Recently, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and Integrative Medicine (IM) have been broadly developed. IM involves both of CAM and Western Medicine (WM). Integrative Medicine Japan (IMJ) has developed CAM/IM in Japan, and author has managed Shikoku Island division of IMJ. Current topics include the music/art therapy for cancer patients, and hospital art (art in hospital) using convenient masking tape for satisfaction and improved health outcomes. The word “health” is from the Sanskrit language “Swasth”, which is combined of SWA (my) + STH (exist, keep) with meaning of self-existence under self-consciousness. Thus, CAM/IM can contribute the promotion of health.

Keywords: integrative medicine japan (IMJ), music therapy, art therapy, hospital art, art in hospital, interactive viewing

CAM, complementary and alternative medicine; IM, integrative medicine; WM, western medicine, IMJ, integrative medicine japan; RCTs, randomized controlled trials

In recent decade, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and Integrative Medicine (IM) have been broadly developed in lots of countries and districts. From strict definition point of view, IM involves the both area of CAM and Western Medicine (WM).¹ In actual medical practice, however, CAM and IM have been more prevalent and known in European and North American countries.² On the other hand, Integrative Medicine Japan (IMJ) has been the main association that has developed CAM/IM in Japan.³ Author has managed the activity of IM as the director of Shikoku Island division of IMJ for years.⁴ Among them, we continued annual congress, publication of year book, academic papers and seminars for various themes of music therapy, depression, hydrotherapy, rehabilitation and so on.^5,6 For the current year, we have challenged a new area for art therapy, hospital art and rehabilitation using masking tape.^7–9 In this article, two topics concerning CAM will be presented. One is music/art therapy for cancer patients, and another is hospital art.

Firstly, CAM/IM has been applied to many patients with cancer in various situations. Music therapy has been one of the most accepted methods of CAM/IM for supporting patients with cancer. Its evidence-based application includes to accomplish social, cognitive, emotional and physical needs of patients/clients.¹⁰ According to recent systematic review, music therapy seems to be the most effective for elevating QOL and decreasing pain, fatigue, depression and anxiety for cancer patients.¹¹ Music therapy and art therapy reveal effective opportunities for patients with cancer for reducing negative emotional status and improving QOL.¹² It seems to have promising efficacy for non-medicated therapeutic options. However, it is necessary to show evidence-based research data for describing validity of methodology and mental health outcome by measuring randomized controlled trials (RCTs). For combination of CAM/IM and oncology, integrative oncology is a recently adopted medical term for developing academic literatures.¹³ Several evidence-based interventions have been found from bio-psycho-social- and also spiritual points of view for QOL of cancer patients.¹⁴

For cancer patients, the diagnosis and therapeutic procedures would be rather stressful matter.¹⁵ Art therapy and music therapy can sooth depressive feeling to some extent for their heart with the power of art and music psychologically. The authors also have a music therapy session in the hospice.¹⁶ Through these experiences, our staffs have various feelings in the actual session. When they contact with certain music, patients are often moved their heart with tears. Such songs include favorite songs, familiar songs and memorial songs that were frequently listened in their teenage. The reason would be suggested that those songs could be the key to their heart. Consequently, CAM has been a widespread supportive therapeutic option for physical and psychological well-being of the patients. The aim often includes increasing prolonged survival, elevated physical strength and improved depressive status.¹⁷ Diverse treatments were found in CAM such as music therapy, art therapy, yoga, hypnosis, meditation, imagery method and so on.¹⁸

Secondly, recent topic would be described concerning hospital art (art in hospital). In the light of art, several changes hospital art, art therapy, medical education and medical practice were observed. Historically speaking, hospitals and museums have the common roots in themselves.¹⁹ For the matter of human beings, physical body means the existence of the presentation as it is, and it is sometimes transformed impressively. From psychological aspect, they included a variety of human emotions and also specific place where life and death may exist next to each other.

In the museum, a professional was present who was called as a curator.²⁰ It means the Latin word for curare, meaning the care. By mutual interactive viewing, we can feel natural empathy and think of people around us.²¹ The concept empathy seems to be caring to high degree in the clinical practice of medicine. As a matter of fact, our IM group has continued the practice of art in hospitals. In Shikoku Island, Tokushima University hospitals has longest history, where art works were performed with Japanese traditional design and colors using convenient masking tapes.^9,22 Successively, this works have become prevalent in other hospitals. Some perspectives are important from art perspective point of view in IM.

Regarding hospital art, historical impressive comment was observed. It was found in the publication of British Medical Journal (BMJ) in early 1980’, in which the goal was to humanize the hospitals in it. By anthropological way, interactional perspectives of hospital art and health were studied. From this investigation, the application of guideline for hospital art was summarized for the satisfaction and well-being of the patients.²³ Among them, the protocol showed 20 paintings presentation for 14 days. The methods included the observation, appreciation, casual conversation, interviews and adequate research with monitoring camera. Consequently, hospital art can provide patients satisfaction and improved health outcomes as extended development of health care.²³

From mentioned above, topics for music/art therapy and hospital art were introduced. CAM/IM can cover wide range of medical practice for various patients, and the goal would be the maintenance and promotion of the health. Originally, the English word “health” is from the Sanskrit language “Swasth”.²⁴ This word is the combination of SWA (my) + STH (exist, keep), and it has the meaning of “self-existence under self-consciousness”.²⁵ In current era across the world, each health status of people can be maintained and promoted using a variety of treatments. Associated with wider defense power and ability, CAM/IM can deal with various medical and health problems. Consequently, CAM/IM can contribute to provide people satisfactory and adequate cure and care for the future medicine.

None.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

There was no funding received for this paper.

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