Abstract
Since 2011, the Tuscany Regional Authority has been funding the use of Integrated Medicine (IM) in a clinical setting in Pitigliano Hospital, with the aim of testing the true efficacy of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in a hospital setting. The clinical setting also comprises the Manciano rehabilitation facility whose services include post-stroke rehabilitation.
This study aims to establish if IM helps to improve the rehabilitation performance of stroke patients. The study compared 212 patients divided into two groups: 94 treated with IM (conventional therapy plus homeopathy and acupuncture) and 118 treated with conventional therapy alone. All patients were evaluated with the rehabilitation scores in use at the center (Trunk Control Test and Barthel Index) before and after completing the rehabilitation course. The results demonstrate a considerable benefit for the use of IM with a significance of p = 0.001 for the Trunk Control Test difference and p < 0.001 for the Barthel Index difference.
No side effects were documented in any patient treated with IM. The level acceptance of the integrated therapies was high (accepted by 95.94% of patients: 94 out of 98 inpatients).
Keywords
Orthodox medicine; integrated medicine; acupuncture; homeopathy; post-stroke rehabilitation performance
