Complementary therapy takes a holistic approach to healing the body. This is an inexpensive type of treatment can be used in conjunction with conventional medicine, which is the using of drugs to treat illnesses and other health conditions, in order to reintroduce balance in the functionality of an individual. On the other hand, when used in place of conventional medicine it is referred to as alternative medicine. It is believed that an individual need to be completely balanced holistically to be considered healthy; this means that the mind, body and spirit needs to be treated along with any illness that occurs. Complementary therapy takes many forms that falls under five (5) categories: Mind-body therapies, biologically based therapies, …show more content…
Steven D. Ehrlich, NMD (10/02/11). The most important factor in the success of any mind and body technique is the ability to teach the mind to mainly focus on the physical body. With this focal attention an individual may be able to enhance their well-being. Biofeedback is one of the used techniques in mind and body therapy. This technique instructs the mind to overpower the biological processes that occurs involuntarily. These involuntary processes are observed closely on a monitor which delivers feedbacks. The feedbacks help attaining the ability to influence the “involuntary activities”. This method is used to for a variety of conditions such as lowering blood pressure, however, it is mainly used to relieve tension headaches, migraines and chronic pain.
Energy Therapy
As mentioned before, complementary therapy highlights the significance of taking a holistic approach when healing the body. Energy therapy, according to “Nancy Russell, 2012”, is creating a link between the different dimensions (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual) of an individual in efforts to remove any accumulations that interrupts the body’s natural flow of energy. This technique influences self-healing, empowerment and spiritual
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Whole medical system is theory and practical based and varies from culture to culture. Homeopathy uses a variety of natural substances such as plants, minerals or animals etc. This remedial, whole medical technique is “formulated as sugar pellets to be placed under the tongue, they may also be in forms of ointments, gels, drops, creams and tablets.” According to “Huntsville-Madison County Public, June,11th 2011”
Historical Background
Complementary therapy dates back many years and is an intricate system that has been modified by social, economic and scientific factors. In the 19th century most medical care was mainly alterative therapy (complementary therapy without conventional medicine) which consisted of botanical healers, chiropractors, herbalist etc. As science evolved conventional medicine became prevalent with the aid of medical education. Conventional medicine secured its place in the health care sector when “lifesaving hormones drugs and other antibiotics” was introduced “White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy”, in 20th century and proved helpful in improving illnesses. However complementary and alternative therapies did not completely perish but it was not seen as mainstream
Cherry, B., & Jacob, S. R. (2017). Complementary and alternative healing (C. Eliopoulos, Ed.). In Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends & management (7th ed., pp. 205-206). St Louis, MO: Elsevier, Inc.
Nowadays, complementary alternative medicine is very popular in the United States. It is widely used by adults and children. National health statistic reports done in 2007 shows that 38.3% of adults and 11.8% of children use some form of alternative medicine (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2016). But why is this happening? Why is it becoming so popular? Why are more people turning to it? Many times, this is because conventional medicine has not work and they want to try an alternative. That is the case of the author of this paper.
Complementary and alternative treatments are identified as a group of medical and healing systems different from the traditional ones. This type of approach centers on individualized treatment for the patient, treats the body as a whole, and promotes self healing and search for the spiritual nature of each individual. One of the crucial points that conventional and alternative medicine have in common is the awareness on good nutrition and the promotion of preventive care (White House Commission, 2014).
Homeopathy is natural form of medicine that has been around for over two hundred years. Homeopathy works by treating a symptom with the “principle of similars”.“We should imitate nature...a drug with power to provoke another, artificial disease, as similar as possible, and the former disease will be cured: fight like with like.” (Hahnerman) Homeopathy works by treating a symptom with the “principle of similars”. This means to give a substance that will elicit a healing response. Over the past couple of years, it has been discovered that conventional medicine has serious side effects which can harm a person’s health. Homeopathy was found to be a solution to this problem and can have many positive effects on a person’s health and their lifestyle.
There has been a growing trend over the past few years in health care using Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) or also known as Eastern medicine. The new and emerging type of health care has been around for thousands of years, but in recent years have been more accepting in Western culture. CAM is described as, “a wide range of practices, technologies and treatments not traditionally associated with the medical professions or medical curriculum” (Solomon & Adams, 2015). There are many different types of CAM health care. Some of the more popular practices include acupuncture, massage therapy, aromatherapy, reflexology, chiropractic and herbal remedies. Each of these therapies are used in different ways to help with the overall
Most of the time when going to the doctor’s office they will prescribe a prescription drug to the patient to help manage their pain. This pain can be described as a “sensation of physical or mental suffering or hurt that usually causes distress or agony to the one experiencing it.” (Taylor, Lillis, LeMone, and Lynn, 2011) However, there are some instances where medication may not be enough for some patients; they may require more relief than what a prescription drug can offer. This is why many patients may benefit from complementary and alternative therapies (CAT). These types of interventions are “complementary therapies (they can be used with traditional medical interventions and thus complement them).” (Taylor et al., 2011)
Reflexology is the theory that the human body can be healed from disease or imbalance through pressure to specific points on the hands, feet, and ears (http://www.doubleclickd.com/reflexology.html). This alternative form of healing is doubted by many, although there are studies that support its theory.
These alternative treatments include acupuncture, meditation, and therapy among many others.There is growing evidence that the desire for alternative medicine is expanding because people undergoing procedures in today’s health care system has had unmet needs as well as feelings of being uncared for (Acari & Flanagan, 2015). Alternative medicine is able to provide patients with treatments that provide relief for hard to cure problems such as back pain, neck pain, and arthritis. Many of these alternative treatments have been shown to be successful for various problems. The use of complimentary and alternative medicine as well as the open ended communication that holistic nursing provides is gaining popularity from patients who are fed up with traditional care and hospital
Complementary therapies are alternatives to conventional medicine, which advance conventional health care. These therapies have been around for a while but are becoming more popular in nursing and in health care (O`Regan et al., 2010, p. 35). It is shown that...
The Usui System of Natural Healing. Retrieved 2011, December 8 from http://www.dpierce.com/pat/. Herron, D.(n.d.). The Reiki Attunement process. Retrieved 2011, December 8 from http://reiki.7gen.com. International Center for Reiki Training Web site (n.d).
“Integration is a method of utilising more than one theory in the belief that by combining or integrating these theories the chance of a successful outcome for the client is increased.”
Inc. Websites -.. http://www.ajc.com/health/altmed/shared/health/alt_medicine/ConsModalities/MindBody. http://www.healthyroads.com/myhealth/content/mindbody/articles/art_MindBodyTherapyOverviewOfHealingMethods.asp? Journals: The Journal of the American Latorre, M. (2000). The 'Secondary'. A Holistic View of Psychotherapy: Connecting Mind, Body, and Spirit.
According to Sandra Augustyn Lawton in Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Teens, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) can be defined as “a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine” (Lawton, 2007, p.3). Although complementary and alternative medicines are often interpreted as the same thing, complementary methods are used in coordination with conventional methods and alternative methods are used in place of conventional methods of medicine (Lawton, 2007, p.3). Another method used is integrative medicine, which uses conventional medicine and CAM together because there is proven scientific evidence to support that the treatment plan is safe and effective (Lawton, 2007, p.3). Complementary and alternative medicines are used throughout the world in many different countries, some more specifically than others.
Health psychology is a relatively new concept rapidly growing and could be defined as the biological and psychological influences affect ones behaviour also bringing in social influences of health and illness (MacDonald, 2013). Biological determinants consider genetic and biological factors of an illness whereas psychological determinants focus on the psychological factors such as why people behave the way they do when dealing with issues such as anxiety and stress. Models such as the Health Belief Model and Locus of Control were developed in attempt to try and explain psychological issues around a chronic illness such as breast cancer (Ogden, 2012). Sociological factors can cause an enormous amount of pressure for one to behave in a certain way for example gender roles in society and religious considerations when dealing with health beliefs. Health Beliefs can be defined as one’s own perception to their own personal health and illness and health behaviours (Ogden, 2012). There are also theories and models used to explain pain and coping with diagnosis such as Moos and Schaefer (1984) Crisis theory and Shontz (1975) cycle of grief people go through when being diagnosed with a serious illness.
Mental health refers to the state of individuals psychologically, emotionally and socially. Mental health affects a person’s emotions, feelings, thoughts, and sections when exposed to different situations. Furthermore, mental health is responsible for a person’s reaction to stress and other social conditions. Generally, mental health affects how a person relates to others and their ability to understand and interact with them. Therefore, problems that affect a person’s mental health affect the abilities to socialize, their feelings, moods, reaction to situations. The person experiencing mental health problem may portray different behaviors when confronted with different issues. Mental health issues have several