Skip to page content

Complementary and Integrative Health

Featured

Health care practices that are not part of the traditional Western health care system—from acupuncture, yoga, and Tai Chi to vitamin supplements and medical marijuana—are typically labeled complementary or alternative medicines or complementary and integrative health approaches by the mainstream. RAND conducts evidence-based research on these approaches to illness prevention and treatment as well as studies aimed at understanding the place of complementary and integrative health within the health care system.

Report
Including Complementary and Integrative Health Providers in the Public Health Pandemic Response
Complementary and integrative health providers, such as chiropractors and naturopathic doctors, have been an underutilized public health asset in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. How can they be better integrated into future responses to public health emergencies?
Feb 17, 2022
Research Brief
Spinal Manipulation for Chronic Lower Back or Neck Pain
Across a sample of patients seen by chiropractors, spinal manipulation was rated by experts as appropriate for most patients with chronic lower back pain and as equivocal (uncertain) for most patients with chronic neck pain.
Mar 12, 2021

Explore Complementary and Integrative Health

Journal Article
Barriers to the Engagement of Complementary and Integrative Health Providers in Public Health Responses to COVID-19: Recommendations From a Multidisciplinary Expert Panel
This project explored barriers to the involvement of complementary and integrative health providers in the public health response to COVID-19 and potential solutions for their future involvement in public health crises.
Jun 22, 2023
Report
The Impact of Mindfulness Meditation Programs on Performance-Related Outcomes: Implications for the U.S. Army
This report presents results from a systematic review and meta-analyses of research examining how mindfulness meditation affects 13 performance-related outcomes of interest to the U.S. Army and broader military.
May 10, 2022
Journal Article
Income as a Predictor of Self-Efficacy for Managing Pain and for Coping With Symptoms Among Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain
The purpose of this study was to evaluate pain self-efficacy (PSE) and coping self-efficacy (CSE) for people with chronic low back pain, and to assess whether lower income may be associated with less PSE and CSE in the U.S.
Feb 25, 2022
Journal Article
Measuring the Appropriateness of Spinal Manipulation for Chronic Low Back and Chronic Neck Pain in Chiropractic Patients
The RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method is applied to chiropractic manipulation for patients with chronic low-back pain and chronic neck pain, to determine the rate of appropriate care provided by U.S. chiropractors.
Feb 25, 2022
Journal Article
Predictors of Visit Frequency for Patients Using Ongoing Chiropractic Care for Chronic Low Back and Chronic Neck Pain: Analysis of Observational Data
An observational longitudinal study looking at visit frequency and outcomes for patients using ongoing chiropractic care for chronic low-back and neck pain.
Feb 25, 2022
Report
Sleep Management in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Systematic Review
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) involves several symptoms, including sleep disturbance. This review synthesizes the evidence from randomized controlled trials on the effects that interventions for adults with PTSD have on sleep outcomes.
Sep 30, 2021
Research Brief
Systematic Reviews of Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Psychological and Behavioral Health Disorders
This brief describes results from a series of systematic reviews evaluating the evidence for the effectiveness and safety of selected and integrative medicine treatments for managing psychological and behavioral health disorders.
Sep 27, 2021
Journal Article
Researching the Appropriateness of Care in the Complementary and Integrative Health Professions: Part 5: Selection, Protection, and Abstraction
Of the records abstracted, many revealed incomplete provider documentation regarding the details of and rationale for care. Better documentation and more standardized record keeping would facilitate future research using patient records.
Jun 11, 2020
Journal Article
Researching the Appropriateness of Care in the Complementary and Integrative Health Professions: Part 3: Designing Instruments With Patient Input
This article documents the challenges and the efforts involved in designing data collection tools to facilitate the inclusion of patient data into appropriateness decisions.
Jun 10, 2020
Journal Article
Researching the Appropriateness of Care in the Complementary and Integrative Health Professions: Part 4: Putting Practice Back Into Evidence-based Practice by Recruiting Clinics and Patients
This study found that clinics can be successfully recruited for practice-based studies, and patients can be recruited using iPads. Obtaining patient records presents considerable challenges, and clinics varied in whether they had electronic files, nonelectronic records, or a mixture.
Jun 10, 2020
Journal Article
Coping and Management Techniques Used by Chronic Low Back Pain Patients Receiving Treatment From Chiropractors
Persons with chronic back pain were proactive in their coping strategies and frequently used self-care coping strategies like those provided by chiropractors in patient education. In alignment with patients' beliefs that their condition was chronic and lifelong, many patients attempted a wide range of coping strategies to relieve their pain.
Jun 9, 2020
Journal Article
The Research Crisis in American Institutions of Complementary and Integrative Health: One Proposed Solution for Chiropractic Profession
The future success of CIH-directed research on CIH will require a pooling of talent and resources across institutions; something that the American chiropractic institutions have not yet been able to achieve. This article discusses one possible solution.
May 5, 2020
Journal Article
Group and Individual-level Change on Health-related Quality of Life in Chiropractic Patients With Chronic Low Back or Neck Pain
This study suggests some benefits of chiropractic on functioning and well-being of patients with low back pain or neck pain.
Mar 31, 2020
Announcement
RAND Establishes Center to Advance Complementary and Integrative Health Research
RAND has launched the Center for Collaborative Research in Complementary and Integrative Health, a first-of-its-kind effort intended to bolster research expertise and participation at colleges that train practitioners in complementary and integrative health.
Feb 12, 2020
Research Brief
How to Improve Mental Health Care for Veterans
Veterans, especially those who deployed overseas, face elevated risks of mental health conditions. Those who have served since 9/11 are particularly vulnerable. About one in five experiences mental health problems. Are veterans getting the high-quality care that they need?
Aug 13, 2019
Journal Article
Manipulation and Mobilization for Treating Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis for an Appropriateness Panel
The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the randomized controlled trials published from January 2000 through September 2017 on chronic nonspecific neck pain, comparing the effects of manipulation and/or mobilization as therapies to those of other active therapies (such as acupuncture, massage therapy, exercise, etc.) to sham or no treatment, and when combined with other therapies such as exercise or advice commonly seen in practice.
Jun 11, 2019
Journal Article
Naturopathic Medicine for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial
To evaluate the effectiveness of representative naturopathic approaches to reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, we conducted a randomized clinical trial of a multimodality nutritional and physical activity intervention in a workplace setting.
Jun 11, 2019
Journal Article
Characteristics of Chiropractic Patients Being Treated for Chronic Low Back and Neck Pain
This study describes the characteristics of a large sample of chronic low back pain and chronic neck pain patients in the United States who use chiropractic care for their chronic low back pain and chronic neck pain.
Jun 11, 2019

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Next

RAND Topic:
Complementary and Integrative Health

Research conducted by