Medicina Alternativa e Integrativa

Background: Medical education has undergone major transformation along with the change in concept of health and disease. Objective: Increasing awareness, improving knowledge and acquiring skills of complementary medicine and integrative health for undergraduate medical students. Methods: Complementary medicine and integrative health module was introduced during the year 2016-2017, for fourth year medical students at Dar Al Uloom University, Riyadh, KSA. The Methods of teaching and learning include interactive lectures, seminars, practical sessions, assignments, field visits, simulation, learning by doing (hands on training), case studies, problem based learning and self-directed learning. Topics covered during the course include; Introduction and overview of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), Epidemiology of CAM practices, Characteristics and comparison of CAM vs. Conventional Medicine, Integrative Medicine, Research models in CAM, Evidence based CAM, Medical ethics of CAM, Frauds and misconceptions related to CAM practices and products, Health education and communication in CAM, Manipulative and body based practices, Biological-based practices, Mind-body medicine, Energy based therapies, Whole medical systems; Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Unani, Arabic or Hakim Medicine, Prophetic Medicine and Local traditional CAM therapies (Hijamah as a model), Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Naturopathy, Nutrition and food supplements, Apitherapy and Homeopathy. Assessment of the module: The course comprises two types of assessments; continuous and final assessment. Continuous assessments toke place throughout the course. They are mostly based on course work as follows; Seminar (10%), Assignments (10%), Field visit report (10%) and Mid-term exam (20%). A proportion of 50% were taken in the final assessment. A student who scored 60 or more deemed to have passed this course. Conclusion: The feedback received was most supportive of the module and appreciative of the teachers, the information provided and skills gained and the way in which it was delivered.

Background: Millions of people suffer and die from liver diseases every year in worldwide. Viral hepatitis is a very common problem in Bangladesh however management is problematic and expensive in conventional medicine. So Ayurvedic medicine is way to solve the problem. Methods: This study was carried out to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of Rohitakarista, a polyherbal formulation against carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Male albino rats (Wistar strain) were divided into 4 groups namely groups I, II, III and IV. Group I served as normal control and received neither formulation nor carbon tetrachloride. Group II received CCl4 in dose of 1ml per kg body weight intraperitoneally. Group III and IV received CCl4 1ml per kg body weight intraperitoneally plus Silymarin, in dose 50 mg/kg orally and Rohitakarista 1ml per kg body weight of rat respectively. After 14 days, blood was obtained for the determination of serum bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase. The histological study was also carried out. Result: The result showed that polyherbal formulation exhibited a significant hepatoprotective effect when compared with standard Silymarin. Conclusion: Therefore this study suggests that polyherbal formulation Rohitakarista may have hepatoprotective activity.

The possibilities of manipulative robots to perform techniques of restorative massage, increasing the psychophysiological mood of the working population in order to increase the productivity of labor are considered in this article. The robot control making possible to perform a mass preventive massage is offered. Most of the studies were carried out using the so-called force points trained on robots with one-dimensional force training. The more convenient and quick training method by demonstration is proposed. At the same time, the unloading of the masseur’s hand and the accuracy of reproduction of trained trajectories are provided to a much greater degree. The hand of the masseur by means of the massage tool deforms the patient's soft tissues. To teach by the demonstration of spatial trajectories, the robot is in admittance control mode, without resisting the movements of the masseur’s hand, fixed on the robot end link. In admittance control mode, the robot tracks exactly the movements of the masseur’s hands or corrects them with the necessary force. Currently, there are robots with force control, which can organize the required admittance control mode. These robots are not specialized to perform mode massage and are not mass-produced, so they are quite expensive. If the demand increases, the cost would be much lower. Studies that will determine the techniques for performing robotic massage are needed. As an initial basis, methods of manual restorative and sports massage can be taken.