Category Archives: Integrative Medicine

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The Top Leading players working in the market to Covered in this Report:AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine, Five Branches University, American College of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine, Bastyr University, Emperors College School of Traditional Oriental Medicine, European School of Acupuncture, American College of .

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Division by item type:Acupuncture, Chinese Herbology, Others

Division by Application:Hospital, Clinic, Others

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North America (the U.S. furthermore, Canada, and the remainder of North America)

Europe (Germany, France, Italy, and Rest of Europe)

Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, and Rest of Asia-Pacific)

LAMEA (Brazil, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Rest of LAMEA)

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Traditional Chinese Medicine Lessons Market is to Witness Significant Growth between 2021-2027|| Future Plans and Industry Growth with High CAGR by...

Former Emmerdale actress Leah Bracknell's widower has found love again two years after the star tragically passed away.

Leah, who played Zoe Tate in the ITV soap for 16 years, was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in 2016.

She later passed away in September 2019, aged 55, following a three year battle with the illness, The Mirror reports.

READ MORE: Emmerdale star Samantha Giles quits Twitter after trolls hurl vitriolic abuse at her

The star also had television roles in Judge John Deed, A Touch of Frost, The Royal Today and DCI Banks, as well as performing on stage and in pantomime.

Leah and long term partner, Jez Hughes, were together for thirteen years before tiring the knot in March 2017, shortly after her diagnosis.

The pair opted to get married after the learnt that Leah's cancer was incurable.

To get the latest email updates from LeedsLive, click here.

It has been reported that the soap star's widower has been dating Precious Dunlop for over two months.

A source told The Sun: "Jez's friends are delighted for him and have wished them both well. It's been such a heartbreaking time losing Leah, but he is back in a happy place and is enjoying life once more."

"My husband is like my rock," she previously said of Jez. "He is by my side a lot of the time. He has been a great sounding board.

"I think we support each other as well. My family do OK. Im not positive all the time, but I am optimistic."

Leah was diagnosed in 2016.

In August 2017, it was announced her targeted biological therapy had stopped working and that she had been surviving solely on expensive alternative treatments for several months.

Her quest to undergo alternative treatments of immunotherapy and integrative medicine in Germany led many to donate to Leahs treatment.

READ MORE: Ex-Emmerdale star Catherine Tyldesley used 50,000 of taxpayers' furlough money to help her business

Within a few days, kind-hearted benefactors had donated 50,000.

The Emmerdale actress stayed positive about the situation, and in 2019 she confirmed she was on an immunotherapy clinical trial which kept her cancer stable.

However, she died in September that year and her husband paid tribute to her : "My darling wife, best friend and soul mate flies free in spirit.

"I have been the luckiest man in the world to spend time walking, dancing, laughing, praying, dreaming, singing, drumming, talking, travelling, crying, planning, hoping, loving, going wild, exploring, rebelling, forgiving, celebrating, playing, sharing secrets at dawn, opening hearts, minds and soul- alongside a woman of such depth, power, humour, humility, honour, intelligence and love- it is impossible to do justice to with the transient, flimsy power of words."

"Ali (Leah's real name) is the bravest person I've ever met and she faced the last three years of cancer with dignity, grace and light.

"She shone bright in this world with fire in her heart and water in her soul. The great mystery of existence always visible through her beautiful eyes.

"She inspired and changed the lives of so many, loved ones and strangers alike.

"Every day I learn of more people who she helped which brings the warmth of pride and gratitude to have known her into my heart.

"She taught me more than I'm able to comprehend and we shared more than I dreamt was possible in this life. More than either of us thought was possible."

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Former Emmerdale star Leah Bracknell's widower finds love again two years after her tragic death - Leeds Live

Buyer bewarepet products containing cannabidiol (CBD) are freely available and sold as supplements, but research shows labels arent always accurate and those products often get mixed with reputably-sourced brands.

Like clockwork, in early July, The U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine tweeted its yearly warning to pet owners about unregulated CBD products, ahead of the seasonal spike of CBD sales due to firework-induced dog anxiety. Distrust of the FDA abounds, but the organization may have a solid point when it comes to the sketchier side of CBD products marketed for pets.

Brett Hartmann gives his dogs Cayley, a six-year-old-Labrador Retriever drops of a cannabis based ... [+] medicinal tincture to treat hip pain and anxiety, June 8, 2017 at his home in Los Angeles, California. It's early morning, just after breakfast, and six-year-old Cayley is wide awake, eagerly anticipating her daily dose of cannabis. The black labrador, tail wagging, laps up the liquid tincture owner Brett Hartmann squirts into her mouth, a remedy he uses morning and evening to help alleviate Cayley's anxiety. As the multi-billion dollar medical and recreational marijuana industry for humans blossoms in the United States, so is a new customer base -- animals. / AFP PHOTO / Robyn Beck (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)

Recent findings from Leafreport found that 56% of pet CBD products that were sampled were mislabeled with inaccurate claims. Leafreport collected a sampling of 55 pet CBD products, and found over half had inaccurate labeling, most often, incorrect levels of CBD. Out of 55 pet products that were independently tested at Las Vegas-based Canalysis Laboratories, 31 contained the wrong amounts of CBD, and many also contained no THC despite being labeled as full-spectrum CBD.

Beyond pet products, the teams continued research also found an alarming amount of mislabeled delta-8-THC products (often converted from CBD-rich biomass or isolate in a lab) and on July 13, the team published findings detailing wildly different pricing standards between CBD products, meaning some companies scoop up newbieshook, line, and sinker.

One pet product was particularly deceptivecontaining only about 1.5% of the CBD the label claimed it contained, meaning that your pet might not even be getting amounts of the healing compound significant enough to do anything.

Instead, go with a brand that provides certificates of analysis and that is sold in a reputable store, such as a state-regulated dispensary or a CBD store that vets its vendors to ensure their products are safe.

What if we regulated pet CBD products better, consistently providing analytical data, or at the very leastallow veterinarians to properly guide pet owners?

Leafreportoriginally founded in 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israelis an online resource on CBD with discussions from medical doctors, clinical consultants, chemists, nutritional and natural health experts from around the world.

Dr. Zora DeGrandpre practices naturopathic medicine and is a medical and scientific writer and editor, specializing in naturopathic, functional, botanical, and integrative medicine. DeGrandpre writes online courses for medical students around the world including courses for continuing medical education and on the use of medical marijuana and CBD.

DeGrandpre explained that the same product caution that anyone uses for themselves should ideally be applied to their petsadding that consumers need to look into the companys history and reputation.

While different animals may respond differently to CBD, contaminants such as microbial products, heavy metals, toxins, and pesticides are often more toxic to pets than to humans, DeGrandpre says in an email. In addition, dogs appear to be particularly sensitive to THCso you should only use zero-THC products with dogs, and to be safer, with any animals. Also, there isnt a lot of research around CBD and animalsmany vets (for many reasons including legal and professional ones) urge caution when using CBD with your pet.

The effects of CBD on a 200-pound person is not going to work the same way on a 10-pound toy dog, which is why titration is a bit more imperative when dealing with pets, even though they are fully equipped with an endocannabinoid system. Source CBD, for instance, provides a dosing calculator for humans and pets, and relies an anecdotal reports from people who claim a variety of beneficial effects on both mammals and reptiles.

Luna, a pug with acne and seizures, takes her daily dose of CBD oil.

Finally, you should always use the same principle with pets that we recommend for humans! DeGrandpre adds. Start low and go slow, always monitoring the effects on your pet carefully. You want to ensure your pets health, after all! We also recommend checking with your vet to ensure that CBD products will not interfere with any medication that your pet may be on already.

The global pet CBD market is projected to witness considerable growth over the coming years of the forecast period 2018-2028, according to data compiled by San Francisco-based TMR Research. In Europe, researchers came to nearly the same conclusion: Data released on July 12 from Dublin, Ireland-based Research and Markets reported similar findings. The global CBD pet products market to rise with a CAGR of 41.3% during the forecast period (2021-2026). Research and Markets analysts attributed the rise in part to the 2018 Farm Bill, which set things off in the United States.

Some states in the U.S. are starting to allow specific provisions for veterinarians and medical cannabis, such as Nevadas forward-thinking Assembly Bill 101, allowing recommendations, sponsored by Assemblymember Steve Yeager. Then theres Californias Assembly Bill No. 2215, approved in 2018, which basically only allows veterinarians to discuss medical cannabis treatment without fears of repercussions. Californias Assembly Bill 384 would take it a step further, allowing them to give recommendations. Oregon and Washington State Veterinary Medical Associationspostedtheir owncautionary fact sheetsfor medical cannabis advice online. New Yorks Assembly Bill A5172 would offer similar provisions.

Eloise Theisen is a board certified Adult Geriatric Nurse Practitioner who specializes in cannabis therapy. For over 20 years, Theisen has worked primarily with cancer, dementia, and chronic pain patientsfocusing her efforts on cannabinoid therapies for the past five years. Theisen is the president of the American Cannabis Nurses Association.CBD products for pets and humans are still not regulated and testing is not required, Theisen says. It is important to look for companies that do independent 3rd party testing to ensure that the product label. matches the certificate of analysis. Some products may have THC levels that are above the legal limit and that could be unhealthy for pets. Additionally, some companies may have more or less CBD than listed on a label and you may not be giving your pet exactly what you expected.

Furthermore, some companies can be misleading about ingredients such as hempseed oil, which contains antioxidants and fatty acids, butno CBD.

I recommend only buying from a company that provides an independent 3rd party certificate of analysis, Theisen adds. It is important to know exactly what you are giving your pet. A comprehensive certificate of analysis from a reputable 3rd party testing lab will ensure that the product is free of contaminants and that the potency is accurate. If the company cannot provide a certificate of analysis, look for another company that does. There are enough companies out there providing transparency with their products.

In general, its on the consumer to vet the safety and ingredients in pet CBD productsfor the health of their pets, if for no other reason.

Read the original post:
Pet CBD Products Need Better Regulation, Researchers Say - Forbes

On the surface, healthy eating seems like an easy enough task. After all, the most nutritious foods come straight from the earth; pure and unprocessed. But fresh whole foods are not always accessible to everyone. With obstacles like food deserts, expensive organics, and high-priced meats, eating healthy on a budget seems nearly impossible.

According to Amrit Devgun, naturopathic doctor and applied ayurvedic practitioner at Northwestern Health Sciences University, healthy eating falls on a spectrum. Like exercising, eating well can start with small steps. For example, introducing conventional produce into your diet is better than not eating fruits and vegetables at all. "If you can't afford fresh organic produce, shop for pesticide-free fruits and vegetables in the freezer aisle," she says. "If expensive meats aren't doable, substitute with tofu or other alternatives, like beans or lentils."

When trying to save on your grocery bill, start by filling your pantry with shelf-stable items like beans, rice, and lentils. Dried foods, devoid of water, cost less because they are cheaper for manufacturers to store and ship. Packed with essential vitamins and minerals, these kitchen staples last months in your cupboard and yield substantial portions.

Shopping for nutritious food on limited funds requires a bit of strategy. Pay close attention to grocery store sales so you can stock up on discounted staples. Big box stores like Target and Costco offer easy-to-use digital coupons for their growing stock of organic and health food products. These large retailers usually provide private label options that eliminate marketing costs associated with household name brands. For the same reason, buying in bulk saves moneyand without packaging costs, bulk foods are discounted even further.

Weekly meal planning is another cost-saving measure that will pay off in spades. Spending just 30minutes preparing for the week ahead helps you spend less money and waste less food. Instead of throwing away leftover sauteed veggies, add them to your eggs the following morning. Grill chicken for dinner and save some to pair with leafy greens for lunch. And, consider which fruits and vegetables are in season. Food grown closer to home is less expensive. Importing grapes from Chile or peppers from Peru in the winter will increase the price dramatically.

The World Health Organization's (WHO) International Agency for Research of Cancer (IARC) lists five commonly used industrial pesticides as probably and possibly carcinogenic. Glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup, is the most widely used agricultural pesticide in the U.S. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), "250 million pounds of glyphosate are sprayed on American crops" each year. These toxic pesticides are so prevalent that researchers have even found residue of pesticides in breast milk.

"If you buy conventional produce, use a vegetable wash or drop of soap and water to remove pesticides on the surface.For harder foods, like potatoes, you can clean the skin with a food brush. Removing the skin works too, but you lose some important nutrients in the process. It's a balancing act." Amrit Devgun, Northwestern Health Sciences University

Reducing your exposure to harmful pesticides is as essential as ever. While it may seem overwhelming, community organizations like EWG can help you make informed decisions that protect your health and the health of your family. EWG publishes an annual "Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce." Named the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen, these lists make shopping for safer, conventional (non-organic) fruits and veggies simple.

Once home, you can further decontaminate your food."If you buy conventional produce, use a vegetable wash or drop of soap and water to remove pesticides on the surface," says Devgun. "For harder foods, like potatoes, you can clean the skin with a food brush. Removing the skin works too, but you lose some important nutrients in the process. It's a balancing act."

When deciding whether to invest in organics, Devgun suggests a shift in perspective. "With our exposure to the high amounts of pesticides in some of the foods we eat, many of us develop serious health issues. We end up spending significant amounts of money on health care," she says. "If you can, why not invest in the prevention of disease instead?"

A rule of thumb when shopping for healthy foods is shopping the perimeter. This strategy keeps you away from the temptations in the snack aisle and focuses your shopping trip on rainbow eating. Full of phytonutrients, colorful fruits and vegetables protect us from illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Each color has disease-fighting superpowers, so eating the whole rainbow is ideal.

A Rainbow of Health-Boosting Phytonutrients

*Pro Tip: Growing your fruits and vegetables is one of the cheapest ways to get variety in your diet. With minimal care, a backyard garden is plentiful in the summer months. For apartment dwellers, a windowsill is a perfect place to grow fresh herbs. When neither works, you can share the cost with neighbors and build (or find) a community garden. At the end of the growing season, you can freeze or can your bounty for winter cooking.

As Michael Pollan famously writes in his book, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Devgun couldn't agree more. "Plant-based diets bring the best results for overall longevity and quality of life," she says. "Eating a plant-based diet is cheaper and helps us prevent chronic disease."

When prescribing a healthy diet to clients, Devgun often suggests cutting down on meat. "By reducing meat consumption, you naturally decrease your toxic burden." Plant-based eating optimizes your health by reducing inflammation, boosting your immune system and decreasing your cancer risk. It also helps you maintain a healthy weight.

Located in Bloomington,Northwestern Health Sciences Universityis a pioneer in integrative natural health care education, offering degree programs in chiropractic, acupuncture, Chinese medicine, massage therapy, medical assisting, medical laboratory programs, post-bac/pre-health, radiation therapy, and B.S. completion. ItsBloomington Clinicis open to the public andprovides chiropractic treatment,acupuncture, Chinese medicine, massage therapy, naturopathic medicine, and cupping.

See more content fromNorthwestern Health Sciences University.

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Is Healthy Eating Too Expensive? You Can't Afford Not to Try. - Mpls.St.Paul Magazine

Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences researchers are finding mental health screenings to be an important component for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and their caregivers.

CF is a genetic, progressive disease that causes persistent lung infections and impacts the most basic physical processes. While recent breakthroughs have significantly extended the lifespan of patients with CF, the disease presents patients and their caregivers with significant, lifelong daily challenges.

Disease Takes Mental Toll on Patients, Caregivers

The primary purpose of CF clinics is to treat the physical disease, but providers are well aware of the mental toll it takes on patients and caregivers.

It can be challenging for people with CF and their families to sustain daily therapies and to live with a life-limiting disease, saysDanielle M. Goetz, MD, clinical associate professor of pediatrics and director of the Cystic Fibrosis Center of Western New Yorkat UBMD Pediatrics and Oishei Childrens Hospital.Our team began to feel that mental health screening was an important part of care to look at.

The Jacobs School/Oishei team effort was led by Goetz and Carla A. Frederick, MD, associate professor of medicine, with guidance from Drucy S. Borowitz, MD, clinical professor emeritus of pediatrics, and Beth A. Smith, MD, professor of psychiatry and pediatrics.

Depression Linked With Worse Health Outcomes

In 2013, the Buffalo researchers began systematically using efficient tools for screening for anxiety and depression in patients and their caregivers, both of whom exhibit higher rates of these conditions than the general population.

The researchers also developed an algorithm to determine which type of treatment would be necessary.

The screening process has been shared with other centers and was piloted at a larger CF center at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago.

These tools and the research it is based on are described in apaperpublished in May in the British Medical Journal Open Quality.

CF is a disease that affects the whole body, including the ability to breathe and digest food, explains Goetz, who is also a pediatric pulmonologist with UBMD Pediatrics. The burden of taking two-to-three hours per day to clear the airways of mucus and taking multiple medicines can be so difficult and cause feelings of isolation.

The disease also can cause diabetes and liver problems.

It is a lot to think about and address, says Goetz, adding that previous studies have shown that depression in CF patients is linked with worse health outcomes, including decreased lung function, lower body mass index and increased exacerbations and hospitalizations.

Restrictions Can Lead to Feelings of Isolation

Due to the grave risk of passing infections to each other, people with CF are also not supposed to gather, as depicted in the book and adapted Hollywood film Five Feet Apart, which tells the story of a romance between two teens with CF.

In reality, CF patients are advised to stay six feet apart from each other (even before the COVID-19 pandemic), a restriction that by itself can lead to feelings of isolation and depression.

At the same time, since most CF patients are diagnosed as young children, parents or caregivers of CF patients are intimately involved with their care.

Parenting is hard, and parenting a child who has multiple medical and perhaps social needs is challenging, Goetz says.It makes sense that depression and anxiety are more common in these parents and caregivers. Watching and helping their child go through multiple stressors is painful.

We support the parents and caregivers, oftentimes talking to them about how they are dealing with their child or loved ones illness and how we can help them to seek help when needed.

Questionnaires Used With Clinical Assessments

In 2013, the center began to assess all of its 180 pediatric and adult CF patients for depression. The center is now screening between 95 and 99 percent of patients and caregivers.

The first step was a simple screening questionnaire (the Patient Health Questionnaire-2, or PHQ-2), which asks about the degree to which the individual has experienced either depression or anhedonia (lack of pleasure in activities the patient used to find pleasurable).

A positive response to either question triggers a more detailed questionnaire (the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 or PHQ-9) or Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) questionnaire, which the center now uses as the initial screening tools.

With these questionnaires, along with clinical assessments, the center assesses patients as having mild, moderate, moderately severe or severe depression or anxiety.

Patients are then referred to mental health specialists or treated at the CF center by its own mental health coordinator. They receive follow-up assessments to determine effectiveness of treatment.

Suicide Ideation Included in Screening Process

The researchers reported a higher prevalence of both depression and anxiety in the CF center than has been reported in the literature.

They also found that 5 to 10 percent of patients and caregivers had thought about committing suicide. The researchers had made the decision to include suicidal ideation in the screening process, and all clinic staff were trained to assess for this.

We looked at it this way, Goetz says. If we choose not to screen for suicidal ideation, it just means we may be missing it, not that suicidal ideation is not occurring.It is a challenging thing to screen for, though, if you dont know what to do with a positive screen.

So, it is important for the whole team to understand how to do the screening and how to make an emergency plan with patients, she adds. Anyone on the team can learn, especially nurses and providers, but really anyone, in case there isnt a social worker or psychologist on the team.

The centers emergency plans are tailored to each patient and may involve development of a suicide risk management plan, namely, a safety net for the patient, or urgent or emergent referral to a mental health professional.

Goetz explains that the stepped process, beginning with the short questionnaire, allows for quick screening for all people with CF and their caregivers.

A provider can then hone in on what needs to be done for each patient, with a focus on those who need more interventions, she says.

It has been so meaningful to have a social worker and psychologist in our clinic who can help support the providers in providing the best mental health care or referrals for care, Goetz adds. I cant say enough good things about this integrative approach and the importance of mental health and its impact on physical health.

Essential Role in Quality Improvement Efforts

CF Care Center teams also include nutritionists, respiratory therapists, nurse coordinators and research coordinators, all of whom play essential roles in quality improvement efforts.

The toolkit and related resources have now been disseminated on an international listserv for CF mental health and medical providers.

The CF Center of WNY at UB and Oishei Childrens Hospital, a Cystic Fibrosis Foundation-accredited center that treats patients from eight counties, has been involved in the CFFoundations Quality Improvement Network.

Goetz notes that the mental health screening project demonstrates a key premise of the quality improvement effort.

We know now that people with CF should be involved with our projects from their inception, Goetz says. That is an excellent aim for all teams looking to improve clinical care: The people who know best how to improve the process for disease assessment and management are likely the people living with the disease.

Other Co-Authors Are From Jacobs School

Along with Goetz, Frederick, Borowitz and Smith, other Jacobs School co-authors are:

Adrienne Savant, MD, of the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago, is also a co-author.

The research was funded by Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics, part of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Read more:
Mental Health Screening Tools for CF Patients, Caregivers - ubmd.com

By Dr. Krishna Reddy Nallamalla

One of the core purposes of medicine is to relieve suffering. Medicine has been evolving over millennia to serve this purpose across the world. Some of the oldest systems of medicine continue to thrive across the world. While traditional systems evolved through experiential wisdom, faith and belief, modern systems evolved through reason, analysis, and experimental evidence. Patient health seeking behavior is influenced by the prevailing culture, beliefs, prior experience, peer reference, ease of access, and the cost says Dr Krishna Reddy Nallamalla , President, InOrder & Country Director, ACCESS Health International.

Advances in modern medicine have significantly improved health status of populations. Despite these advances, people continue to suffer from unrelieved chronic pains, unexplained physical symptoms, and growing burden of life long non-communicable diseases and mental illnesses. Costs of modern healthcare have been growing faster than economic growth across the world accounting for impoverishment and inequity.

There is a growing emphasis on improving social determinants of health, healthy living, and prevention of illness. Similar shift is happening towards a holistic approach to health and disease. Traditional systems of medicine are being increasingly subjected to experimental evidence to understand their safety and effectiveness so as to integrate these systems with modern systems of medicine. This evolution underlies the concept of Integrative Medicine, wherein the best of both systems of medicine are used as per patients choice and response.

Every system of medicine, whether traditional or modern, has to be safe and effective in promoting health, preventing disease, treating an illness, and in providing relief from chronic incurable diseases. Both the systems should also demonstrate that they are cost-effective. Scientific analysis of traditional drugs, formulations, and methods may yield newer drugs and therapies. Lack of evidence in traditional therapies is not equivalent to lack of efficacy.

India is home to Ayurveda, one of the oldest systems of medicine. There are formal education systems for traditional systems and are grouped as AYUSH (Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy). A separate ministry oversees AYUSH systems of medicine. There are nearly 800,000 professionals qualified in AYUSH systems of medicine. While the majority practice their respective system of medicine, some of them choose to enter careers in public health, health management, and health informatics. Some even practice in allopathic settings as physician assistants. AYUSH professionals are also deployed as part of primary healthcare centers.

Increasingly AYUSH professionals are using the same diagnostic tools being used by allopathy professionals to diagnose underlying conditions and monitor the efficacy of their treatments. Conversely, allopathic professionals refer cases to AYUSH systems of medicine for some of the chronic ailments for which allopathic drugs are considered not effective or safe. Patients suffering from chronic pain, allergy, bowel disorders, mental disorders tend to seek alternate medicines. A sizeable number of patients with diabetes and high blood pressure prefer treatment from traditional systems.

Some of the leading medical institutes in the West are starting departments for Integrative Medicine with the adoption of some of the well-known traditional systems of medicine as part of providing holistic care to identified patients. Advanced research is being undertaken to validate the safety and efficacy of these practices and also to understand the possible mechanism behind their efficacy. Yoga and meditation are the most widely studied traditional systems of wellness.

Traditional systems of medicine are an integral part of Indias health system. They have evolved over millennia and survived to meet healthcare needs of people. They continue to be the only source of healthcare in some of the underserved areas. There is a growing acceptance of some parts of these systems globally with increasing scientific validation of their safety and efficacy. A well-designed research study comparing yoga-based cardiac rehabilitation was comparable to the modern cardiac rehabilitation methods. Unlike the modern system that requires elaborate infrastructure and manpower, yoga is simple to administer, amenable for home practice and is highly cost-effective.

More broad and rational integration of traditional systems of medicine into modern medical systems may aid in strengthening Indias health systems.

The author is President,InOrderCountry Director, ACCESS Health International.

Link:
Integrative MedicineLeveraging Traditional Systems of Medicine - Sakshi English

We encourage healthcare practitioners from a broad range of professions into our program as we know that we can improve healthcare through collaboration and sharing perspectives amongst all providers, said Mimi Guarneri, MD, FACC, ABOIM, Founding AIHM President.

SAN DIEGO (PRWEB) June 17, 2021

The Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM) Interprofessional Fellowship in Integrative Health & Medicine, a 1000-hour hybrid program for clinicians who aim to become leaders in integrative health and medicine, has expanded its program and is accepting applications for October 2021. Rooted in evidence-based research, the Fellowship was launched in 2016 and blends online learning with clinical immersion experience. Scholarships are available on a limited first come first serve basis in these areas as well as others: licensed providers working with the underserved; allied healthcare professionals; and licensed providers from and/or working with BIPOC communities.

We encourage healthcare practitioners from a broad range of professions into our program as we know that we can improve healthcare through collaboration and sharing perspectives amongst all providers, said Mimi Guarneri, MD, FACC, ABOIM, Founding AIHM President.

We provide highly effective tools that can be integrated in their own practice to ultimately have a ripple effect of health and wellness through communities and cities, she added.

Fellows are licensed clinicians or licensed healthcare providers most of whom have their MD or DO or a masters degree. Participants typically become Fellows for continuing education and a meaningful connection to a deeper mission, often helping to address provider burnout and a desire to broaden their sense of purpose.

Nearly 200 graduates of the Fellowship apply their integrative approach to health and medicine in their work nationwide as doctors, nurses, acupuncturists, chiropractors and naturopaths among other professions. The online learning platform provides flexibility to take courses when convenient for the applicant, such as between seeing patients or in the evenings. Immersive experiences include virtual observation and interaction with leaders in Integrative Medicine practicing in a variety of clinical settings. This years online format allows for even more flexibility for working adult learners and a reduced environmental impact.

The curriculum includes a focus on integrative disease management, clinical immersion and self study, nutrition, botanicals and supplements, environmental and global health and more with courses building on the learning foundation in a progressive manner. Three retreats focus on the community and connection and reinforces the curriculum through experiential sessions in the beginning, middle and end of the program. One clinical immersion experience offers virtual input from expert faculty on actual patient case studies to help address patient needs.

More affordable than similar Fellowship programs in Integrative Health and Medicine, AIHMs Fellowship tuition is approximately $26,000. They offer equitable pricing through scholarships, institutional support, and match programs. Approximately fifty percent of Fellows are eligible for scholarships, with over $1 million awarded to date. Scholarships are based on financial need, work embedded within underserved communities, the cost of living in the state where the applicant lives as well as other factors.

The AIHM Fellowship in Integrative Health & Medicine was unanimously approved by the American Board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM) committee in 2015. This means that MDs and DOs who successfully complete the Fellowship have satisfied ABOIM Eligibility Requirement 7(1) and are eligible to sit for the ABOIM exam. In March 2021, the AIHM Fellowship was also re-recognized by the Academic Consortium for Integrative Health & Medicine.

The Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM) is a global interprofessional integrative health association working to transform health care - body, mind, spirit, community and planet. AIHM has been the leading professional organization for the holistic and integrative community since its formation in 1978. With the recent merger with the Academic Collaborative of Integrative Health (ACIH), the organization has combined forces with the most important pioneers of the integrative health movement for maximum impact. Together, they are creating health and wellness on a global scale through education, collaboration, and building a global movement.

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AIHM Fellowship in Integrative Health and Medicine Accepting Healthcare Practitioner Applicants and Awarding Scholarships for Oct 2021 Session - PR...

Weve all experienced that moment when sound lifts us up; when that song you love comes on the radio just when you felt down and needed to hear it, or the sound of crashing ocean waves helps you fall asleep, or the Om you focus on during a meditation session brings you closer to a state of inner peace.

Music has been a medium of therapy for centuries, and there are numerous examples of the curative or healing powers of music in the historical records of different cultures, notes a 2010 article in the journal European Psychiatry.

Note that some people use the terms sound healing and music therapy interchangeably; they actually describe two different, but related disciplines. Both use instruments and the voice in order to produce a positive benefit, but sound healing is based on the frequency of sound, whereas music therapy relies on the structure and rhythm of music to bring about change. (Music therapy requires specific training and certification.)

For the purposes of this article, we will focus on the type of sound healing that can be done as part of a massage therapy session.

The human voice is often used in sound healing, as are several types of instruments: singing bowls, pan flutes, tuning forks, rattles, harps and drums. Practitioners believe that the sound and vibration each creates can resonate with specific parts of the body, dispelling negative energy and creating a positive effect.

The body of research in this area is relatively small, but anecdotal evidence is plentiful. One observational study, the results of which were published in 2016 in the Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine, tested meditation with singing bowls.

Following the sound meditation participants reported significantly less tension, anger, fatigue, and depressed mood, the studys authors wrote.

Susan Cossette, a massage therapist and National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork-approved education provider in Appleton, Wisconsin, built her knowledge of sound healing mainly via self-study.

One of the things that really touched my passion was reading Mitchell Gaynors Sound Of Healing book, because he had really studied how patients with cancer were incorporating crystal bowls into their recovery, she said. Gaynor, who died in 2015, was an oncologist and author who was a proponent of using complementary and alternative methods to supplement traditional medicine.

Based on her studies, Cossette created a workshop, Sounds of Healing, and says about 75% of her attendees are licensed massage therapists, nurses, chiropractors and others already in health care fields.

Tonia Lach, also an NCBTMB-approved education provider and massage therapist who practices in Sonoma, California, has studied acupressure and traditional Chinese medicine. She got into sound healing after receiving a crystal bowl as a gift, and experimenting with a chime on her own body. After seeking additional training, she developed a continuing education course in adding sound healing to massage sessions.

Like massage therapy sessions, sessions with sound therapy vary from therapist to therapist, and can be customized to each clients individual needs.

Cossettes sound healing sessions follow a progression. She usually begins with Tibetan tingshas, also called healing bells or cymbals; they produce low-frequency sounds that, like meditation, are intended to calm and focus the brain. She then will use other instruments, such as crystal bowls and tuning forks, to help the body release energy that is contributing to dis-ease or disharmony in the body.

As that energy is released, we dont want it lingering to settle back into the body, Cossette said. The tingshas bring it back to neutral so whatever theyve released doesnt settle back into their energy field and their physical body.

Cossette noted that there are many ways to incorporate sound into a massage session; she says she often plays a crystal bowl toward the end of a session, to clear the energy released during the session and send the client back out into the world with calm and positivity.

Lach has created her own signature offering called The Body Journey Massage Experience; it typically lasts 90 minutes to two hours, even to two and a half hours, giving her plenty of time to incorporate sound healing and hands-on bodywork.

Typically, I will begin the session with crystal bowls or rattles or chimes, Lach said. After the sound, then well work whatever modality is necessary physically, whether its deep tissue, acupressure, Swedish, lymphatic, reflexology, whichever is called for.

Lach described one session in which her client had just had eye surgery. After soothing her upper back, neck and shoulders with my chosen modalities, I decided to offer sound to the eye area to assist in releasing fear and promote healing, she said. With a light cover over her eyes, I got about three or four inches away and toned what sounded like a whispering bird tone over her eye for around three to four minutes.

After the session, she expressed how it felt like there was more space around her eyeball and that she felt more hopeful about the healing of her eye, Lach said.

The practitioner also benefits from sound healing; for one thing, its easier on the hands and body than providing massage therapy, and is not draining the way massage therapy can sometimes be for the therapist.

Also, When I tone in a session then I feel like it vibrates my body as well as the clients, so Im going to have sound healing as well just from the act of toning, Lach said.

Research on the subject of sound healing varies in quality and is relatively young, but studies do show that some sounds and frequencies seem to have a positive effect on the human body. The exact mechanism of action is still largely a mystery, but anecdotal evidence for the healing power of sound is plentiful.

In this article, well look at some recent research on sound as a healing modality, focusing on one major benefit it offers healthy adultsdrug-free relief from stress and anxiety. (Note: Sound healing, or sound therapy, is distinct from music therapy, which has to do with the structure and rhythm of music rather than sound frequencies, and requires its own training and certification. This article addresses the kind of sound healing that can be done in the massage session room, or practiced as self-care.)

At its most basic, sound is vibrationinvisible, physical waves that move through the air and are interpreted by the brain via the ear. The loudness of sound is measured in decibels (dB), while the frequency, or size of the waves, is measured in a unit called a hertz (Hz); the higher the number of hertzes, the higher-pitched the sound.

The human ear can detect a range of anywhere from 20 to 20,000 Hz, the average adult hearing range being about 2,000-5,000 Hz. Its finding the right frequencies, sound healing expert Jonathan Goldman told MASSAGE Magazine, that can have a positive effect on the human brain and body.

There are two basic ways that sound can affect us, said Goldman, the founder of the Sound Healers Association and co-author of The Humming Effect: Sound Healing for Health and Happiness (Healing Arts Press, 2017). Ones called psycho-acoustics, and thats where sound goes into our ears, into our brain and affects our nervous system, our heart rate, our respiration, our brainwaves, [our] blood pressure, he explained. The other is called vibro-acoustics, and that is where sound goes into the body, affecting you on a cellular level.

Sound healing, he noted, may work via the concept of entrainment, a physics term for the fact that two vibrating objects in proximity will come into resonance with one another, the lower frequency moving up to meet the higher frequency. If cells in the body are not vibrating at their natural, healthy frequency, sounds that match that frequency can help restore them to proper balance, he explained, thereby bringing about physiological change.

One of the most promising applications of sound healing, suggests recent research, is in the area of stress relief.

A 2019 study looked at the effects of a 30-minute sound meditation using the didgeridoo, an Australian wind instrument that produces a low, droning tone. The research, published in the journal Global Advances in Health and Medicine, divided 74 college undergraduate students into two groups, one of which experienced the didgeridoo meditation and one that underwent a 30-minute silent meditation.

After the intervention, while both groups reported increased relaxation and decreases in negative arousal, tiredness and acute stress, the didgeridoo group achieved significantly more relaxation and less stress.

Didgeridoo sound meditation is as effective as silent meditation for decreasing self-perceived negative arousal, tiredness, and energy and more effective than silent meditation for relaxation and acute stress reduction in undergraduate students, the studys authors concluded. Further investigation into didgeridoo sound meditation is warranted.

Another study, published in 2017 in The Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine, studied the effects of Tibetan singing bowl sound meditation on mood, anxiety, pain and spiritual well-being in 62 men and women.

After the meditation session, participants reported significantly less tension, anger, fatigue, and depressed mood, as well as increased spiritual well-being, the studys authors wrote, concluding that Tibetan singing bowl meditation may be a feasible low-cost low technology intervention for reducing feelings of tension, anxiety, and depression, and increasing spiritual well-being.

More research into the area of sound and stress is neededand the studies mentioned here are just a few of the pieces of research that show its efficacybut existing results suggest sound healing may help reduce stress by reducing cortisol, the stress hormone, and increasing oxytocin, the bodys feel-good hormone. (Salivary cortisol and oxytocin levels were not measured as part of the above-mentioned sound healing research, but these levels have been formally studied and found to change positively in response to some music therapy interventions.)

A 2020 research review article published in the journal Integrative Medicine, concluded that sound healing, along with several other ancient healing modalities, presents considerable potential for stress reduction globally.

While much more research remains to be done to replicate and expand the results of current sound healing studies, the field is moving in a positive direction. Nasiri Suzan, managing director of the Sound Healers Association, told MASSAGE Magazine about the success she has had using tuning forks with hospital patients to help lower blood pressure and reduce swellingand musician and scientist Anthony Holland has even been studying certain frequencies ability to shatter cancer cells.

The National Institutes of Health has currently funded research into sound and music therapy, Goldman noted, so new developments may be on the horizonand in our increasingly fast-paced, living-with-COVID world, people are eager to learn about interventions for their stress and general health, especially those that are natural, inexpensive, drug-free and available outside a physicians office.

We all innately understand the power of sound; it is present from the very beginning of our lives, when in the womb we can hear the sound of our mothers voice and heartbeat. Sound has the ability to excite us, soothe us and evoke emotions and memories in usand many believe certain sound frequencies even have the capability to heal us.

Cossettes number-one piece of advice for massage therapists interested in adding sound healing to sessions is to choose their instruments carefully. She says that over the internet, its difficult to determine the quality of an instrument; she recommends buying them from an experienced practitioner so you can try them out first.

Its important, she added, to find instruments that personally resonate with you. Sometimes a bowl may sound beautiful if someone else is playing it, she said. Then you go to play it and go whoa, that doesnt resonate with me.

Lach agreed that trying instruments before you buy is critical. She suggested starting with a small chime with good resonance, and working your way into other instruments. She also recommended getting comfortable with using your voice during sound healing sessions.

The most powerful instrument that we have is our human voice.

Allison M. Payne is an independent writer, editor and proofreader based in central Florida. Her recent articles for MASSAGE Magazine include The Self-Employed MTs Guide to Getting Health Insurance (April) and Are You (and Your Data) at Risk? 10 Cybersecurity Steps You Need to Take Now.

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Enrich Your Massage Sessions with Sound Healing - Massage Magazine

When we decided last summer to create an undergraduate course about pandemics, we faced skepticism. Werent students and instructors tired of the COVID-19 pandemic? And would looking at pandemics from the perspective of numerous disciplines make it hard to address the topic with depth, or would we achieve a sense of cohesion?

As an anthropologist, a biologist and a historian, we know that infectious diseases are about a lot more than biology and medicine. Historically, epidemics and pandemics have shaped the world around us, frommask-wearing habits during plague timesto the impact ofpolio on the Toronto school system of the 1950s.

And, just like COVID-19 has affected people differently depending on where they live and work or what social supports they have, so have epidemics of the past. The tragedy of ourlong-term care system isnt newand understanding how infectious diseases mightemerge and spreadand therefore how to contain them is a complex matter involving everything from the science of contagion and human behaviour to social systems and the social determinants of health.

At the University of Guelph, we created Pandemics: Culture, Science and Society. This multidisciplinary course was offered in a virtual format and open to students as an elective in all programs and to alumni as a complete series of twelve weekly panels per semester.

We initially intended for this to be offered in fall 2020 only, but we quickly realised the value of our approach. We decided to run the course again in winter 2021, with a focus on COVID-19 research and creative projects that emerged at our university, from the sciences and the social sciences to business and the arts. Over two semesters, we engaged with 80 experts and researchers, as well as 600 undergraduates and 300 alumni.

Themes for weekly panels included knowledge and misinformation; pandemics in history and the arts; animals, environments and pandemics; and community, agency and resilience. Students and alumni learned about disease modelling, the impacts of COVID-19 on our food systems, pandemics in the ancient world and the biology of infectious diseases. Each week, panellists faculty, post-doctoral fellows and other experts gave short presentations, followed by a moderated discussion.

We convened expert panels from departments of population medicine, integrative biology, geography and computer science to economics, sociology and anthropology, fine arts and music, history and others, engaging multiple disciplines at a time.

Panellists helped students and alumni sift through and make sense of the COVID-19 infodemic. Public health and media experts, mathematicians, biologists, psychologists and philosophers were able to answer questions on the usefulness of masks, suggest ways for students to navigate stressful disagreements with roommates or relatives about COVID-19, and help the class understand how testing models and vaccines were developed. Every week added another layer to class discussions.

As course organisers, we were learners too. Through class discussions, we learned how COVID-19 was affecting all of us students, alumni and panellists as many shared some of their experiences. The course demonstrated the ways in which academic knowledge and personal experience can relate and interact with each other.

We know thatpeople experience and explain epidemicsand pandemics in ways that are shaped by existing economic, political, technological and social circumstances and tensions. As anthropologist Lisa J. Hardy explains, to understand social and political responses to the global pandemic, it is essentialthat we continue to investigate xenophobia, inequality and racism alongside the biological impact because the effects of pandemics are unequal and shaped by societal divisions. This became one of the main themes of the course.

The course allowed us to explore our shared and individual experiences in living through COVID-19. Participants heard how different the experience of the pandemic has been based on factors such as sex and gender, socio-economic status, race and ethnicity, geographic location (for instance, rural versus urban), political circumstance, mental and physical health status and many other factors.

We learned about the resilience of the Canadianfood systemfrom farm to plate, as well as the ongoing challenges such as the reliance on migrant workers and bottlenecks in distribution. We gained insights into the experiences ofgrocery store workers,persons with disabilities,pets and their peopleandmusicians.

We benefited from expert discussions about the emergence and evolution of viruses, vaccine development and deployment,wastewater testingand many other technical topics. And, we witnessed the incrediblecreativityon display during a global crisis from colleagues across campus.

We also saw the potential benefits of virtual classrooms. The course and its weekly panels in a virtual format offered a model for linking students, alumni from all over Canada and the world, and researchers in an intellectual and supportive community. We believe the meaningful connections that were created would have been harder to develop in a large auditorium.

Even as the pandemic kept us apart physically, the course created a deeply engaging virtual community; some students and alumni told us the panels became a weekly high point for them, and alumni attendance and participation made it clear how much alumni value opportunities for lifelong learning that emerge from ongoing university engagement.

If the course felt for some like a community, it was in part because we were engaged in understanding the multifaceted dimensions and impacts of phenomena we were living through in different ways. So while this pandemic will pass, this course serves as a model for addressing complex and urgent challenges such as climate change, social and racial injustice, and global food and economic security.

By Elizabeth Finnis, Associate Professor, Sociology and Anthropology, University of Guelph; Sofie Lachapelle, Professor, History, University of Guelph, and T. Ryan Gregory, Professor and Department Chair, Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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As India struggles with one of the worlds worst COVID-19 outbreaks, thousands of doctors across the nation fighting to save patients amid shortages of oxygen, medicine, and vaccines wore black armbands on June 1 to call for the arrest of India's most popular yoga televangelist. Baba Ramdev, founder of a traditional medicine empire, is peddling unproven herbal pills and yoga cures for COVID-19, while calling modern drugs stupid" and blaming the countrys hundreds of thousands of coronavirus deaths on modern medicine.

But far from being fringe, Ramdev has close ties to Indias Hindu nationalist government and has enjoyed the support of the health minister. Since the pandemic began last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modis government has been aggressively promoting Ayurvedaa traditional system of medicine with deep links to Hinduism that originated 5,000 years ago and is still widely practiced by hundreds of millions of Indians. Ayurveda uses plant-derived products, yoga, diet, and behavior changes to treat the mind and body, and is included in Indias official COVID-19 management protocol as a prevention and cure for the pandemic.

Recently, as vaccination has stalled in India due to drug shortages, the government began distributing a free, unproven formulation called AYUSH 64, an Ayurvedic pill made from four herbs that the government claims has "anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities. (The pill shares its name with the acronym for the government ministry of traditional medicine, which also means long life.) Some ruling party-linked lawmakers and religious groups have even advocated drinking cow urine and smearing oneself with cow dung to safeguard against the virus.

But as a second wave of the coronavirus has claimed the lives of 335,000 Indians as of June 2, according to theNew York Times, alternative remedies that lack scientific evidence of efficacy are under fire from modern medicine doctors and even some prominent Ayurveda practitioners.

Ayurveda was [Indias] first attempt at science," says M. Shafi Kuchay, an endocrinologist at the Medanta hospital in Gurugram, a technology hub outside the Indian capital. "But today it is inefficient, he says, especially in the absence of credible studies."

Hemant Toshikhane, one of Indias leading professors of Ayurveda, was among many who used to believe the ancient remedies could guard against the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

Starting in March last year, the Parul Institute of Ayurved & Research, which Toshikhane runs, distributed traditional herbs for fever and digestive disorders and medicated nasal drops to faculty and students to ward off the virus. There were some COVID-19 infections recorded last year in Waghodia, in the western state of Gujarat, where the institute is located, but none among anyone who received the kits, according to Toshikhane.

A year later, a devastating second wave of the pandemic has swept through India, bringing the number of deaths to some 4,000 people nearly every day from mid-April through May. Toshikhane dutifully handed out the herbal kits again, but this time, most people got sick anyway, he says, so I stopped.

Ayurveda, which translates from Sanskrit as knowledge of life, is based on the principle that the body is composed of the same five elements that make up the universeair, fire, water, earth, and etherrepresented in the human body as doshas,or problems, explains Toshikhane. If the three main doshasVata, Pitta and Kaphaare not balanced, it leads to diseases. Rebalancing these doshas is done by modifying lifestyle and diet. The three mental doshasSattva, Rajas, and Tamasare treated with yoga and meditation. Ayurveda practitioners also treat disease with herb- and mineral-based medicines and surgery.

But there have never been conclusive studies on the efficacy of these treatments for chronic or infectious diseases. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, aside from treating some pains and a few symptoms of type 2 diabetes, there is little scientific evidence on Ayurvedas value for other health issues. Many studies on Ayurvedas effectiveness are small, and few are published in peer-reviewed Western medical journals.

Even so, a large majority of Indians place faith in this ancient medical system. Nearly 80 percent used Ayurveda in 2018, up from 69 percent in 2015, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers report on the resurgence of Ayurveda in India. The report predicts the countrys Ayurveda market will grow from $2.5 billion in 2015 to $8 billion in 2022.

Indias Hindu nationalist ruling party has long touted the healing powers of yoga and Ayurveda and in 2014, soon after taking office, Prime Minister Modi upgraded a department dedicated to the study of traditional medicine to the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy, abbreviated as AYUSH. These therapies got an additional boost when the World Health Organization greenlit trials for alternative COVID-19 therapies last September. India answered the call with more than 100 different studies examining the efficacy of various traditional medicines, including everything from therapeutic yoga positions to Kadha, a type of herbal tea consumed to fight coughs and colds.

But Rajan Sharma, an orthopedic surgeon and former president of the Indian Medical Association, says the studies lack credibility because of very small sample sizes. The pilot study on AYUSH 64, for example, was led by mostly government researchers and included only 140 people. The researchers concluded the herbal pill could treat COVID-19 because another study in the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine found it effective for influenza-like respiratory illnesses. Even Ayurveda experts are now calling this into question.

A letter in the same journal noted the AYUSH 64/influenza trial studied a mix of modern and Ayurvedic medicines, making the claims of efficacy against flu-like illness scientifically untenable since it is not possible to identify the drug that actually cured or brought relief to patients.

Doctors have warned that unscientific practices, like smearing cow dung on ones body, could be dangerous, leading to other infections, such as mucormycosis, known as black fungus. (Read about a rare black fungus infecting Indias COVID-19 patients.)

In 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cautioned Americans against using Ayurvedic products, because one-fifth were contaminated with lead, mercury, or arsenic. In 2017, the FDA had issued a safety alert against specific Ayurvedic medicines linked to two cases of lead poisoning in Michigan.

Hepatologists have long warned of the harmful effects of Ayurvedic and other traditional medicines on the liver. In a 2019 study, Jawad Ahmad, a professor of medicine specializing in liver diseases at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York,warned of rising liver injury and failure from increased use of herbal supplements, especially in Asia.

Ahmad notes peopleturn to herbal remedies because there are few options, and they want to "maximize their chances of survival," he says. "Thats just human nature."

This is exactly what happened in India. As COVID-19 cases surged, along with a shortage of hospital beds, drugs, and oxygen, so have Internet searches by those desperate for herbal remedies that might help.

Sharma, the former head of the Indian Medical Association, sees hypocrisy in pushing Ayurvedic pills and potions. Last year, when Shripad Naik, the minister of alternative medicines, tested positive for COVID-19, he opted for modern medical treatment at a private hospital.

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Indian doctors protest herbal treatments being touted for COVID-19 - National Geographic