Insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder characterized by difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, resulting in significant daytime impairment and frequently co-occurring with depression and anxiety. Although cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia is the standard intervention, its accessibility remains limited. Consequently, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies including yoga, Ayurveda, acupuncture, and melatonin have gained interest, despite the lack of robust supporting evidence. This study provides a scientometric evaluation of global research on CAM for insomnia, mapping publication trends, major contributors, and emerging research themes. A total of 2,204 articles and reviews published between 1970 and August 2024 were retrieved from the Scopus database. Data were analyzed using Scopus analytics, R, and VOSviewer to assess publication growth, subject areas, international collaborations, and contributions from journals, authors, and institutions. Publication output has steadily increased, with a marked rise since 1998. Research activity is primarily concentrated in medicine, pharmacology, and nursing. The USA leads global output and maintains extensive collaborations with the United Kingdom, China, and India. Harvard Medical School is a key institution, while the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine serves as a major outlet. Emerging research foci include Ayurveda, yoga, and acupuncture, particularly in relation to cancer and chronic pain management. Overall, CAM research for insomnia continues to expand and shows potential; however, rigorous, high-quality clinical trials are still needed to establish efficacy and safety. Enhanced collaboration and increased funding are essential to further advance this field.
The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is rapidly increasing worldwide, with over 61.3 million people diagnosed with type 2 DM (T2DM) in India alone, estimated in 2019. Hyperglycaemia can be effectively managed by addressing lifestyle risk factors through physical activities such as aerobic training, resistance exercises (REs) and yoga. This study aims to compare the effects of these exercises on cellular ageing and metabolic profiles in individuals with T2DM. The study included 120 patients, aged 25–40 years, diagnosed with T2DM, who were randomly assigned to four groups: Control, aerobic exercise (AE), REs and yoga ( n = 30). Each group participated in 50-minute exercise sessions 3 times a week for 16 weeks. Gene expression of beta-galactosidase (b-Gal), marker for ageing, was assessed through complementary DNA prepared from peripheral blood ribonucleic acid, while metabolic markers – haemoglobin A1C (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose (FBG), post-prandial blood glucose, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and cholesterol were measured at 3 time points: Baseline (week 0), 8 weeks and 16 weeks. The results demonstrated a significant positive effect on metabolic profile and cellular ageing, across all three exercise groups, which led to significant reductions in FBG at both 8 and 16 weeks: Yoga ( P = 0.014, 0.017), resistance ( P = 0.042, 0.029) and AE ( P = 0.041, 0.011); no significant change in the controls. Post-prandial glucose and HbA1c levels also showed clinically meaningful reductions in the yoga ( P = 0.013, 0.017), resistance ( P = 0.020, 0.043) and aerobic ( P = 0.022, 0.015) groups. Lipid profile improvements included significantly reduced LDL and increased HDL in all intervention groups. Furthermore, β-Gal gene expression, analysed through reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction, was significantly reduced in all exercise groups at both time points ( P ≤ 0.01 for all comparisons), indicating potential anti-ageing effects. These findings underscore the common benefits of aerobic training, REs and yoga in controlling glucose levels and enhancing metabolic health in individuals with T2DM. All the exercise modalities used in our study were effective in reducing hyperglycaemia, improving overall metabolic function and reducing senescence.
Background. Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are associated with increased cardiovascular risk in hypertensive patients. While yoga and music therapy have shown individual benefits for cardiovascular health, their combined effect on inflammatory markers remains unexplored. Objective. To evaluate the effects of a 12-week combined yoga and music therapy intervention on inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, IL-6, TNF-α) and blood pressure parameters in middle-aged hypertensive men. Methods. In this quasi-experimental pre-post study, 36 hypertensive men (mean age 42.3 ± 6.4 years) participated in a combined yoga and music therapy intervention for 12 weeks. Primary outcomes included changes in inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, IL-6, TNF-α) and blood pressure measurements. Results. Following the 12-week intervention, significant reductions were observed in inflammatory markers: hs-CRP (−1.50 ± 0.55 mg/L, p < 0.001), IL-6 (−1.45 ± 0.45 pg/mL, p < 0.001), and TNF-α (−3.85 ± 1.15 pg/mL, p < 0.001). Blood pressure parameters also improved significantly: systolic (−10.55 ± 3.5 mmHg, p < 0.001) and diastolic (−7.05 ± 2.25 mmHg, p < 0.001). Large effect sizes were observed across all outcomes (0.72–0.79). Conclusion. Combined yoga and music therapy effectively reduced inflammatory markers and blood pressure in middle-aged hypertensive men. This integrative approach shows promise as a complementary intervention for managing hypertension and associated inflammatory markers.
Background: In today’s world, lumbago is one of the most prevalent and debilitating diseases. It is a disease condition, which is statistically recorded to seek medical attention second only to common cold. It mainly affects muscles, nerves and bones of the back in between the bottom fold of the buttocks and lower edge of the ribs. Globally, lumbago has been ranked 13th in disability adjusted life-years in the year 2010. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and paracetamol both significantly lessen the pain. However, they shouldn't be used for an extended time duration. Lumbago is extremely hard to manage and there is still no cure. Surgery is advised as the last measure although it is usually unnecessary and rarely succeeds in offering long term relief. The objective of the study was to assess the role of individualized homoeopathic medicines in the cases of chronic lumbago by using oswestry disability index. Study Design is Prospective Observational Study. Methodology: 44 cases of chronic lumbago were treated with Individualized Homoeopathic medicines which were prescribed on the basis of totality of the symptoms. Dose and potency selection was done according to the guidelines given by Dr. Hahnemann in the 5th edition of Organon of medicine. Follow ups of the cases were taken at an interval of 15 days upto 3 months with minimum 6 follow ups. The treatment outcome was assessed by using Oswestry Disability Index after three months of treatment. Results: Out of 44 patients maximum patients showed Improvement (n=35; 79.54%) followed by Status Quo (n=8; 18.18%) and Worse (n=1; 2.27%). Maximum patients were found to be in the age group of 36 to 45 years (n=13; 29.54%) and females (n=30; 68.19%) were more commonly affected than males (n=14; 31.81%). Frequently prescribed medicines were Natrium Muriaticum, Phosphorus and Lycopodium Clavatum. Paired t-test was conducted on the Oswestry Disability Index. The result showed that p value is < 0.05 & value of t (15.115) is greater than the tabulated value in t-table at df = 43 (2.02) which was statistically significant. Conclusion: Homoeopathic medicines were effective in treating Chronic lumbago.
