Chapter 28 - Complementary & Alternative Therapies Flashcards
What is CAT?
Complementary & Alternative Therapies
Interventions that are complementary and/or alternative to conventional medical care
Relaxation, imagery, massage, acupuncture, etc.
Prevalence
15% of hospitals may offer it
50% adults report using them
Growth
Billion dollars spent each year
85% of nursing schools include in curriculum
The National Center on CAM (NCCAM) within the NIH uses federal funds for research
Principles and Approaches
Allopathy (biomedicine)- general term describing traditional medical care
Holism- theory and philosophy that all living organisms are continuously connecting and interacting with the environment
Holistic Nursing- a practice found in all aspects of nursing
Integrative Care- uses both Allopathy and CAT
CAT Categories
Consists of a philosophy and set of beliefs about health and illness and specific types of treatment.
5 Categories Whole medical systems Mind-body therapies Energy medicine Biologically-based practices Manipulative and body-based practices
Whole medical systems-Ayurveda
Originated in India 4,000 years ago Balance among people, environment, and the cosmos Dosha- person’s basic constitution Vata- changeable Pitta- Intense Kapha- relaxed Nursing Consideration May require certain diets, or time for meditation
Whole medical systems-Yoga
Practiced in India for thousands of years
Practices mental and physical exercises for “spiritual enlightenment”
Physical postures
Breathing exercises
Body and mind centering
Nursing considerations
Yoga instructors, tapes, and DVDs
May be contraindicated following surgery, menstruation, or other hospital concerns
Whole medical systems-Traditional Chinese Medicine
System is thousands of years old
Belief in interactions between person and environment
Qi or Chi- energy (in all things)
Yin and Yang- opposites and complementary
Acupuncture
Uses thin, short needles to change energy flow
Needles may be placed for 1 hour or more
Qi Gong
Postures, exercises, breathing patterns
Nursing considerations
Acupuncture may cause lymphedema, infection, bleeding
Qi Gong instructors, tapes, and DVDs
Certain exercises may contraindicated following surgery, or other hospital concerns
Whole medical systems-Shamanism
Illness and other forms of distress are thought to originate in the spirit world
The shaman practitioner possesses the ability to access the spirit world
Treatments include retrieving loss soul energy, restore the individual’s soul
Uses native plants, herbs, animals, rituals, ceremony
Nursing considerations
May need to allow healers from performing healing or spiritual ceremonies but need to prevent
Adversely affect to other patients adverse effects of herbal and modern medicines
Nutritional consultation
Because of the increasingly multi-cultural society within the United States, professional nurses need expertise and skills in the delivery of culturally appropriate and culturally competent nursing care to minority populations. Members of one of these populations, American Indians and Alaska Natives, have many diverse traditions and practices. If the goal of nurses is to provide the best possible care for these clients, the nurses must understand the cultural differences that may create conflict and result in less than optimal outcomes. In addition, the nurses must have expertise and skill in the delivery of culturally appropriate and culturally competent nursing care. To plan effective interactions and develop appropriate responses to American Indians, professional nurses must begin to familiarize themselves with cultural traditions specific to this population.
Whole medical systems-Homeopathy
Seeks to support the person while the symptoms “run their course”
Belief that people get sick in individualized ways
Based on 2 laws
Similars- substances that produce an effect in a healthy person will cure it in a sick person
Infinitesimals- smallest dose possible will have effect
Nursing considerations
Symptoms may get worst before they get better
Remedies may be counteracted by herbs and pharmaceuticals
Treatment may need to be repeated due to small doses
Whole medical systems-Naturopathy
Belief that health is dynamic, a way of life with emphasis on
Patient responsibility
Patient education
Health maintenance
Disease prevention
Includes acupuncture, nutrition, herbs, hydrotherapy, and osteopathy
Nursing considerations
Patients may have different plan of care than those treated by allopathic physicians
Whole medical systems-Chiropractic
Investigates relationship of the spine and function of the nervous system to restore and preserve health
Diagnosed by history, physical exam, X-ray
Treatment consists of ice and heat, massage, herbs and nutritional supplements, ultrasound, electrical nerve stimulation
Nursing considerations
Review patient’s history to identify the underlying cause of health problems and various treatments attempted
Mind-Body Modalities
Belief that mind and body are interconnected
Relaxation promotes parasympathetic activity and decreases sympathetic activity (hypnosis, biofeedback, focus on breathing)
Meditation changing one’s physiology to achieve a more relaxed state and alter one’s perception to an increased acceptance of reality
Guided Imagery rehearsal in the mind, use 5 senses to imagine an event unfolding according to a plan
Prayer
Humor therapy
Aromatherapy
What is the mind-body connection? Headaches after fights Insomnia or Anxiety before exams Irritability before final examinations Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) Messenger molecules (neuropeptides) Affect neurologic and physiologic tissue receptors Many lie in the GI tract (emotions/stomachache) Relaxation may decrease unwanted effects
Energy Medicine Modalities
Therapeutic Touch the use of hands on or near the body with the intend to help or heal
Healing Touch use energy techniques to assess and treat (affecting physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health and healing)
Sound Healing use of music to reduce pain, anxiety, and promote relaxation
Nursing considerations
Structure the environment so that patients have uninterrupted time to experience touch and sound therapies
Biologically-based practices Botanicals & Nutritional Supplements
Herbs are “natural” plants products (echinacea, ginko biloba) perceived to be more comfortable with the body
Nutritional Supplements (vitamins, amino acids, minerals, essential fatty acids) believed to promote health)
Nursing considerations
Special education needed before advising
Check for herb - drug interactions to promote patient safety
Biologically-based practices-Nutritional Therapy
Eating plans that promote health
People with different needs and preferences for food
Holistic nutritional approaches
Nursing considerations
↓ amount of processed foods/preservatives/high in sugar
Reduce/eliminate soft drinks
Reduce intake of dairy products
Eat organically grown foods
Consider adopting a vegetarian diet
Be aware of genetically engineered, radiated food
Manipulative & Body-based Practices
Uses a variety of therapeutic massages Break up tension in body structures ↑ communication between mind and body Promote detoxification Improve body functioning ↑ tissue oxygenation Break up lymphatic congestion Release muscle tightness Promote circulation
