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Spinal Cord Injury: Progress, Promise, and Priorities (2005)

Chapter: Appendix F Examples of Alternative Therapies

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix F Examples of Alternative Therapies." Institute of Medicine. 2005. Spinal Cord Injury: Progress, Promise, and Priorities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11253.
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F
EXAMPLES OF ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES

The following alternative therapies have been used in attempts to treat spinal cord injuries. Most of these interventions have not been examined in peer-reviewed randomized clinical trials. Therefore, their safety and efficacy are not known.

Acupuncture

Insertion of fine needles into specific sites of the skin.

Aromatherapy and essential oils therapy

Use of plant essential oils applied through either the nose or the skin.

Ayurvedic medicine

A form of therapy that emphasizes diet and nutrition, exercise, and rest and relaxation, among other treatments, to maintain basic energy.

Blueberry extracts

An extract that contains substances similar to cranberries that may fight urinary tract infections.

Cannabis

Hemp-derived substance with psychoactive properties.

Chiropractic healing

System of therapy that uses manipulation of the muscles and body structures.

Chronologically controlled developmental therapy

System of therapy with a number of traditional physical therapies that includes pressure stimulation and light-touch massage, among other techniques.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix F Examples of Alternative Therapies." Institute of Medicine. 2005. Spinal Cord Injury: Progress, Promise, and Priorities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11253.
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Cranberry extract

An extract that contains antibacterial substances, such as proanthocyanidins, that inhibit the bacterium Escherichia coli from attaching to the bladder and causing urinary tract infection.

Craniosacral therapy

Light-touch massage and acupuncture.

Creatine supplement

Dietary supplement of creatine, an amino acid involved in cellular energy production in skeletal muscle.

Dolphin-assisted therapy

Interaction of dolphins and humans that includes sonar echolocation.

Flower-essence therapy

The use of a mixture of flower petals that do not contain biologically active molecules.

Homeopathy

The use of natural substances found in plants, minerals, or animals. Homeopathy is based on the premise that low doses can stimulate the body’s defense mechanisms.

Laserpuncture

A therapy that combines elements of acupuncture and laser therapy by using a laser beam of infrared light for acupuncture needles on the patient’s torso.

Magnetic therapy

Therapy that involves the use of magnets.

D-Mannose

Simple sugar used as a supplement to prevent urinary tract infection.

Massage

Manipulation of soft tissues to increase circulation and to stimulate relaxation.

Mimosa pudica

A plant native of tropical America.

Omental therapy

Surgical lengthening and placement of the omentum, a vascular, fatty membranous tissue that surrounds the lower abdomen, over the site of injury.

Peripheral nerve rerouting

Surgical rerouting of peripheral nerves from above the site of injury and connecting them to peripheral nerves below the site of injury.

Qigong

Physical and mental training in gentle movements, breathing, and meditative practices.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix F Examples of Alternative Therapies." Institute of Medicine. 2005. Spinal Cord Injury: Progress, Promise, and Priorities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11253.
×

Shark embryo cell transplantation

Surgical procedure involving decompression surgery, removal of bone fragments, drainage of cysts, and injection of blue shark embryo cells and growth factors, followed by physical therapy.

St. John’s wort

Herbal medicine that may treat mild cases of depression.

 

SOURCES: Johnston, L. 2002. Alternative & Innovative Therapies for Physical Disability. [Online]. Available: http://healingtherapies.info/ [accessed August 5, 2004]; Spinal Cord Injury Information Network. 1998. Alternative Therapies. [Online]. Available: http://www.spinalcord.uab.edu/show.asp?durki=21745 [accessed November 10, 2004]; Northwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury System. 2002. Complementary and Alternative Medicine. [Online]. Available: http://www.depts.washington.edu/rehab/sci/comp_alt_med.html [accessed February 25, 2005].

Suggested Citation:"Appendix F Examples of Alternative Therapies." Institute of Medicine. 2005. Spinal Cord Injury: Progress, Promise, and Priorities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11253.
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Page 275
Suggested Citation:"Appendix F Examples of Alternative Therapies." Institute of Medicine. 2005. Spinal Cord Injury: Progress, Promise, and Priorities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11253.
×
Page 276
Suggested Citation:"Appendix F Examples of Alternative Therapies." Institute of Medicine. 2005. Spinal Cord Injury: Progress, Promise, and Priorities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11253.
×
Page 277
Next: Appendix G Spinal Cord Injury Clinical Trials Published from 1998 to 2003 »
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An estimated 11,000 spinal cord injuries occur each year in the United States and more than 200,000 Americans suffer from maladies associated with spinal cord injury. This includes paralysis, bowel and bladder dysfunction, sexual dysfunction, respiratory impairment, temperature regulation problems, and chronic pain. During the last two decades, longstanding beliefs about the inability of the adult central nervous system to heal itself have been eroded by the flood of new information from research in the neurosciences and related fields. However, there are still no cures and the challenge of restoring function in the wake of spinal cord injuries remains extremely complex.

Spinal Cord Injury examines the future directions for research with the goal to accelerate the development of cures for spinal cord injuries. While many of the recommendations are framed within the context of the specific needs articulated by the New York Spinal Cord Injury Research Board, the Institute of Medicine’s panel of experts looked very broadly at research priorities relating to future directions for the field in general and make recommendations to strengthen and coordinate the existing infrastructure. Funders at federal and state agencies, academic organizations, pharmaceutical and device companies, and non-profit organizations will all find this book to be an essential resource as they examine their opportunities.

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