. Professor Emeritus & Past Chair, Temple University School of Pharmacy (Philadelphia, PA) and Adjunct Professor, University of Arizona College of Pharmacy (Tucson, AZ), USA
2. Chief Scientific Officer, Neumentum, Inc, Palo Alto, CA, USA

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: Drug receptor pharmacology; Analgesia; Opioids; Drug discovery

Venkat Sharma, PhD

Dean and Professor, College of Science and Health, William Paterson University of New Jersey, Wayne, NJ, USA

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: transcription and cytokine biology; immunology; nano-Immunology; biochemistry of leukemia; HIV-associated B-cell lymphomas and biomedical ethics

Newsletter

TOP