Alternative und integrative Medizin

Although wet cupping is quite a popular procedure that is practised worldwide, there is not enough evidence that it may cause anaemia as a side effect. In this observational retrospective pre–post study, we looked through the previously recorded data of patients who received wet cupping at King Abdulaziz University Hospital. We included in the study all those who had their complete blood count done before and immediately after the procedure (n=364). Then, we recorded their blood haemoglobin, red blood cell count, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin and haematocrit before wet cupping, immediately after it, within 3 months after it, then, finally, from 3 months to 6 months after it. Three comparisons took place for each blood test by comparing the pre-reading with each one of the three post-readings. There was no statistically significant difference in any of the pre–post comparisons of those blood tests. However, after excluding those who were not anaemic and keeping only the anaemic patients, the comparison showed statistically significant improvement, but not clinically significant, when comparing the red blood cell count and the haematocrit before and immediately after wet cupping — p value was 0.000 for both. The mean difference for red blood cell count was –0.80 million cells/μL (–0.12 to –0.39) while the haematocrit mean difference was –0.64% (–0.96 to –0.33). In conclusion, anaemia was not found as a side effect of wet cupping. 

Background: Randomized controlled trials have repeatedly demonstrated that treatment with a five-month qigong massage protocol significantly reduces the severity of autism. The treatment protocol is known as Qigong Sensory Training (QST) autism massage and is given daily by parents and weekly by therapists for five months. Treatment reduces the tactile abnormalities that are universal in young children with autism and results in improved social skills, language and behavior. At five months, tactile abnormalities are reduced by 1/2, autistic behavior is reduced by 1/3, autism severity is reduced by 16%, and 6% of children have moved off the spectrum. What has not yet been done is to measure outcomes with longer-term treatment. This observational study investigates outcomes with up to 24 months of treatment.
Methods: 75 children entered this observational study upon completion of five months of treatment with the QST protocol. They received daily parent treatment and monthly therapist treatment for the balance of the first year, and daily parent treatment without therapist support for the second year. Sequential evaluations were conducted at baseline (n=75), five months (n=75), 12 months (n=67) and 24 months (n=31).
Results: Continued treatment resulted in continued improvement. At 12 and 24 months, mean tactile responses normalized by 57% and 72%, with 24% and 32% falling into the normal range; mean autism severity decreased by 27% and 44%, with 12% and 26% of children moving out of autistic range.
Conclusions: Results demonstrated that longer-term treatment resulted in resolution of tactile impairment and continued improvement of social skills, language and behavior. The rate of coming off the spectrum (1 in 4 children by year-2) was far higher than the natural history of ASD would predict. Results support earlier recommendations to treat tactile abnormalities at the time of autism diagnosis in order to improve autism outcomes.  

Introduction: COPD and asthma contribute to high morbidity and mortality along with a significant social and economic burden. Patients often turn to Nutraceuticals as adjunct therapy for disease management. Jeeva® is a novel plant based therapeutic option that integrates several nutraceuticals known to have immune-modulatory, antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties. We sought to determine the magnitude of benefits of this novel integrative approach in patients having COPD ± asthma. Methods: A retrospective evaluation of patient records was performed for all COPD and/or asthma patients who had consented to initiate Jeeva®. Demographic data, past medical history, and spirometry data (FEV1, FVC, FEV1/ FVC, FEV1% predicted, FVC% predicted, FEV1/FVC% predicted) were collected. The primary endpoint was the maximum change in FEV1 and FVC pre-bronchodilator from baseline. A paired students’ t-test was utilized to compare the maximum change post- Jeeva® from baseline. Intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis was performed using the last-observation carried forward methodology. Results: A total of 24 patients were included for analyses. The average duration of Jeeva® consumption was 10.4 ± 5.5 months. There was a statistically significant change in FEV1 and FVC from baseline [1.72 ± 0.56 L to 1.98 ± 0.71 L; (p < 0.001) and 1.88 ± 0.72 L to 2.03 ± 0.70 L (p = 0.004) respectively]. All other endpoints also improved significantly from baseline. Conclusion: Jeeva® improved pre-bronchodilator FEV1 and FVC by 264 mL and 314 ml from baseline. This is the first study suggesting significant improvements in objectively measured PFT markers after consumption of the plant-based nutraceutical Jeeva®. Further studies looking at Jeeva® in prospective, controlled settings are warranted.