Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) use Ayurveda and yoga to manage the symptoms, including excess weight. However, heterogeneity in the components of clinical trials limits the quality of current evidence in this area. This Delphi study aimed to address these issues of heterogeneity by developing a list of recommendations of key components for the design of a combined...
The study of medicinal plants and their potential toxicity arises from the need to address health issues and provide immediate therapeutic solutions. The vast diversity of plants worldwide can lead to confusion regarding their use for food or medicinal purposes, sometimes resulting in intoxications that threaten human health. To assess the acute toxicity of the ethanol extract of...
The Mbabaram Aboriginal community lives in Atherton Tableland of Far North Queensland, Australia. While most of the knowledge had been lost due to colonial influences, this community still has remnants of traditional biocultural knowledge, which is critically endangered. They have been closely working with the Tropical Indigenous Ethnobotany Centre (Queensland Herbarium, James...
East Asian Traditional Medicine (EATM) offers various modalities—such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, and manual therapy—for managing attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. This scoping review aimed to identify the overall status and characteristics of EATM treatments for children and adolescents with ADHD. Following the Arksey and O'Malley...
Non-specific low back pain (NSLBP), with or without radiation, is a leading cause of global disability. International guidelines recommend that healthcare providers extend self-management support (SMS) to patients to alleviate pain and disability. However, the adoption of SMS strategies remains suboptimal. This study aimed to evaluate the levels of knowledge and confidence...
Achilles tendinopathy is a common degenerative disorder characterized by pain, impaired function, and poor tissue regeneration. Effective treatment remains a challenge due to the tendon’s limited healing capacity. Cinnamic acid, a naturally occurring phenolic compound, has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in various tissue repair models. However, its...
In this study, we investigated the potential of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HA-NP) synthesized from Elaeagnus Angustifolia (HAEA-NP) and loaded with crocin (HAEA-NP@CR) to enhance the in vitro wound healing of human dermal fibroblasts (hDF). HAEA-NPs were synthesized using the sol-gel technique and impregnated with crocin (CR) to create the HAEA-NP@CR formulation. The...
Whole-body vibration (WBV) training may be an effective method for enhancing the physical and executive functions of older adults. However, its feasibility in community-dwelling aged 80 years and older with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) remains uncertain. This is a single-group clinical trial with a pre-and post-intervention design to evaluate the feasibility of WBV training...
Moxibustion is widely used in mainland China but rarely used in Hong Kong. This study was conducted among traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners in Hong Kong to collect and explore their experiences and views on the barriers to and possibilities of using moxibustion in Hong Kong. This qualitative study was conducted via semi-structured individual interviews. Purposive...
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder frequently associated with ageing. It is characterised by the loss of neurons in the hippocampus and cortex, leading to declines in cognitive function and memory. Recent research has spotlighted Aged Garlic Extract (AGE) and its bioactive component, S-allyl-cysteine (SAC), as promising candidates for the...
Balneotherapy, the therapeutic use of mineral and thermal waters, is an ancient practice with global significance. In Bhutan, the use of hot springs is deeply ingrained in culture and traditions as balneotherapy practices, enriched by extensive ethnopharmacological knowledge. Therefore, this study aims to document the socio-cultural and ethnopharmacological importance of...
Animal excrement although may be considered as a waste product, has since ancient days found use in the management of several physical disorders and sometimes for spiritual or mystical purposes. This study assessed the extent of use and the attitude towards animal excrement in traditional medicine among the Ghanaian public. Data was collected from 399 persons in the Tamale...
Chamomile essential oil (CEO) can be beneficial in cancer therapy. The aim of the current research is to explore the underlying mechanism of CEO for breast cancer treatment by network pharmacology approach and evaluate its anti-breast cancer capacity in vitro. We extracted CEO from chamomile flowers and analyzed its chemical components by using GC-MS/MS. Network pharmacology...
Despite progress in expanding formal healthcare services, large segments of the population in Cameroon—particularly women in rural and peri-urban communities—continue to rely on traditional medicine for their primary health needs. This research explores the intersection between gender, indigenous healing practices, and health economics, framed within the global movement to...
Zingiber officinale Roscoe (ginger) has been traditionally used not only as a culinary ingredient, but also for its medicinal properties. In Japan, ginger-derived crude drugs are categorized into dried ginger (Zingiberis Rhizoma [ZR]) or steamed ginger (Zingiberis Rhizoma processum [ZR-P]). Heating ginger converts gingerol, the primary component of ZR, into shogaol. In this study...
Hospitalisation is a potentially distressing experience for children and their families, often accompanied by emotional, psychological, and physical discomfort. Humanised care through complementary and integrative health practices (CIHP), such as music-based interventions (MBIs), has demonstrated beneficial effects in specific paediatric populations. However, evidence in general...
Peri-operative pain management guidelines recommend multimodal strategies, but education on non-pharmacological pain care (NPPC) is lacking. The present study explored patients’ experiences participating in the Healing After Surgery (HAS) initiative as part of a pragmatic clinical trial, designed to provide patients with peri-operative education and support for using NPPC. We...
The first 1001 days of life are a critical time in children’s development and can be challenging for parents and caregivers. Some families in the United Kingdom (UK) are not getting the support they need. Research indicates that musical care – the role of music in supporting any aspect of people’s developmental or health needs – can support families during, what we term, the...
Curcumin is a polyphenolic compound from Curcuma longa that exhibits immunoregulatory and anti-cancer properties. It is formulated as nano-curcumin. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) also show anticancer effects and can potentially activate resting immune cells. This study investigates the combined effects of nano-curcumin and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) on...
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a group of female upper genital tract infectious diseases. The efficacy of combining Chinese patent medicine with antibiotics in treating this condition is well-established. Our objective is to conduct a Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) to compare the efficacy and security of different oral Chinese patent medicines combined with...
Herbal medicinal products are becoming increasingly available worldwide. Most countries lack stringent guidelines for the regulation of herbal medicinal products. This study aimed to assess the availability and affordability of herbal products for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), as well as their compositions and health claims, in a developing country. A cross-sectional survey...
Hybrid effectiveness-implementation designs evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of interventions. We retrospectively evaluated the implementation of a stepped-wedge cluster randomized controlled trial of a facilitated telemedicine model (experimental) integrated into opioid treatment programs (OTPs) compared to offsite referral (control) for hepatitis C virus (HCV...
Migraine is a ubiquitous condition affecting more than 1 billion people worldwide. Prophylactic first-line treatments are hindered by unsatisfactory tolerability, and the accessibility of second-line treatment is hampered by cost or regulatory provisions. Auricular acupuncture and auriculotherapy appear to be effective as prophylactic treatments for migraines but are based only...