Andrés J. Ursa Herguedas

By Andrés J. Ursa Herguedas

Non-pharmacological interventions (NI) have been known since before modern pharmacology was developed. They occupy a prominent place in the healthcare sciences. The aim of this chapter is to show the role of NPI in medicine today. The reasons for implementing NPI, both in the scope of prevention and cure, are due to the fact that there are many diseases for which we still do not have a cure, such as Alzheimer’s dementia, multiple sclerosis or fibromyalgia. By selecting those NPI that have more scientific evidence and applied by health or non-health personnel, it is intended to improve quality of life, slow down deterioration, relieve pain or restore health at a lower economic and environmental cost whilst complying with the Hippocratic maxim “first, do no harm”. There are many NPI currently managed, which are used in most known conditions, to support specific treatment or as a single therapy. Further studies on NPI to improve their safety and efficacy are advisable.

Part of the book: Alternative Medicine

By Andrés J. Ursa Herguedas

Although pharmacological therapy is a resource to be taken into account in rehabilitation medicine and physiotherapy (RMP), a series of therapies, techniques, and empirical practices have been available since time immemorial, some with scientific publications, which play an important role in healthcare current health worldwide. Some millennials like Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and medicinal plants (MP), and other centenarians like Homeopathic Medicine (HM) and Osteopathic Medicine (OM). In the twentieth century, numerous medical techniques were developed, framed under the term of Biological Medicine in Europe such as Antihomotoxic Medicine (AM), Neural Therapy (NT), Catalytic Oligotherapy (CO). Throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the wealth of experiences and knowledge on the application of Growth Factors in therapeutics, Oxygen-Ozone Therapy, and other related techniques that have enriched medical practice has increased. The objective of this chapter is to highlight the convenience of incorporating unconventional therapies (UT) techniques with scientific evidence into RMP that enjoy efficacy, efficiency, and economic and environmental sustainability. It would be desirable to allocate more financial resources to continue researching these therapies, implement them in Health Sciences studies and continue working to comply with the maxim of medicine that is “primum non nocere” (first do no harm).

Part of the book: Complementary Therapies

By Andrés J. Ursa Herguedas and Emilio J. Guzón González

Acquired brain injury (ABI) due to stroke or cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is a frequent pathology that leaves sequelae, produces great personal and family suffering and has a great economic impact on health systems. Translational research and clinical evidence have revealed the existence of an intestinal dysbiosis in these patients before and after stroke that, ultimately, through the microbiota-gut-brain axis, is capable of producing neuroinflammation, negatively impacting the evolution of stroke and delaying functional recovery in the neurorehabilitation process. Individualized dietary intervention is proposed in order to reverse intestinal dysbiosis until reaching eubiosis and facilitate recovery. For this it would be necessary to have the figure of the nutritionist-dietician in the multidisciplinary team. The objective of this chapter is to report on the importance of nutritional intervention in stroke to obtain better results. Research in this regard must continue as several questions remain unanswered.

Part of the book: Neurorehabilitation and Physical Therapy

By Andrés J. Ursa Herguedas and María Pellón Olmedo

Stroke or cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is a frequent, disabling pathology, consumes enormous social and health resources and has high morbidity and mortality. A large part of the resources of the health systems are allocated to the treatment of stroke, which is achieving better results every time, and far fewer resources are allocated to prevention. The objective of this review is to raise awareness in the different states so that they allocate more resources to prevention through awareness programs for health personnel, and implementation of detection tests for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in order to reduce the incidence of stroke. Clients should be insisted on adopting an adequate lifestyle, as well as acting on risk factors. Most strokes can be prevented through health education, blood pressure control, and lifestyle changes such as eating a healthy diet, being physically active, and stopping smoking.

Part of the book: Stroke