Use of Topical Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAM) in Diabetic Septic Foot Disease in Makkah Region, Western of Saudi Arabia, an Exploratory Study

Diabetes is a chronic condition that is significantly impacted daily by environment. At least one in five Saudis, suffer from diabetes. “Diabetes is a pandemic of unprecedented magnitude spiraling out of control” (Boulton). Saudi Arabia ranks the second highest in the Middle East, and is the seventh in the world for the prevalence of diabetes (WHO). Diabetes mellitus (DM) has been found to be related to high mortality, morbidity accompanied by poor general health and lower quality of life. Current Saudi diabetes patients’ behaviors, practices, and beliefs regarding foot health problems such as ulcers, are not well investigated. Diabetic patients frequently utilize natural remedies and Herbs for self-medication as a part of complementary and alternative Medicine. Aim of study: To explore the widespread use of the alternative remedies in the local communities of the Western Saudi Arabia, the drives behind using and to focus on the potential adverse effects following their usage. Method: A descriptive, cross-sectional study of 386 diabetic patients with feet problems in Makkah Region, West of Saudi Arabia during the period April - June 2023. Results: Out of the 531 participants, only 386 participants reported diabetic foot disorder (DFD). Most of the participant were above 65 years of age group (24.61 %). Male (52.08%) more than female (47.92%) in the research group. All of the participants had diabetic foot disorders at least once. The prevalence of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) use among them was 67.88%, as solitary or in combination with hospital medicines. Honey headed the list followed by myrrh and black seeds. Acquaintances advice (59.54%) was the most reason for using the alternative medicine. 60.30% of Diabetic foot patient complained of adverse effects during CAM remedies use. Conclusion: Consumption of CAM remedies among diabetic patients for Diabetic Foot Disorder (DFD) is common. Honey headed the list followed by myrrh and black seeds. Additional wide-scale research is required to establish their actual efficacy, safety and potential adverse out-comes and to generalize the outcomes.

Attitudes and understanding of complementary and alternative medicine in cancer care:An exploratory study of patients’perspectives in Karachi,Pakistan

Objective:To evaluate the prevalence and types of complementary and alternative medicine(CAM)modalities among patients with cancer in Karachi,Pakistan.Methods:This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2021 to December 2021.Five hundred patients with cancer were invited to participate in the study.Electronic databases,namely,Google scholar,Publons,EMBASE,PubMed,Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Database,and ResearchGate was used for questionnaire designed.The self-administered survey included questions on demographic characteristics,education level,socio-economic conditions and information about CAM therapies,prevalence,effectiveness,and common CAM modalities.Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS software version 22.Results:Out of the 500 invited patients,433(86.6%)successfully completed and returned the questionnaires.In contrast to patients who were with younger,highly educated,professionally active,higher income,and had advanced cancer,time since diagnosis,type of treatment,cancer types and family history are significantly associated with CAM use.The results showed that 59.8%of the participants were acquainted with complementary and/or alternative medicine and considered safe owing to its natural ingredients.The prevalence of CAM usage among cancer patients was 40.9%and the most widely used CAM modality was herbal medicine(27.7%)and dietary supplements(28.8%).Patients used CAM as a complementary therapy to improve the morphological parameter(28.2%),strengthen the immune system(6.8%),and to decrease the side effects of conventional treatment(18.1%).Most of the respondents get the information regarding CAM therapy from the electronic media(43.2%)and the family members(48%)rather than healthcare personnel.Conclusions:Participants used CAM modalities along with the conventional health care practices.Further multicentre studies should be conducted to provide information regarding the usage of CAM therapies and their eventual benefits in patients with cancer.

A review of complementary and alternative medicine used in cancer care:challenges and prospects

Cancer is a leading cause of death globally,and most patients with cancers frequently seek for complementary and alternative medicine(CAM)to ameliorate their condition.Some of the available CAM care include:acupuncture,aromatherapy,Ayurvedic medicinal drug,cannabis,chelation remedy,homeopathy,hypnotherapy,massage therapy,naturopathic medication,and conventional Chinese remedy amongst others.Despite the growing use of CAM,the evidence-base for its efficacy and safety is limited.Major challenges confronting the efficient deployment of CAM is lack of standardization and regulation;as well as the demand for more extensive studies to validate their safety and efficacy.Integrative oncology which is the combination of CAM and conventional cancer care is likewise complicated through the potential adverse interactions between CAM options and most cancers drugs.The article serves as a guide for healthcare providers and patients to determine how CAM can be safely integrated into the cancer care paradigm.Taking into account safety concerns,however,more studies need to be conducted to properly evaluate its efficacy.Ultimately,CAM can help cancer patients in achieving greater health and well-being.

Thematic Trends in Complementary and Alternative Medicine Applied in Cancer-Related Symptoms

Purpose： The main goal of this study is to discover the scientific evolution of Cancer-Related Symptoms in Complementary and Alternative Medicine research area, analyzing the articles indexed in the Web of Science database from 1980 to 2013.Design/Methodology/Approach： A co-word science mapping analysis is performed under a longitudinal framework（1980 to 2013）. The documental corpus is divided into two subperiods,1980–2008 and 2009–2013. Thus, the performance and impact rates, and conceptual evolution of the research field are shown.Findings： According to the results, the co-word analysis allows us to identify 12 main thematic areas in this emerging research field： anxiety, survivors and palliative care,meditation, treatment, symptoms and cancer types, postmenopause, cancer pain, low back pain, herbal medicine, children, depression and insomnia, inflammation mediators, and lymphedema. The different research lines are identified according to the main thematic areas,centered fundamentally on anxiety and suffering prevention. The scientific community can use this information to identify where the interest is focused and make decisions in different ways.Research limitation： Several limitations can be addressed： 1） some of the Complementary and Alternative Medicine therapies may not have been included; 2） only the documents indexed in Web of Science are analyzed; and 3） the thematic areas detected could change if another dataset was considered.Practical implications： The results obtained in the present study could be considered as an evidence-based framework in which future studies could be built.Originality/value： Currently, there are no studies that show the thematic evolution of this research area.

Transition Behavior in the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine during Follow-up after Radical Prostatectomy: A Multicenter Survey in Japan

We evaluated the prevalence of use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), as well as the transitional nature of its use, before and after radical prostatectomy in Japa-nese patients with localized prostate cancer. Methods: We enrolled 376 patients, who an-swered a self-administered questionnaire on CAM use, psychological health locus of control (HLC), and general-health-related quality of life (GHQL). Detailed information regarding CAM use according to the transtheoretical model, and the time at initiation and abandonment of CAM use were assessed. Medical information was also extracted from patient charts. Results: 45.7% of patients belonged to the “precontem-plation” stage, 29.8% to the “contemplation” stage, 1.9% to the “preparation” stage, 14.4% to the “action” stage, and 8.2% to the “relapse” stage. Although patient age and educational status had a significant impact on stage of CAM use, HLC and GHQL were not associated with them. The time-course of prevalence of CAM use during follow-up was divided into three phases: “initial,” “rapid-increase,” and “main-tenance”. Conclusions: Among patients under-going radical prostatectomy, non-users can be classified into several behavioral stages, while users do not use CAM constantly during fol-low-up.

Using complementary and alternative medicines to prevent and treat pressure ulcers: a systematic review

Background:Pressure ulcers are skin lesions generated by ischemic conditions caused by pressure on soft tissues.Several studies have investigated complementary and alternative medicine(CAM)as preventative and treatment measures for pressure ulcers.Therefore,we systematically reviewed the CAM literature in preventing and treating pressure ulcers.Methods:All clinical trial studies which used CAM were included.We searched different databases,including Scientific Information Database,Irandoc,Google Scholar,PubMed,Medline,Scopus,Cochrane Library,Embase,and Science Direct.The following keywords were used:“complementary and alternative medicine-CAM”,“integrative medicine”,“traditional medicine”,“pressure ulcer”,“bedsore”,“pressure sore healing”,and“prevention”.A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2015 checklist was used to perform analyses.Results:After screening,35 studies were selected.Our investigations suggested that honey,medicinal plants,such as resin salve,Angelica dahurica,Aloe vera,fruits,herbal oils,a combination of several traditional medicine methods,sheepskin,maggot therapy,massage,charcoal,and acupuncture were the most common CAM methods.Conclusion:CAM strategies can prevent and treat pressure ulcers.They reduce wound size,exudate and necrotic tissue levels,inflammation,pain,bleeding,and infections.

Use of complementary and alternative medicines in people with depression and central obesity: Findings from a Tai Chi and Qigong study

Objective:Depression is a global and growing health issue.Complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) use is common among people with depression.We examined the baseline use of CAM (products,not services) in centrally obese adults with depression,a specific and increasingly important population who were part of a trial of Tai Chi and Qigong for depression.Methods:Self-reported use of CAM products (four major groups:vitamins,herbal medicines,mineral supplements and purified chemicals as nutritional supplements) together with demographic,lifestyle and health status characteristics were collected using validated questions within a written survey.We used descriptive statistics to understand patterns of use.Results:Two hundred and sixty patients participated in the assessment.Half of the patients stated they were using CAM,on average reporting 2.3 CAM per patient.Women were more likely than men,and older people (>60 years) more likely than younger people (<40 years) to use any CAM products.Patients reported using CAM mostly for general health and alleviating aches and pains.CAM use was not associated with health state,use of a prescription antidepressant medicine,nor (self-reported) comorbidities such as arthritis,diabetes,hypertension or alcohol or tobacco use.Conclusions:CAM products are commonly used in Australians with moderate depression,particularly in female or older patients.The range and number of CAM in this group with common comorbidity may present additional unknown risks due to potential interactions with other prescribed medications with a myriad of biological and pharmacological effects.The importance of establishing whether depressed patients are taking CAM,the particular CAM and whether the CAM interacts with each other,other drugs used for depression or the biological process of the depression itself are factors to be considered at each assessment.

Usage of complementary and alternative medicine in older adults: prevalence, subtypes and associated factors;a cross-sectional observation

Background:The usage of complementary and alternative medicine(CAM)is common in many healthcare settings worldwide.However,the factors associated with CAM usage in older adults and its relation with mood and cognitive function is under-studied.We used a cross-sectional study to explore the 12-month prevalence of usage of CAM among older adults in Singapore and its associated factors including mental health status.Methods:Using a door-to-door census and questionnaire survey,community dwellers aged 60 or above were voluntarily recruited in the Singapore Longitudinal Aging Study.Demographic information,usage of CAM in past 12 months,life-style,cognitive and depressive status using Mini-Mental Status Examination and Geriatric Depression Scale were collated from each participant.Results:Out of 4985 participants,2692(54%)used some types of CAM.The most common type of CAM was herbal medicine,followed by Qigong and Acupuncture.The usage of CAM was higher in Chinese females and those with higher educational levels.Having a history of chronic diseases was associated with higher prevalence of CAM use.Usage of CAM was also correlated with higher physical and social activities.No correlation was observed between cognitive or depressive status and the use of CAM.Conclusion:These results show a high prevalence of CAM usage among older adults in Singapore,which should be considered by medical practitioners treating this age group.Additionally,despite higher prevalence of suffering from multiple chronic diseases,the lack of association of CAM usage with poorer performance in mood and cognitive assessments suggests a protective role against depression and cognitive decline for CAM practices.

Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Siblings of Pediatric Cancer Patients in Germany.A Population-Based Survey

Use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in children with cancer is common and probably increasing. However data concerning use of CAM in siblings of children with an oncologic disease are missing so far. We conducted a population-based survey over a one-year period with 233 participants. Of the 209 respondents (90% response rate) 20% reported CAM use from the time on when the sibling was diagnosed to have cancer, compared to a prevalence rate of 48% before cancer diagnosis. The most prevalent therapies were homeopathy, anthroposophic medicine and Bach flowers. The main reasons for use were to strengthen the immune system and to achieve physical stabilization. Socio-demographic factors associated with CAM use were higher parental education and higher family income. A majority of CAM users would recommend them. 66% of the users informed a physician about CAM use. No side effects were reported.Conclusions: There is a significant decrease in CAM use in siblings of pediatric cancer patients after ascertainment of cancer in the affected sibling. Being out of the focus seems to be the main reason for non-use. Nevertheless the 20% CAM users rate CAM as very effective and would recommend CAM use to other parents.

Complementary and alternative medicine applications in cancer medicine

Besides conventional medicine,many patients with cancer seek complementary and alternative medicine(CAM)as an additional treatment option.Since the early 1970s,the use of CAM in cancer treatment has expanded worldwide.CAM,as a tempting option,was used by patients with cancer mainly due to easy accessibility.Patients with cancer used CAM to achieve better quality of life or to find a cure.As physicians are mainly unaware of CAM use by patients,doctor-patient communication about CAM use should be brought to a higher level.To identify circumstances in which CAM are preferred,further investigations are needed especially in biologically based therapies.Clinical-based evidence for mind-body therapies have been established,so this type of CAM can be recommended for patients with cancer during chemotherapy.Future studies are necessary to fill the gaps so that CAM users,as well as medical experts,are in position to clearly determine all the benefits and disadvantages of the mentioned therapy.

Chinese Medicine in the United States:Historical Development and Growth

Chinese medicine is growing rapidly in the United States both as a field of research and in the daily treatment of illnesses.The popularity of Chinese medicine,particularly acupuncture,as a healing mechanism demonstrates American people’s positive experience with Chinese medicine and their embracing it as an alternative to the mainstream Western biomedicine.Chinese medicine is an important part of the Alternative and Complementary Medicine or Integrated Medicine in the United States health system.It is increasingly used and covered by health insurance.Although Chinese medicine has been in the United States since colonial times,it was discriminated against by local authorities.However,things began to change in the 1970s when individual states gradually passed laws to legalize the practice of acupuncture as a healing mechanism.American public interest in Chinese medicine,particularly acupuncture,was aroused by the media’s report of the“magic”power of acupuncture during President Nixon’s visit to China.Non-Asians studied acupuncture in the following decades,which contributed to the establishment of acupuncture as a profession in the American health system.The history of Chinese medicine in the United States illustrates that Chinese and Asian immigrants promoted Chinese medicine in the communities,while Chinese American medical scientists who were trained in biomedicine played an important role in shaping the biomedical method of acupuncture research.This article investigates the changes of Chinese medicine in the United States,with a focus on acupuncture.Situating the discussion in a larger context of social and cultural changes,this study examines the contributions of Chinese immigrants and the popularity of acupuncture in the United States.It analyzes the development of acupuncture practice and research,the professional training in Chinese medicine,and American people’s interest in using Chinese medicine as a reliable healing mechanism to many health problems,including chronic pain,cancer,and drug addictions.

Complementary and alternative medicine in European countries legislative framework

Complementary and alternative medicine(CAM)is a set of different diagnostic and therapeutic procedures,as well as the use of natural products for the treatment of patients,derived from previously known traditional methods and enriched with modern scientific knowledge.The present article reviews the available data regarding the use of CAM and the legislation behind it in European countries.The use of CAM is recorded in Europe as a whole and varies between 1070%of the population of individual European countries.At least 300,000 registered CAM providers have been identified in the European Union(EU),of which slightly more than half includes non-medical practitioners.The most practiced discipline is acupuncture,followed by homeopathy.CAM regulation and legislation in Europe is not precisely defined and is constantly striving to find a common approach.Since legal frameworks for CAM are not defined,each European country has its own regulations and legislation.In order to define universal legislation for CAM,the EU created the CAMbrella project,a project of the EU designed to find a unique system that would include the treatment of CAM in Europe.According to the data from CAMbrella,from 39 countries in the EU,17 have general CAM legislations.The status of CAM in Europe is characterized by enormous heterogeneity in all aspects,including terminology,methods,prevalence and ultimately,legal status,regulations and legislation.

Complementary and alternative medicine use by Japanese children with pediatric surgical diseases

Background: This study aimed to survey the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies in Japanese children with major pediatric surgical diseases. Methods: This survey was mailed to each family of 355 patients. Results: One hundred fifty-three (43%) of 355 mailed questionnaires were completely returned. Forty-one (27%) of 153 parents responded that they used CAM for their child. There was no significant difference in CAM use according to sex, mean age, follow-up duration, family CAM users, and associated disorders between CAM users and non-users. Children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were significantly more likely to use CAM than children without IBD (65% vs 21%, p = 0.0001). Only 20% of parents informed the attending physicians about CAM before its use. Conclusions: It is important for physicians caring for children with pediatric surgical disease, especially IBD, to be familiar with common forms of CAM.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine: A Review on the Effects of Ginger, Cinnamon and Camellia Sinensis Leaf Tea in Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease with a multitude of effects on different organ-systems. Its chronic nature makes it a challenging disease for patients to manage. Today, patients have access to many different types of conventional therapies for diabetes, each with a different mode of action and side effects. Despite the wide range of therapeutic agents available today, patients seek help from complementary and alternative medicine. The decision to use complementary and alternative medicine by patients stems from some of the harmful side effects of current conventional therapies, as well as their desire to find measures that will help them to manage their disease. Complementary and alternative medicine includes several modalities ranging from dietary components such as vitamins and herbal supplements to mind-body interventions such as yoga, meditation, and massage therapy. Here we review the use of complementary and alternative medicine including Ginger, Cinnamon, and Camellia sinensis leaf tea, and their effects on glycemic indices in diabetes.

Complementary and alternative medicine for cancer treatment:magic or fraud?

Quanjian Group,one of biggest health companies in China,is accused of making huge profits by misleading consumers.18 suspects--including Shu Yuhui,the largest shareholder of Quanjian Nature Medicine Technology Development Company--have been arrested by Tianjin prosecutors.

Effects of COVID-19 fear and anxiety on attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine use in women with gynecological cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective:Patients with gynecological cancer commonly use complementary and alternative medicine(CAM)methods to cope with the disease.However,despite the existence of treatment strategies,the effect of fear and anxiety caused by coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic on attitudes about CAM use is unclear.This study was carried out to investigate the effect of fear and anxiety experienced by patients with gynecological cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic on their attitudes towards the use of CAM.Methods:This is a cross-sectional and descriptive study that included 177 women with gynecological cancer;participants were recruited from a social networking site for cancer patients in Turkey between June and December 2021.Data were collected using an online survey that included the Personal Information Form,the Fear of COVID-19 Scale,the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale,and the Attitude Towards Holistic Complementary and Alternative Medicine Scale.Descriptive statistics,t-test,Pearson’s correlation test,and simple linear and multiple regression analyses were performed to analyze the data.Results:During the pandemic,55.4%of the participants reported using CAM methods,but only 22.6%were using CAM before the pandemic.The participants who used CAM during the pandemic also scored higher on the fear of COVID-19 and coronavirus anxiety scales(20.69±5.37 and 13.09±6.29,respectively)compared to the participants who did not use CAM(9.29±2.72 and 6.35±2.06,respectively).Fear of COVID-19 accounted for 52%of the CAM attitude score,while coronavirus anxiety accounted for 15%of the CAM attitude score.Fear of COVID-19 and coronavirus anxiety together accounted for 53%of CAM attitude.Conclusion:Gynecological cancer patients with high levels of COVID-19-related anxiety and fear during the pandemic used CAM more.Given that the psychological effects of the pandemic will continue in the coming years,CAM use should be evaluated as a coping strategy,especially due to the COVID-19-related anxiety and fear experienced by patients with gynecological cancer.While the rational and effective CAM methods should be supported,strategies should be developed to prevent misuse of CAM and its interference in prescribed medical treatments.

Policies on Chinese Medicine in China May Have Enlightenments to Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the World

From the event of TU You-you winning the Nobel Prize, this paper briefly reviewed the history of formation and development of policies on Chinese medicine （CM） in China. On the basis of analyzing the causes of policies on CM, it is believed that policies on CM in China may have 4 kinds of enlightenments to the development of complementary and alternative medicine （CAM） in the world. Forming the political advantages of policy-making by main leaders of the country attaching importance to CAM; implementing a diversified health care system policy for the goal of maximizing people＇s health interests; ensuring development of CAM by the coerciveness of law and the timeliness of policy adjustment; and promoting the protection and mining, sorting out and improving of CAM based on open and comprehensive policies.

Complementary and alternative medicines in irritable bowel syndrome: An integrative view

Irritable bowel syndrome(IBS)is a common gastrointestinal disorder with a high incidence in the general population.The diagnosis of IBS is mainly based on exclusion of other intestinal conditions through the absence of inflammatory markers and specific antigens.The current pharmacological treatment approaches available focus on reducing symptom severity while often limiting quality of life because of significant side effects.This has led to an effectiveness gap for IBS patients that seek further relief to increase their quality of life.Complementary and alternative medicines(CAM)have been associated with a higher degree of symptom management and quality of life in IBS patients.Over the past decade,a number of important clinical trials have shown that specific herbal therapies(peppermint oil and Iberogast?),hypnotherapy,cognitive behavior therapy,acupuncture,and yoga present with improved treatment outcomes in IBS patients.We propose an integrative approach to treating the diverse symptoms of IBS by combining the benefits of and need for pharmacotherapy with known CAM therapies to provide IBS patients with the best treatment outcome achievable.Initial steps in this direction are already being considered with an increasing number of practitioners recommending CAM therapies to their patients if pharmacotherapy alone does not alleviate symptoms sufficiently.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine in pregnant women:A cross-sectional survey in the south of Iran

Objective: The use of traditional medicine and complementary alternative medicine(TM/CAM) derived from herbal remedies or natural supplements is increasing worldwide, but there are limited data on the use of TM/CAM during pregnancy. Iran has various ethnic populations, and the usage of TM/CAM by the different ethnic groups has not been researched. The aim of this study is to understand the use of TM/CAM modalities in pregnant women of different ethnic groups in southern Iran.Methods: This study was conducted in primary health care centers in Khuzestan Province, Iran, from May to August, 2016. A semi-structured valid questionnaire was used to gather information in pregnant women(n = 170).Results: About 46.5% of women in this study used TM/CAM during previous pregnancies. The majority(67%) of study participants were Arab. The Arab population showed increased use of TM/CAM during pregnancy(P = 0.014). Women with complications in former pregnancies had significantly higher incidence rate of TM/CAM use(65.8%) compared to the other group(39.6%)(P = 0.001).Conclusion: Understanding TM/CAM use and the associated factors in different ethnic groups of pregnant women will benefit the evaluation of the proper health policies and mother-infant health programs. This study contributes to the growing literature on TM/CAM, ethnic diversity and pregnant women.

Doctor communication quality and Friends' attitudes influence complementary medicine use in inflammatory bowel disease

AIM: To examine the frequency of regular complementary and alternative therapy(CAM) use in three Australian cohorts of contrasting care setting and geography, and identify independent attitudinal and psychological predictors of CAM use across all cohorts. METHODS: A cross sectional questionnaire was administered to inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) patients in 3 separate cohorts which differed by geographical region and care setting. Demographics and frequency of regular CAM use were assessed, along with attitudes towards IBD medication and psychological parameters such as anxiety, depression, personality traits and quality of life(QOL), and compared across cohorts. Independent attitudinal and psychological predictors of CAM use were determined using binary logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: In 473 respondents(mean age 50.3 years, 60.2% female) regular CAM use was reported by45.4%, and did not vary between cohorts. Only 54.1%of users disclosed CAM use to their doctor. Independent predictors of CAM use which confirm those reported previously were: covert conventional medication dose reduction(P < 0.001), seeking psychological treatment(P < 0.001), adverse effects of conventional medication(P = 0.043), and higher QOL(P < 0.001).Newly identified predictors were CAM use by family or friends(P < 0.001), dissatisfaction with patient-doctor communication(P < 0.001), and lower depression scores(P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In addition to previously identified predictors of CAM use, these data show that physician attention to communication and the patient-doctor relationship is important as these factors influence CAM use. Patient reluctance to discuss CAM with physicians may promote greater reliance on social contacts to influence CAM decisions.