New Development in Traditional Chinese Medicine: Symbolism-Digit Therapy as a Special Naturopathic Treatment.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) grew out of traditional Chinese culture. For example, the eight-diagram symbol is composed of the Yang and the Yin. According to oriental philosophy, everything in the universe has a two-sided property, namely an image (or symbol) and a number (or digit). This paper introduces the new concept and historical background of symbolism-digit therapy (SDT), which is a natural therapy for the treatment of various kinds of diseases. SDT is of TCM heritage, which can be traced back to the ancient publications such as Yi Jing, and this heritage has been incorporated into modern development and practices. The successful treatments using SDT presented in this paper use formulas and/or prescriptions in accordance with TCM. All materials presented in this paper come from first-hand clinical observations, which are supported by TCM theories. Effects of SDT treatments are straightforward and worthy of broader and deeper investigation. SDT and other relevant therapies motivate the further exploration of the essence of TCM to improve the understanding of TCM principles.

[Task Force - «Naturheilkunde und Komplementärmedizin in medizinischen Leitlinien¼].

Im Rahmen der aktuellen Wissenschaftskultur stellt das Bestreben, die evidenzbasierte Naturheilkunde in die Leitlinien zu integrieren, eine besondere Herausforderung dar. In Deutschland werden medizinische Leitlinien primär von den wissenschaftlichen medizinischen Fachgesellschaften und deren Dachgesellschaft, der Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften e.V. (AWMF), entwickelt und verbreitet. Bisher wird das große klinische Potential von Naturheilkunde und Komplementärmedizin an vielen Stellen nur unzureichend berücksichtigt. Mit der Aufnahme der Gesellschaft für Phytotherapie (GPT) in die AWMF wurde im Jahr 2013 ein neues Kapitel in der Leitlinienarbeit der von der Rut- und Klaus-Bahlsen-Stiftung geförderten Arbeitsgruppe «Naturheilkunde und Komplementärmedizin in medizinischen Leitlinien¼ aufgeschlagen. Die Bestrebung, Naturheilkunde und Komplementärmedizin fester in der konventionellen medizinischen Versorgung in Deutschland zu etablieren, bekommt damit weiter Auftrieb. Durch die Förderung der Rut- und Klaus-Bahlsen-Stiftung wurden die Mitarbeit oder Unterstützung bei bisher mehr als 20 nationalen und internationalen Leitlinien, die Erstellung von 8 Cochrane-Reviews, 4 davon federführend, und von 40 systematischen Reviews und Meta-Analysen in internationalen Peer-Review-Zeitschriften möglich. Erst durch die konsequente Ausweitung und Vollendung der begonnenen Arbeit wird eine Rückentwicklung (und Rückabwicklung) im Feld der Leitlinienarbeit unmöglich gemacht und damit die Anerkennung von Naturheilkunde und Komplementärmedizin im Fächerkanon weiter gestärkt.

Características alimentarias asociadas a sintomatología biliar y el manejo sugerido de la misma en pobladores de dla comunidad de Ucureña, en el segundo semestre de 2009 / Food characteristics associated with biliary symptoms and suggested handling the same in people living Ucureña community, in the second half of 2009

Las características alimentarias de los pobladores pueden favorecer la formación de los cálculos biliares y éstos condicionar a sintomatología biliar importante, especialmente si el consumo es alto en grasas. Como objetivo de investigación se planteó, el conocer la sintomatología biliar en la población de Ucureña, así como identificar las características alimentarias y el tratamiento natural aplicado. Bajo una metodología cuantitativa, transversal, descriptiva y exploratoria, aplicada mediante entrevista y recordatorio de dieta de 24 horas en la población de Ucureña, se evidenció que la sintomatología biliar más frecuente es el dolor y cólico biliar acompañado de náuseas y vómitos, el 8% de la población entrevistada fue diagnosticada por un médico, pero, no cumple con el tratamiento. La alimentación de la población estudiada está basada en un alto consumo de hidratos de carbono, el 62% de la población sobrepasa el 55% de calorías a partir de hidratos de carbono recomendado. El aporte calórico diario a partir de las grasas es bajo menos del 30% casi en el total de la población; pero, la alimentación por raciones muestra un consumo de carne de cerdo del 88% de la población con una frecuencia de una a tres veces por semana.El tratamiento natural más recomendado por los pobladores es el mate de rompe piedra, manzanilla y paico.

[Does there exist one specific "view of man" in naturopathy / complementary medicine?]. / Gibt es ein bestimmtes Menschenbild in der Naturheilkunde / Komplementärmedizin?

BACKGROUND: Practitioners and users of naturopathic therapies claim that one of the assumptions underlying their work is a holistic "view of man". OBJECTIVE: Does there exist one specific view of man in present naturopathy and what does this mean? MATERIAL AND METHODS: Database and literature research of use and meaning of the term "view of man" and descriptive analysis. RESULTS: The term "view of man" is neither timeless nor related to a specific subject area. Its meaning is connected with the state of knowledge of the respective epoch as well as its reception in science and society. The discourse concerning the term "view of man" in the 2nd half of the 20th century in German literature shows, that in different fields the argumentation about one specific view of man shifts towards a pluralistic understanding of man. This pluralistic view about man exists in medicine as well. On the one hand conventional medicine, a long time under influence of the reductionism of natural science, has widened its worldview due to methods and questions of different disciplines such as psychosomatics, psychotherapy or social medicine towards a more complex perception of man. On the other hand Traditional European Naturopathy (TEN) too, claims to respect aspects of the "body-mind-soul-unity" in its understanding of man; yet, in connection with its hardly ever explained "natural forces". Besides the findings in literature clinical experience with our patients reveals some aspects that are characteristic of today's pluralistic naturopathic understanding of man and could also be useful for conventional medicine: recognition of patients' expectations (e.g. subjective view of illness), participation in the therapy planning (e.g. construction of how to get healthy) and naturopathic modes of therapy (e.g. start of therapy at healthy parts of the body, too). CONCLUSIONS: Despite some characteristics in naturopathy one finds variations of views or images of man, which originate from multiple subjective and socio-cultural perspectives of patients and therapists and which require, next to medical knowledge, on both sides openness and communication regarding aspects of health, illness and therapeutic settings.

Terapias naturales / Natural therapies

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New Canadian natural health product regulations: a qualitative study of how CAM practitioners perceive they will be impacted.

BACKGROUND: New Canadian policy to regulate natural health products (NHPs), such as herbs and vitamins were implemented on January 1st, 2004. We explored complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners' perceptions of how the new regulations may affect their practices and relationships with patients/consumers. METHODS: This was an applied ethnographic study. Data were collected in fall 2004 via qualitative interviews with 37 Canadian leaders of four CAM groups that use natural products as a core part of their practises: naturopathic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), homeopathic medicine and Western herbalism. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded independently by a minimum of two investigators using content analysis. RESULTS: Three key findings emerged from the data: 1) all CAM leaders were concerned with issues of their own access to NHPs; 2) all the CAM leaders, except for the homeopathic leaders, specifically indicated a desire to have a restricted schedule of NHPs; and 3) only naturopathic leaders were concerned the NHP regulations could potentially endanger patients if they self-medicate incorrectly. CONCLUSION: Naturopaths, TCM practitioners, homeopaths, and Western herbalists were all concerned about how the new NHP regulations will affect their access to the products they need to practice effectively. Additional research will need to focus on what impacts actually occur as the regulations are implemented more fully.

New medicines from nature's armamentarium.

Nature frequently unleashes a barrage of new and frightening diseases against humans--such as HIV, severe acquired respiratory syndrome, Ebola virus and avian flu recently--in addition to the seemingly ever-present scourges such as malaria and tuberculosis. Fortunately, nature also provides the wherewithal to help conquer the diseases that it sets loose. All that is needed is the human ingenuity to discover, develop and apply the solutions in an optimal fashion. Participants at the 9th Max Tishler Memorial Symposium (Tokyo, July 2005) were told about several new advances in the search for new anti-infective drugs derived from natural sources and were able to learn how one of the most effective drugs ever, ivermectin, made its way through what was, at the time, uncharted territory and how precedents were set at nearly every stage to form a model for all subsequent public-private partnerships.

Requirement of scientific documentation for the development of Naturopathy.

Past few decades have witnessed explosion of knowledge in almost every field. This has resulted not only in the advancement of the subjects in particular but also have influenced the growth of various allied subjects. The present paper explains about the advancement of science through efforts made in specific areas and also through discoveries in different allied fields having an indirect influence upon the subject in proper. In Naturopathy this seems that though nothing particular is added to the basic thoughts or fundamental principles of the subject yet the entire treatment understanding is revolutionised under the influence of scientific discoveries of past few decades. Advent of information technology has further added to the boom of knowledge and many times this seems impossible to utilize these informations for the good of human being because these are not logically arranged in our minds. In the above background, the author tries to define documentation stating that we have today ocean of information and knowledge about various things- living or dead, plants, animals or human beings; the geographical conditions or changing weather and environment. What required to be done is to extract the relevant knowledge and information required to enrich the subject. The author compares documentation with churning of milk to extract butter. Documentation, in fact, is churning of ocean of information to extract the specific, most appropriate, relevant and defined information and knowledge related to the particular subject . The paper besides discussing the definition of documentation, highlights the areas of Naturopathy requiring an urgent necessity to make proper documentations. Paper also discusses the present status of Naturopathy in India, proposes short-term and long-term goals to be achieved and plans the strategies for achieving them. The most important aspect of the paper is due understanding of the limitations of Naturopathy but a constant effort to improve the same with the growth made in various discipline of science so far.

[Naturopathy in rehabilitation--a logical option in the German health system]. / Naturheilkunde in der Rehabilitation--eine sinnvolle Option im deutschen Gesundheitswesen.

The present restructuring of the German health system is a reaction to the changing demands resulting from demographic and financial developments. In this context, an increase in patients autonomy is urgently needed which is only possible in cooperation with this group. The rehabilitative sector of the health system with its biopsychosocial model of diseases offers still heavily overlooked solutions, in particular because of its extensive use of complementary medicine, which has a high degree of acceptance among patients and the general population.