Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medical Research

Tuina and Motion-based Analgesia: Integrating Passive and Active Therapies for Pain Rehabilitation

Zhang Hao — 2026-03-27

Background: Pain is a sensory and emotional experience that typically arises from causes such as tissue damage, illness, or stimulation of the nervous system. It is a highly complex phenomenon consisting of both sensory and emotional components.

Aim: This review aims to explore the role of Tuina in pain management by examining how passive and active motion interventions contribute to musculoskeletal rehabilitation.

Methods: A narrative synthesis of randomised controlled trials, systematic reviews, and preclinical studies (2015–2024) was conducted to evaluate the biomechanical, neurobiological, and psychological pathways of Tuina, as well as its integration with traditional Chinese exercises and contemporary rehabilitation approaches.

Results: Tuina exerts biomechanical effects through joint mobilisation, circulation enhancement, and fascial remodelling; neurobiological effects through descending pain inhibition, neuroplasticity, and modulation of inflammatory mediators; and psychological effects via stress regulation and improvements in mood. Passive interventions provide immediate analgesia and functional support, while active modalities, including Yi Jin Jing and Wu Qin Xi, sustain long-term recovery through neuromuscular retraining. Integrative strategies combining Tuina with exercise or traditional Chinese exercises outperform monotherapy in reducing pain, disability, and recurrence rates, with added economic benefits in rehabilitation settings.

Conclusion: Tuina represents a safe, effective, and evidence-based approach for acute and chronic pain. By integrating passive and active therapies, Tuina aligns with the biopsychosocial model of care, offering holistic benefits for musculoskeletal rehabilitation.

Prehospital Care of Children Presenting with Convulsions at a Tertiary Hospital in Port Harcourt, Nigeria: A Mixed Method Approach

Nneka Gabriel-Job — 2026-03-23

Introduction: Convulsions can be a sign of mild or severe illness. The causes are varied; it could be epilepsy, or from provoking causes including high fever, central nervous system (CNS) infections, metabolic disorders or use of illicit substances. This study is aimed at determining the prehospital care convulsing children receive and factors that influences it.

Materials and Methods: This was a prospective observational study that utilized a mixed method approach conducted at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) from January 2024 to December 2025. Participants were 1255 parents/ caregivers of children who were admitted in the children emergency ward (CHEW) with a history of convulsion. Participants were consecutively recruited as they presented in the CHEW. A proforma was used to record the patients age and sex, the sociodemographic characteristics of parents/caregivers and the prehospital care given. Quantitative data was analysed with SPSS version 26; descriptive and inferential analysis were carried out, the level of significance placed at 0.05. The key informant interview (KII) was transcribed verbatim using the content thematic approach, the qualitative data was triangulated with the findings obtained from the quantitative data.

Results: One thousand two hundred and fifty-five parents/care givers of children that presented to the hospital with convulsion participated in the study. Majority, 1023(81.5%) were females, their ages ranged from18 years to 62 years with a mean age of 38.53 years ± 5.21 years. The parents were the major caregivers in 1131(90.1%) of cases and 902 (71.9%) of them practiced harmful prehospital care. The common prehospital care includes rushing the child to a chemist shop in 73.1%, application of crude oil/kernel oil on the skin in 64.7% and use of objects to gag the child’s mouth in 57.6%. Only 389 (31%) presented to the hospital without receiving any prehospital care. Predictors of use of harmful practices includes lower level of education (p; < 0.001, OR 0.48, CI 0.35-0.66), lower income (p 0.001, OR 10, CI 7.39-13.5) and residing in rural area (p 0.001; OR 1.85, CI 1.42 -2.41)

Conclusion: Convulsions is a common symptom among children; the common prehospital care practices are harmful and associated with complications. The use of crude oil, kernel oil and gagging a convulsing child is still very common. Socioeconomic factors are predictors of harmful prehospital care. There is need for a swift community based educational intervention that can enhance the knowledge of seizure first aid in order to reduce the morbidity associated with harmful prehospital care.

Structure-based in silico Screening, ADMET Prediction, and Molecular Docking of Novel Benzylidene-3,4,5-Trihydroxybenzohydrazide and Phenylamino Benzene-triol Derivatives Targeting Tyrosine Kinase for Anticancer Activity

Nitin Deshmukh — 2026-03-28

Background: Lung cancer is one of the most common and deadliest cancers worldwide, contributing significantly to cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Ongoing research in this field focuses on the development of effective preventive strategies, early screening methods, and improved therapeutic interventions to reduce mortality and enhance the quality of life of affected patients.

Methods: The present study aimed to investigate the potential effects of substituted benzylidene-3,4,5-trihydroxybenzohydrazide derivatives and 5-(substituted phenylamino) benzene-1,2,3-triol derivatives under lung cancer conditions. For this purpose, pre-ADMET, Molinspiration, molecular docking, and docking interaction studies were carried out to evaluate their pharmacokinetic properties and binding interactions with the target protein.

Results and Discussion: Computational investigations demonstrated that the designed substituted benzylidene-3,4,5-trihydroxybenzohydrazide derivatives and 5-(substituted phenylamino) benzene-1,2,3-triol derivatives possess favorable drug-likeness and predicted bioavailability characteristics. To further assess their inhibitory potential toward the tyrosine kinase protein target (PDB ID: 6CU6), a set of thirty newly designed derivatives was subjected to molecular docking analysis.

The docking performance of these compounds was evaluated in terms of MolDock score, hydrogen-bonding interactions, and steric contacts, and the results were benchmarked against the reference tyrosine kinase inhibitor Erlotinib. The standard ligand Erlotinib exhibited the highest binding affinity with a MolDock score of −155.409, forming key hydrogen bond interactions with residues Ser17, Gly15, Asn116, and Asp33. In addition, notable steric interactions were observed with Glu31, Val29, Gly15, Ser17, Asp13, and Asp33, indicating stable accommodation within the active binding pocket.

Among the screened derivatives, compound GA28 demonstrated comparatively strong binding affinity, with a MolDock score of −140.836. This ligand established an extensive hydrogen-bonding network involving Gly60, Lys16, Gly13, Val29, Asp33, Tyr32, Arg12, and Thr35, together with steric interactions involving by Tyr32, Lys16, Ser17, Gly31, Ala18, and Gly15. Likewise, compound GA18 showed appreciable binding affinity, with a MolDock score of −128.656. It formed multiple hydrogen bonds with Arg12, Thr35, Lys16, Gly15, Val14, Ala11, Asp30, Val29, and Glu31, while steric contacts were mainly observed with Asp30, Arg12, Lys16, and Ser17.

Overall, the docking analysis indicates that GA28 and GA18 exhibit favorable interaction patterns and significant binding stability within the catalytic site of the tyrosine kinase target. These observations highlight their potential as promising lead scaffolds for further structural refinement and subsequent experimental validation.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that the designed compounds exhibit favorable interactions with the active site residues, indicating their potential as tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Antioxidant-mediated Anti-inflammatory Activity of Bougainvillea spectabilis Leaf Extracts: In vitro and In vivo Evaluation

Simran Khan — 2026-03-30

Background: Oxidative stress plays a major role in the development of inflammatory disorders, and plant-derived antioxidants are being explored for their ability to modulate oxidative stress-induced inflammation. Bougainvillea spectabilis is traditionally used in herbal medicine, but the impact of different extraction solvents on its phytochemical composition and antioxidant-mediated anti-inflammatory activity has not been systematically investigated.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effect of extraction solvents on the phytochemical content of Bougainvillea spectabilis leaf extracts and to evaluate their antioxidant-mediated anti-inflammatory activity using both In vitro and In vivo approaches.

Materials and Methods: Leaves of Bougainvillea spectabilis were extracted with ethanol, petroleum ether, and water. Phytochemical screening and quantification of total phenolic and flavonoid content were performed. The In vitro antioxidant potential of the extracts was assessed using standard assays, including the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) method. The In vivo anti-inflammatory activity of the most potent extract was evaluated in rats using the carrageenan-induced paw edema model. Paw edema volume was measured, and histopathological analysis of tissue was conducted. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA, with P < 0.05 considered significant.

Results: The ethanol extract exhibited the highest phenolic and flavonoid content and showed significant In vitro antioxidant activity in the FRAP assay. Administration of this extract in rats significantly reduced paw edema compared to the control group, indicating notable anti-inflammatory activity. Histopathological evaluation revealed decreased inflammatory cell infiltration in treated animals.

Conclusion: The anti-inflammatory effects of Bougainvillea spectabilis leaf extracts appear to be mediated, at least in part, by their antioxidant potential. Solvent selection significantly affects the phytochemical composition and biological activity, highlighting ethanol-extracted leaves as a promising source of antioxidant-mediated anti-inflammatory agents.