Integrative Medicine | Research

The Department of Integrative Medicine actively participates in academic and clinical activities throughout the Hartford HealthCare system.

Integrative Medicine Research

We currently are collaborating with:

  • The Bone and Joint institute in the delivery of massage therapy to post-operative joint replacement patients
  • The Cancer Institute in deploying IM modalities (Art, Acupuncture, massage and Reiki)
  • The Neuroscience Institute to optimize quality of life in patients with complex neurological disease and movement disorders
  • Connecticut Children’s Medica Center by providing massage therapy to patients as an adjunct to palliative care and to families within the family resource center.

Ongoing formal research being conducted at Hartford HealthCare in the area of Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine includes:

  1. Patient Centered Techniques to Enhance Outcomes for Abdominal Hysterectomy - in collaboration with Peggy Huddleston, author of "Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster" - funded by Hartford Hospital Research Administration
  2. The Use of Therapeutic Massage to Reduce Pain and Improve Satisfaction for Patients Undergoing Discectomy - funded by the Press-Ganey Research Award
  3. Fatigue Reported by Patients Receiving Radiotherapy for Cancer: A Pilot for a Study Exploring Reiki as an intervention to Decrease Fatigue - unfunded
  4. A Retrospective Study of Fatigue Reported by Patients Receiving and Not Receiving Reiki During Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer: A Pilot for a Prospective Randomized Controlled Study - unfunded
  5. Reiki: What are its Effects for Patients During Dialysis - funded by Hartford Hospital Research Administration

Active Grants:

CT Innovations & Solstice Strategy Partners- Secor (PI) 08/19 - 07/20
The effects of app-based patient driven guided meditation on pain and quality of life: A pilot and feasibility study. The goal of this grant to evaluate the use of a customized, medical meditation app. Participants with pain will be asked to use a cloud-based mediation App while evaluating in pain and QOL.

Tutu Foundation- Secor (PI) 03/17 - 07/20
The effect of “Yoga for Cancer” (Y4C) on pain and quality of life in cancer patients: a pilot and feasibility Study. The goal of this grant is to provide and evaluate the benefits of Yoga therapy on pain, anxiety and quality of life in cancer patients and patients with musculoskeletal conditions with a history of cancer.

Zoe Foundation- Secor (PI) 08/19 - 07/20
Use of Art Therapy in patients with Cancer. The goal of this grant is to provide and evaluate the benefits of Art therapy on pain, anxiety and quality of life in cancer patients and their caregivers.

Angie’s Spa Cancer Foundation Secor (PI) 10/13 - 09/20
Effect of IM Therapies on Pain and Quality of Life. The goal of this grant is to evaluate the effect of specific IM treatment modalities (Acupuncture Massage and Yoga)on pain and quality of life in cancer patients and their caregivers.

Recent Abstract Presentations include:

2019 Gopal, Punyapriya, Alice Moore and Eric R. Secor, Jr Hospital-based Reiki: Program Assessment and Establishing Best Practice. Society for Integrative Oncology, New York, New York. Oct.

2018 Eric R. Secor, Jr, Theresa R. Weiss, Maxine Fields, Michael Leapman,Wajahat Z. Mehal, Ather Ali. Isoflavone Stability Quality Control Assessment of Q-CAN® Plus, a Novel Fermented Soy Beverage. AIHM San Diego, CA. Oct.

2018 Suyavaran Arumugam, Evangelos Dioletis, Ricardo Paiva, Eric R. Secor, Theresa R. Weiss,Maxine R. Fields, Wajahat Z. Mehal, Xinshou Ouyang, Ather Ali. Reduction in Serum Levels of Inflammatory Cytokines in Subjects Consuming the Fermented Soy Beverage Q-CAN® Plus. AIHM San Diego, CA. Oct.

2018 Evangelos Dioletis, Ricardo Paiva, Eric R. Secor, Jr, Theresa R. Weiss, Maxine Field, Wajahat Z. Mehal1, Ather Ali. The Fermented Soy Beverage Q-CAN® Plus Induces Changes in the Oral and Intestinal Microbiome AIHM San Diego, CA. Oct.

2018 Suyavaran Arumugam, Evangelos Dioletis, Ricardo Paiva1, Eric R. Secor, Jr, Theresa R. Weiss, Maxine R. Fields, Wajahat Z. Mehal1, Xinshou Ouyang1, Ather Ali. Reduction in Serum Cholesterol in Subjects Consuming the Fermented Soy Beverage Q-CAN® Plus. AIHM San Diego, CA. Oct.

2018 Suyavaran Arumugam, Evangelos Dioletis, Ricardo Paiva, Eric R. Secor, Jr, Theresa R. Weiss,Maxine R. Fields, Wajahat Z. Mehal, Xinshou Ouyang, Ather Ali. Hematology Safety Data for the Fermented Soy Beverage Q-CAN® Plus. AIHM San Diego, CA. Oct.

2018 Lauren Ciborowski, Erika Cappelluti and Eric R. Secor, Jr. Selective Art Therapy Reduces Pain and Improves patient Satisfaction in Cancer Patients. AIHM San Diego, CA. Oct.

2018 Tari Prinster, Josi Kytle, Patricia Salner, Roberta Garceau, Cheryl Guertin, Erika Cappelluti & Eric R. Secor, Jr. Establishing “Y4C” as the Hospital-Based Gold-Standard Yoga for Cancer Patients and Survivors. AIHM San Diego, CA. Oct.

2017 John Q. Erwin, Erika Cappelluti, David Santoro, Eric Cheffer, Sherry Stohler and Eric R. Secor, Jr. Massage Therapy in Orthopaedics, Evaluation of Outcomes in EPIC. AIHM San Diego, CA. Oct.

2017 Erika Cappelluti and Eric R. Secor, Jr de novo implementation of Integrative Healthcare; A novel orthopedic- hospital pilot. AIHM San Diego, CA. Oct.

2016 John Q. Erwin, Erika Cappelluti, David Santoro, Eric Cheffer, Sherry Stohler and Eric R. Secor, Jr. The Effect of Therapeutic Massage on Pain and Anxiety in Orthopedic Surgical Patients: Initial Evaluation of a Novel Pilot Program. AIHMSan Diego, CA. Oct

2016 Eric Secor and Edward Acworth. Insightfil - An Agile Robotic Dispensing and Adherence system for Dietary Supplements. J AltComp Med. 2016, pp. A1–A142 acm.2016.29003.abstracts P03.24

2016 Eric Secor, Theresa R. Weiss, Maxine Fields, Wajahat Z. Mehal, Ather Ali. Characterization and Quality Control of a Fermented Soy Beverage. J AltComp Med. 2016, pp. A1–A142 acm.2016.29003.abstracts P09.29

2015 Samantha Cronin, Diana Boehnert, Ellen Dornelas, Erika Cappelluti and Eric R. Secor, Jr. Expressive Art Provides Creative Outlet & Evidence of Reduced Pain & Anxiety in Cancer Patients. ISIM San Diego, CA. Oct

Integrative Medicine