Massage therapy for cardiac surgery patients--a randomized trial

Psychiatric benefits of integrative therapies in patients with cancer

Integrative oncology uses non-pharmacological adjuncts to mainstream care to manage physical, emotional, and psychological symptoms experienced by cancer survivors. Depression, anxiety, fatigue and pain are among the common, often burdensome symptoms that can occur in clusters, deplete patient morale, interfere with treatment plans, and hamper recovery. Patients already seek various modalities on their own to address a broad range of problems. Legitimate complementary therapies offered at major cancer institutions improve quality of life, speed recovery, and optimize patient support. They also augment the benefits of psychiatric interventions, due to their ability to increase self-awareness and improve physical and psychological conditioning. Further, these integrated therapies provide lifelong tools and develop skills that patients use well after treatment to develop self-care regimens. The active referral of patients to integrative therapies achieves three important objectives: complementary care is received from therapists experienced in working with cancer patients, visits become part of the medical record, allowing treatment teams to guide individuals in maximizing benefit, and patients are diverted from useless or harmful 'alternatives.' We review the reciprocal physical and psychiatric benefits of exercise, mind-body practices, massage, acupuncture, and music therapy for cancer survivors, and suggest how their use can augment mainstream psychiatric interventions.

Calf cramps in a heart transplant patient during the postoperative course: a case report

The aim of study was to describe a heart transplant patient who developed calf cramps postoperatively, during the recovery of early motor activities, which limited his participation in rehabilitation. The study design was a case report. A 41-year-old male with a body mass index of 29.1, suffering from familial non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, with no history of muscle disorders, underwent heart transplant The patient was given an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator as primary prevention and no significant comorbidity associated with the heart disease developed. On the second day after his discharge from the intensive care unit, the patient complained of a heavy left calf pain exacerbated by walking. On a scale of 0–10, the patient described his pain intensity as 10. Palpation of the calf muscles caused painful reaction. Manual massage of the lower limbs, emphasising the left calf, was performed. Subsequently, stretching exercises were given both in bed and in a standing position. Rapid symptom resolution was achieved, allowing the patient to continue with the postoperative recovery.