ABSTRACT
Objective: We investigated the effects of 5 days of spa therapy on the glycation reaction and oxidative balance defense system. Subjects: The subjects were divided into a glucose spikes group (S group: 5 cases) and non-glucose spike group (non-S group: 6 cases), and a comparative study was conducted. Method: The subjects stayed at the Inubosaki Onsen “Superb View Inubosaki Hotel” for 5 days and took spa baths twice a day for 20 min (balneotherapy). Before and after the baths, the degree of glycation was measured. Erythrocyte deformation by dark field microscope was classified into stages between 0 and 5, and the state of deformation and the levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) were measured. In addition, the oxidative stress (reactive oxygen metabolites, d-ROM), antioxidant power (biological antioxidant potential, BAP), and latent antioxidant capacity (BAP/d-ROM ratio) were also measured. Result: The red blood cell images before balneotherapy were worse in the S group, but there was no significant difference in the AGE values. There was also no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the oxidative balance defense system. A comparison before and after balneotherapy showed that the red blood cell images significantly improved from 3 (3-3) (median (IQR)) to 2 (1-2)°in the S group. Oxidative stress also significantly improved in group S from 342 (334-362) to 314 (303-345) CARR U. In the non-S group, the AGE value improved significantly from 0.52 (0.48-0.59) to 0.5 (0.43-053) a.u. There were no significant differences in the other items. Discussion: Changes in red blood cell images are considered to reflect changes in the early reactions of glycation, and AGEs may be evaluated as representing whole early and late reactions of glycation. In the S group, the early reaction improved, and in the non-S group, the entire glycative reaction was effective. Although the each mechanism of blood glucose to different, balneotherapy was shown to be effective in improving glycation.
ABSTRACT
Objective: We investigated the effects of 5 days of spa therapy on the glycation reaction and oxidative balance defense system. Subjects: The subjects were divided into a glucose spikes group (S group: 5 cases) and non-glucose spike group (non-S group: 6 cases), and a comparative study was conducted. Method: The subjects stayed at the Inubosaki Onsen “Superb View Inubosaki Hotel” for 5 days and took spa baths twice a day for 20 min (balneotherapy). Before and after the baths, the degree of glycation was measured. Erythrocyte deformation by dark field microscope was classified into stages between 0 and 5, and the state of deformation and the levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) were measured. In addition, the oxidative stress (reactive oxygen metabolites, d-ROM), antioxidant power (biological antioxidant potential, BAP), and latent antioxidant capacity (BAP/d-ROM ratio) were also measured. Result: The red blood cell images before balneotherapy were worse in the S group, but there was no significant difference in the AGE values. There was also no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the oxidative balance defense system. A comparison before and after balneotherapy showed that the red blood cell images significantly improved from 3 (3-3) (median (IQR)) to 2 (1-2)° in the S group. Oxidative stress also significantly improved in group S from 342 (334-362) to 314 (303-345) CARR U. In the non-S group, the AGE value improved significantly from 0.52 (0.48-0.59) to 0.5 (0.43-053) a.u. There were no significant differences in the other items. Discussion: Changes in red blood cell images are considered to reflect changes in the early reactions of glycation, and AGEs may be evaluated as representing whole early and late reactions of glycation. In the S group, the early reaction improved, and in the non-S group, the entire glycative reaction was effective. Although the each mechanism of blood glucose to different, balneotherapy was shown to be effective in improving glycation.
ABSTRACT
<b>Background: </b>The pathogeneses of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) are related with the living way of a patient, that holds biopsychosocial-existential problems. Especially existential problems are more essential; such patients are sometimes in existential vacuum. It is impossible to care the patients by onlharmacotherapy; that needs psychotherapy and physical therapy. Logotherapy and existential analysis (LTEA) was established by Prof. Viktor Frankl to save such patients, that is one of the experimental psychotherapy. Balneotherapy (BT) is popular all around the world to cure stressful patients.<BR><b>Objective: </b>We have developed Balneo-logotherapy (BLT) for patients with FMS by adding LTEA to the BT, which mainly consists of treatment carried out by taking bathes at a hot spring, a non-ordinary place. We also determined the prognosis one year after the therapy.<BR><b>Method of BLT: </b>After enough motivation and the informed consent, a patient begins BLT program. The mean duration of the therapy was 4.5±1.2 weeks. During the period from the start of the BLT until the time the patient was relieved of Yuatari phenomenon (thermal crisis, bath reaction, YP), the patient was directed to do nothing. Therapist should pay attention to help the patient to overcome YP. After this period, the patient was given free time to do things such as taking a walk. Throughout the period of BLT, patients should write in the simple diary every day and record what they became aware concerning the body and the mind. <BR><b>Subjects and methods: </b>Subjects were 65 patients with FMS (42.0 yrs±11.5, Male: Female = 24:41). Based on pathogenesis, FMS patients were classified into two groups: psychosomatic (PSD) Type (n=30) and PTSD Type (n=35). PSD type was mainly caused by loss of bodily sense (alexithymia) and hyper-adaptation. PTSD Type was mainly caused by trauma such as ill-treatment and war experience. The relationship between having YP or not and the prognosis was also determined.<BR><b>Results: </b>Overall recurrence rate was 30.8%. Recurrence rates for each type were: 23.3% for PSD Type FMS, and 37.1% for PTSD Type. Incidence of YP occurrence was: 80.0% for all cases, 86.7% for PSD Type and 74.3% for PTSD Type. The more severe YP, the better the prognosis (p<0.05). One year after the therapy, cases without recurrence accounted for 69.2% of all the cases. In PSD Type, recurrence was not seen in 73.3%. In PTSD Type, recurrence was not seen in 65.7%. Recurrence rate was lower for the group of patients with development of YP. <BR><b>Discussion: </b>Therapeutic self is most important; to create interpersonal communication to tune in the patient to get aware of intrapersonal communication (according to biopsychosocial-existential model) of the patient. Patient’s psychological movements were; Dependency ⇒ Awareness ⇒ Autonomy ⇒ Reset of the mind (through YP and ASC) ⇒ Intervention by the therapist to make change in behavior through the awareness of his own meaning of life. In this process, occurrence of YP is meaningful. A hot spa is a very suitable place to perform psychotherapy like logotherapy.
ABSTRACT
Background: The pathogeneses of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) are related with the living way of a patient, that holds biopsychosocial-existential problems. Especially existential problems are more essential; such patients are sometimes in existential vacuum. It is impossible to care the patients by onlharmacotherapy; that needs psychotherapy and physical therapy. Logotherapy and existential analysis (LTEA) was established by Prof. Viktor Frankl to save such patients, that is one of the experimental psychotherapy. Balneotherapy (BT) is popular all around the world to cure stressful patients. Objective: We have developed Balneo-logotherapy (BLT) for patients with FMS by adding LTEA to the BT, which mainly consists of treatment carried out by taking bathes at a hot spring, a non-ordinary place. We also determined the prognosis one year after the therapy. Method of BLT: After enough motivation and the informed consent, a patient begins BLT program. The mean duration of the therapy was 4.5±1.2 weeks. During the period from the start of the BLT until the time the patient was relieved of Yuatari phenomenon (thermal crisis, bath reaction, YP), the patient was directed to do nothing. Therapist should pay attention to help the patient to overcome YP. After this period, the patient was given free time to do things such as taking a walk. Throughout the period of BLT, patients should write in the simple diary every day and record what they became aware concerning the body and the mind. Subjects and methods: Subjects were 65 patients with FMS (42.0 yrs±11.5, Male: Female = 24:41). Based on pathogenesis, FMS patients were classified into two groups: psychosomatic (PSD) Type (n=30) and PTSD Type (n=35). PSD type was mainly caused by loss of bodily sense (alexithymia) and hyper-adaptation. PTSD Type was mainly caused by trauma such as ill-treatment and war experience. The relationship between having YP or not and the prognosis was also determined. Results: Overall recurrence rate was 30.8%. Recurrence rates for each type were: 23.3% for PSD Type FMS, and 37.1% for PTSD Type. Incidence of YP occurrence was: 80.0% for all cases, 86.7% for PSD Type and 74.3% for PTSD Type. The more severe YP, the better the prognosis (p<0.05). One year after the therapy, cases without recurrence accounted for 69.2% of all the cases. In PSD Type, recurrence was not seen in 73.3%. In PTSD Type, recurrence was not seen in 65.7%. Recurrence rate was lower for the group of patients with development of YP. Discussion: Therapeutic self is most important; to create interpersonal communication to tune in the patient to get aware of intrapersonal communication (according to biopsychosocial-existential model) of the patient. Patient’s psychological movements were; Dependency ⇒ Awareness ⇒ Autonomy ⇒ Reset of the mind (through YP and ASC) ⇒ Intervention by the therapist to make change in behavior through the awareness of his own meaning of life. In this process, occurrence of YP is meaningful. A hot spa is a very suitable place to perform psychotherapy like logotherapy.
ABSTRACT
Objective<br>Seventeen patients with FMS were treated with balneo-Morita therapy, which combines the balneotherapy with Morita therapy. After one year of treatment, patients with favorable outcome were compared with those with poor outcome.<br>Subjects and methods<br>The mean treatment period was 4.3 weeks. The outcome after one year of treatment was assessed. Patients who were able to return to work without a relapse of FMS were classified into the responsive group (13 cases, 74.6% in all), and those who showed a relapse or were not able to return to work were classified into the unresponsive group (4 cases, 23.5%). The cases of these two groups were compared in terms of biological (physical), psychological, social and existential status induvidually.<br>Results<br>There was no significant difference in sex or age distribution between the two groups. In terms of disease entity, FMS can be classified into psychosomatic type (hyperadaptation type) and neurotic type (possible presence of psychosocial-existential problems which are difficult to resolve such as great trauma, or the conditions ranging from neurosis to psychosis). Cases of neurotic type were prevailing in the unresponsive group. Patients were assessed to find out in which of the particular features of biological, psychological, social and existential aspects the notable problems proper to each patient lie.<br>The number of patients having psychological problems was higher in the unresponsive group, with a significant difference. In one case of the unresponsive group, the condition changed into ME/CFS (myalgic encephalopathy/chronic fatigue syndrome).<br>Discussion<br>In the treatment of these patients, the somatic approaches or physical therapy such as pharmacological therapy or simple balneotherapy, should be given more importance for cases of the psychosomatic type. However, psychological therapy should be added to this treatment for cases of neurotic type. The efficacy of the balneo-Morita therapy was compared between the groups as classified by the type of the disease. The therapy was effective in 91.6% of the cases of psychosomatic type, while the efficacy rate was 40.0% for cases of neurotic type. During the period of the balneo-Morita therapy, a tendency of dependency on therapists may appear in patients. Although involution may be allowed transiently for the purpose of introducing catharsis, autonomy should be enhanced eventually. <i>Yuatari</i> (balneo-phenomenon, or balneo-intoxication) is a phenomenon, that develops in psychosomatic confusion resulting from sudden release from tension after the start of balneotherapy. This phenomenon is regarded as catharsis, from which patients are encouraged to establish a new self. Through this therapeutic experience, the therapists lead the patients from involution to autonomy without being so instructed, finally to cause a change in the way of living. In cases of psychosomatic type, this conversion was relatively easily achieved, but in cases of neurotic type such conversion was difficult. It is considered that difficulty in such conversion is attributable to psychological factors of patients (strength of self, severity of trauma, presence or absence of meaning, autonomy).
ABSTRACT
In recent years, we have been told that the western medicine has developed the techniques of treatments on cancer, but the truth is that very few practical accomplishments has been made, while death rate from cancer has been steadily increasing. Although acupuncture has been thought to be ineffective in the treatments of cancer, nowadays we find some reports concerning its effectiveness in palliative cares, improvements of quality of life (QOL) and cancer regressions. Thus, this symposium was planned to investigate this theme. There were reports from appointed speakers on the acupuncturists' feelings of swung back and forth between joy and despair when treating patients with cancer, the experiences in treating her parents who died of lung cancer, and the patients who failed or rejected to be treated in western medicine but successfully treated using acupuncture eventually.<BR>A panelist who practices acupuncture treatments in a hospital reported the effectiveness and indications on combined application of acupuncture and standard treatments for the patients in the terminal stage of cancer. He also reported that no correlation had been found between effective rates and duration (frequency) of treatments neither between stages (duration) of disorders and efficacy. Furthermore, if the environment of acupuncture treatment is well organized, he mentioned that acupuncture can produce a good deal of effect even in patients with terminal stage. He also reported that acupuncture will be able to influence on the physiology in autonomic nervous system, leading to the hyperactivity of parasympathetic nerve.<BR>A panelist who practices his acupuncture treatments based on the theory of Professor Abo reported the effectiveness of acupuncture in improving QOL and in prolonging one's life. He showed an actual situation of the patient with scirrhous carcinoma who had prolonged his life for a long period using acupuncture treatment. He also demonstrated that radiotherapy, one of the three major medical treatments for cancer, will deprive the resistance of the patients.<BR>A panelist who advocates salutogenesis demonstrated the possibility of the direct effectiveness of acupuncture treatment on cancer because acupuncture has significant effects in alleviating pains and enhancing the power of restoring human energy in patients with cancer. He mentioned the limitation of the treatments using “a theory of pathogenesis (modern medicine)” and the importance of the treatments using “a theory of salutogenesis (traditional medicine)”, and emphasized the necessity of acupuncture treatments as well as supplemental agents, and the importance of psychological approaches toward the mind of patients.<BR>In this symposium, the efficacy of acupuncture treatments as palliative cares was indicated. Although there are few convincing evidences, the efficacy of acupuncture treatments as one of treatment methods for cancer may be demonstrated. Further integrative researches on the efficacy of acupuncture in patients with cancer are needed.
ABSTRACT
Balint Method is developed by Balint, M. born in Hungary and opened his clinic in London as a gneral practitioner. He developed his way of medical interview by “listening” to the patient.<BR>He tried to understand a patient bio-psychosocially. He began his group-work (so called Balint group) in order to educate general practitioners so that they could understand their patients as whole persons. Further more, his group work makes it possible to understand doctor-patient relationship, and doctor's attitude objectively.<BR>Now, this group work is performed all around the world to educate docter's attitude before and after the graduation of medical schools.