Use of complementary and alternative medicine in persons with spinal cord injury in Switzerland: a survey study.

STUDY DESIGN: Questionnaire-based survey study. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the use of and the satisfaction with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) techniques in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). SETTING: Rehabilitation Center, Switzerland. METHODS: Between May and September 2014, all patients with chronic (>1 year) SCI attending the urologic outpatient clinic were asked to fill in a questionnaire regarding the use of CAM. RESULTS: Of the 103 participants (66 men and 37 women), 73.8% stated that they have used some form of CAM since SCI, with acupuncture and homeopathy being the two techniques that were used most frequently (31% each). The most common indications for CAM use were pain and urinary tract infections (UTIs). CAM was used supplementarily rather than exclusively. Overall satisfaction (85.1%) as well as satisfaction rates for the different indications (pain: 85%; UTI: 90.5%) and for the most frequently used forms of CAM (homeopathy: 90.6%; acupuncture: 78.1%) were high. CONCLUSION: According to our data, there is a demand for adjunctive CAM procedures for the treatment of medical complications by persons with SCI. CAM led to high satisfaction levels. On the basis of these results, future research should systematically evaluate the therapeutic potential of the most popular CAM techniques, for example, acupuncture and homeopathy, for the treatment of secondary medical complications of SCI.

Organ-preserving treatment of an epididymal abscess in a patient with spinal cord injury.

STUDY DESIGN: Case report. OBJECTIVES: To describe a case of successful organ-preserving treatment of an epididymal abscess in a tetraplegic patient. SETTING: Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Centre in Switzerland. METHODS: We present the clinical course of a patient with an epididymal abscess caused by multiresistant bacteria. As the patient declined surgical intervention, a conservative approach was induced with intravenous antibiotic treatment. As the clinical findings did not ameliorate, adjunctive homeopathic treatment was used. RESULTS: Under combined treatment, laboratory parameters returned to normal, and the epididymal abscess was rapidly shrinking. After 1 week, merely a subcutaneous liquid structure was detected. Fine-needle aspiration revealed sterile purulent liquid, which was confirmed by microbiological testing when the subcutaneous abscess was drained. Postoperative course was uneventful. CONCLUSIONS: As the risk for recurrent epididymitis is high in persons with spinal cord injury, an organ-preserving approach is justified even in severe cases. Homeopathic treatment was a valuable adjunctive treatment in the above-mentioned case. Therefore, prospective studies are needed to further elucidate the future opportunities and limitations of classical homeopathy in the treatment of urinary tract infections.

Usefulness of classical homeopathy for the prophylaxis of recurrent urinary tract infections in individuals with chronic neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction.

Context/Objective: to investigate the usefulness of classical homeopathy for the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections (UTI) in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). Design: prospective study. Setting: rehabilitation center in Switzerland. Participants: patients with chronic SCI and ≥3 UTI/year. Interventions: Participants were treated either with a standardized prophylaxis alone or in combination with homeopathy. Outcome measures: The number of UTI, general and specific quality of life (QoL), and satisfaction with homeopathic treatment were assessed prospectively for one year. Results: Ten patients were in the control group; 25 patients received adjunctive homeopathic treatment. The median number of self-reported UTI in the homeopathy group decreased significantly, whereas it remained unchanged in the control group. The domain incontinence impact of the KHQ improved significantly (P = 0.035), whereas the general QoL did not change. The satisfaction with homeopathic care was high. Conclusions: Adjunctive homeopathic treatment lead to a significant decrease of UTI in SCI patients. Therefore, classical homeopathy could be considered in SCI patients with recurrent UTI. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov. (NCT01477502).

[Homeopathic prophylaxis of urinary tract infections in patients with neurogenic bladder dysfunction]. / Homöopathische Prophylaxe von Harnweginfekten bei Patienten mit neurogener Blasenfunktionsstörung.

Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTI) in patients with spinal cord injury are a frequent clinical problem. Often, preventive measures are not successful. We present the case reports of five patients with recurrent UTI who received additional homeopathic treatment. Of these patients, three remained free of UTI, whereas UTI frequency was reduced in two patients. Our initial experience with homeopathic prevention of UTI is encouraging. For an evidence-based evaluation of this concept, prospective studies are required.