Advanced information and communication technologies such as artificial intelligence and the IoT (Internet of Things) are indispensable for the realization of next-generation integrative medicine. These technologies play an important role in the Super City concept, which is a model case of a human-centered society (Society 5.0) that fuses cyber space (virtual space) and physical space (real space). On the other hand, many people cannot be saved by using advanced technology. In addition to pain control and mental care, spiritual care for the hidden essence of human beings is also required. Returning to the starting point of medical treatment, which is “curing the patient, not the illness,” spirituality is unavoidable. This paper, in addition to the viewpoint of modern medical care based on scientific evidence, introduces research conducted in the author’s laboratory in order to realize medical care aiming for “Integrative Medicine for Happiness.”

Objective : The application of a hot fomentation pad on the skin is a traditional therapy that is effective for improving blood flow, improving digestive tract movement, and relieving muscle pain and stiffness through percutaneous thermal stimulation. Some commercially available hot fomentation pads contain thermoreceptor agonists as active ingredients. However, thermoreceptor stimulation frequently causes an unpleasant sensation of skin irritation. In this study, we investigated the effects of hot fomentation pads containing the thermoreceptor agonists capsaicin, l-menthol and ginger extract, on blood flow and sensation of skin irritation.

Materials and methods : Six healthy persons were subjected to hot fomentation application on their forearm or lumbar region, and the time-dependent change of blood flow of the skin and muscle at the applied area was monitored. Simultaneously, the intensity index of the sensation of warmth, coldness or tingling was acquired from the subjects’ reports.

Results : Although the capsaicin-containing hot fomentation pad indicated a synergistic effect of increasing skin blood flow, it also increased the undesirable tingling sensation of skin irritation. The fomentation pad containing l-menthol and ginger extract indicated a synergistic effect, especially in increasing muscle blood flow, while suppressing unpleasant skin irritation.

Conclusions : These results suggest the possibility of improving the blood flow by adjusting the blending active ingredients of the hot fomentation pad, and also optimizing the suppression effects of unpleasant skin irritation.

Aims : This study aimed to clarify changes in nurses’ stress and mood states over the course of 1 year during which they provided a form of complementary and alternative therapy (CAM), from the physical side, for patients with mental disorders. The findings could then offer suggestions for supporting nurses who incorporate such therapy into their care.

Methods : Nurses who consented to participate in the study measured their physiological (salivary amylase) and psychological (Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition score ; POMS2-short) conditions before and after providing CAM for their patients. Measurements were taken when the nurses first included CAM in their care and then at 1-month, 6-month, and 1-year intervals during which they provided it. The Ethical Review Board of Osaka University Hospital approved this study.

Results : The participants comprised 10 nurses who worked in five types of wards at four facilities. Massage with essential oils (aroma massage) was the therapy provided at the measurement points. The nurses’ average salivary amylase before and after providing the therapy decreased at the first provision and at 1 month, but increased at the 6-month and 1-year intervals. The increase at 1 year showed a significant difference. The average of nurses’ negative mood states decreased at all measurement intervals. There were significant decreases in the Confusion-Bewilderment and Tension-Anxiety scores at the first provision and at the 1-month measurement point and a significant decrease in the Total Mood Disturbance and Fatigue-Inertia scores at the first provision and at the 1-month and 1-year measurement points (p<0.05).

Discussion : The changes in salivary amylase at the 1-year measurement point suggest that providing aroma massages for patients served as a source of stress for the participating nurses. In contrast, the changes in Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition scores suggest that providing the massages was effective for counteracting nurses’ negative mood states. A control group needs to be established to further elucidate those effects.

Purpose : To examine clinical acupoint specificity, a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCT) of chronic low back pain and migraine were conducted.

Methods : Medical literature database were searched, and then RCTs comparing needling acupoints and non-acupoints (or acupoints which are not usually selected for the relevant disease or symptoms) were selected based on pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. We used Review Manager 5.4 for meta-analysis to obtain mean difference (MD) or standardized mean difference (SMD).

Results : No relevant RCT was found for chronic low back pain. As for migraine, six RCTs were selected, but their heterogeneity was high in frequency and duration of treatment, stimulation method, acupoint selection, and time point of evaluation. Meta-analysis of two included RCTs showed a significantly larger effect on headache intensity (10 cm Visual Analog Scale) after 4 weeks of treatment in a group of needling standard acupoints compared with that of needling acupoints which are not usually selected (MD [95% CI] : −0.81 [−1.23, −0.40] ). There was no significant difference in SMD of headache incidence.

Conclusion : For migraine, acupuncture needling at empirically selected acupoints might be clinically significant. However, imprecision and heterogeneity prevented a definitive conclusion. To verify clinical acupoint specificity, more RCTs with a control group in which only acupoint selection differs from the intervention group need to be performed.

We organized a health promotion event in a local community at our university. Local residents participated in the event alongside nursing students and nurse teachers belonging to the university. The event was held once a month on a weekday for five months and lasted for 90 minutes each. This study aimed to examine the utility of the hand massage (HM) program and understand the significance of the participation of nursing students.

The participants were residents who agreed to participate in the HM program of the third (HM1 ; N=18) and fourth (HM2 ; N=13) events conducted in November and December 2016. The POMS2^®-Adult Short Form was used to evaluate the mood of 12 participants (3 males and 9 females, M=67.8±9.8 years), with complete data, before and after the HM program.

The results showed that scores on all five items of the negative mood scale decreased for both HM1 and HM2 participants. Furthermore, scores on “Fatigue-Inertia” and “Confusion-Bewilderment” for HM1 and all five items for HM2 participants decreased significantly. Positive mood scores increased in both the relevant items, of which “Friendliness” scores increased significantly. Total Mood Disorder decreased significantly in both.

The participants reported feeling satisfied with the HM program. Thus, the results suggest that the HM program has high utility as a part of health promotion events in the community.

In addition, the participation of nursing students was well accepted by the residents, and the program proved significant for basic nursing education by improving the knowledge of the nursing students.

Objective : To explore how cancer patients practicing the Okada Health and Wellness Program perceive and cope with their illness, and their outcomes.

Methods : A total of 10 one-on-one interviews were conducted, and sense of coherence (SOC) was measured, among 8 cancer patients (7 females) who were qualified to practice the Okada Health and Wellness Program proposed by MOA International. The interviews were analyzed using grounded theory analysis.

Results : Five of the six individuals whose SOC was measured, indicated scores that were higher than the national average for the general population. 170 codes were generated, which were grouped into 15 subcategories and further classified into five categories as follows : Ⅰ. assessment of own illness ; Ⅱ. coping behaviors based on assessment ; Ⅲ. help from others ; Ⅳ. reassessment of one’s own illness ; and Ⅴ. outcomes obtained through own coping behavior.

Conclusion : It was shown that the anxiety and fear of the disease at the beginning of illness was replaced by a sense of satisfaction as the meaning of the disease changed through the continuation of various coping behaviors. In addition, a sense of coherence was maintained in most of the cancer patients who participated in this study.