NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. -
Oct. 23, 2017 -
PRLog -- Spanish-speaking Latinos suffering from chronic pain, who typically lack access to effective treatments due to insurance, income, and language barriers, showed significant benefits from an Integrative Medical Group Visit (IMGV) approach that was adapted for this population. A description of this promising non-pharmacologic integrated health intervention and its positive impact on pain, fatigue, and depression, are reported in a new study published in
JACM,The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine a peer-reviewed publication from
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (http://www.liebertpub.com/)
. The article is available free on the
JACM (http://online.liebertpub.com/
doi/full/10.1089/
acm.2017.0132)
website.
Paula Gardiner, MD, MPH, family medicine physician at Boston Medical Center, and coauthors from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston University School of Public Health, present the results of their pilot study in which they translated and adapted an IMGV curriculum and tested its effectiveness in a low-income Spanish-speaking Latino population affected by chronic pain. The IMGV model combined complementary and integrative medicine, medical group visits, and mindfulness-
based stress reduction techniques to address several health issues such as insomnia, stress, and depression. The model also taught self-management techniques and enhanced patients' social support networks.
The researchers provide a detailed report on the cultural adaptation of the IMGV curriculum and results of the pilot study in the article entitled "The Latino Integrative Medical Group Visit as a Model for Pain Reduction in Underserved Spanish Speakers (
http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/acm.2017.0132)." Says Gardiner, who is also an associate professor of family medicine at BUSM:"In the United States, there is a health disparity in the treatment of chronic pain. Medical group visits provide non-pharmacological strategies and provide more access to care."
"The value of this study is both in the treatment and the costs," says
JACMEditor-in-Chief
John Weeks, johnweeks-integrator.com, Seattle, WA. "Gardiner and her Boston team are not only adding to the non-pharmacologic methods that may be part of an alternate strategy to opioids and other pharmaceuticals in this typically underserved population — they are providing it through a group method that is low cost. The recent National Association of Attorneys General's petition to insurers to start covering more of these non-pharmacologic, integrative services should be steering insurers in this direction."
For interview requests or to learn more about this study, please contact author Paula Gardiner, Department of Family Medicine, Boston Medical Center.
_______________________
About the JournalJACM, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (
http://click.liebertpubmail.com/?qs=2cd6b1e08661333c3949f...) is a monthly peer-reviewed journal published online with open access options and in print. Led by
John Weeks (johnweeks-integrator.com)
, the Co-Founder and past Executive Director of the Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health,
JACM publishes controlled trials, observational studies, scientific reviews and leading commentary intended to help medical organizations and governmental organizations optimize the use of integrative products, practices, and practitioners in patient care and in delivery and payment strategies. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the
JACM (http://click.liebertpubmail.com/?
qs=2cd6b1e08661333c3949f1fe3eb122b8a357313043c0dd224b83f18ed
714f441577ada7a1ee41fc17afb4ae745117d5d)
website.
About the PublisherMary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (http://click.liebertpubmail.com/?
qs=ccf69163c1150e24e520b60b330b7af59d60c823d8e5f775e854292a1
17a873da142bcb94f99c33542705c13388cb298)
is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including
Alternative and Complementary Therapies,
Medical Acupuncture, and
Journal of Medicinal Food. Its biotechnology trade magazine, GEN (
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (http://click.liebertpubmail.com/?
qs=ccf69163c1150e24e520b60b330b7af59d60c823d8e5f775e854292a1
17a873da142bcb94f99c33542705c13388cb298)
website.