Pros And Cons Of Complementary Therapies

Throughout the years there have been two traditions within the practice of medicine. One is the 'art of healing ' which involves its own specialised brand of training. The art of healing is dependent on the prescriber 's foreknowledge and the clients’ viewpoint of the prosperous results. The 'Science of healing ' is based on scientific and technological ideas. This tradition results in a lower liability for practitioners regarding the showing of an original approach to medicine, however the results of this method are more calculable (Kayne 2002). It is believed that the tradition of the ‘art of healing’ is increasing in popularity. The World Health Organisation states ' 'that the terms ' 'complementary medicine ' ' or ' 'alternative medicine’ ' are used interchangeably with traditional medicine in some countries. They refer to a broad set of health care practices that are not part of that country 's own tradition and are not integrated into the dominant health care system” (World Health Organization 2000). This type of treatment, is commonly known as ‘Complementary and alternative medicine’ (CAM). The word complementary derives from the meaning ‘together with’ established practices and the word alternative refers to ‘in place’ of established practices. Some patients choose to participate in complementary therapies along with the medication prescribed by their general practitioner whilst others prefer complementary therapies as opposed to the medications

Factors that could affect access to complementary therapies could stem from many sources. These could consist of physical barriers, geographical barriers, socio-economical barriers, cultural barriers, educational barriers and the barriers that may be faced by referral systems.

The findings of this survey showed that 73.6% agreed with the use of traditional medicines for health maintenance, 79.2% agreed for benign illness, such as colds or sprained ankles, and 90.3% agreed for palliative care (Zubek, 1994, p. 1926). Where they disagreed the most was with the use of traditional healing in the intensive care units, only 16.9% agreed with the use of this treatment for serious illness, such as cardiac or respiratory compromise, whether in the hospital (21.2% agreed) or as outpatients (26.4% agreed). Nearly half (48.6%) agreed with using traditional medicines for chronic illnesses, such as non-insulin dependent diabetes or Parkinson's disease (Zubek, 1994, p. 1926). One instance where physicians were unwilling to allow their patients to use Native medicine was while the patient is in the hospital, because the physician could be held legally responsible for any treatment administered while admitted under their care. There is also the problem of differentiating between legitimate Native healing practitioners and those who would take advantage of anyone not aware of the proper rituals and techniques that need to be performed (Zubek, 1994, p. 1929). This could be overcome by having a formalized licensing organization such as is used by Western practitioners (i.e. American Society of Clinical Pathology [ASCP]). That poses another problem though, as to whether traditionalists would be willing to have such an organization.

P5 – explain the advantages and disadvantages of complementary therapies in maintaining health and wellbeing

CNHC is the UK voluntary regulator for complementary healthcare practitioners. CNHC stands for Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council. This was set up with the Governments support to protect the public by providing s UK voluntary register of complementary therapists. This regulator has been approved an Accredited Register by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care which main aim is to protect the public. Therefore, they have met the authority’s demanding standards. All registered practitioners are entitled to use CNHC’s quality mark which is commitment to professionalism and high standards. Also, the GMC (General Medical Council) confirms that GP’s are able to refer patients to practitioners. (What is the CNHC Register?, 2016)

In this assignment I will be explaining factors that affect access to complementary therapies; I will then explain how the use of complementary therapies is regulated. Then I will explain the principles and practises of complementary therapies I will then go on to discuss complementary therapies that are available for users of Health & Social Care services.

Knowledge and lack of knowledge can have a major influence on whether individuals use complementary therapies. For example; people may have heard negative stories about certain therapies such as acupuncture, aromatherapy or massage. This negativity may implement fear of using these therapies. Lack of knowledge may also case negative feelings, for example; individuals may have never heard of certain therapies before that are now available in their local area. Some might know about the therapy, but do not understand the benefits of using it.

In modern medicine, alternative therapies are poorly understood and studied. The preference for alternative therapies, and herbal medicine were indicated, and the fear of relinquishing information regarding these practices were almost paralyzing. It seemed as though they were ashamed to admit to cultural healing practices, and did not divulge information to practitioners regarding their usage. The cultural disconnect was present as alternative/complimentary medicines are valued as a culture, and “modern” practitioners cast judgment on their usage. This perceived stigma additionally limited the information shared by the cultural participants with modern medical treatments, potentially causing additional harm, as some herbals are potentially toxic.

The mission of NCCAM is to investigate the “usefulness and safety” of alternative and complementary medicine and the roles they could possibly play in improving health of the nation and our healthcare system by advance research on mind and body interventions,

There is a growing interest in complementary and alternative therapies that are noninvasive, do not rely on expensive technology, and are holistic in focus. A prime example is reiki therapy. I became certified as a reiki Level-I practitioner in the summer of 2018 because I felt it would be the perfect complement to my growing nursing skills. As a reiki-certified nurse, I would be able to help my patients if they ever desired the holistic therapy to be added to their plan of care. Through my experiences as a reiki Level-I practitioner, I have become familiar with just how important complementary and alternative therapies can be. As healthcare professionals, we must pay attention to how we can improve a patient’s quality of life. We must think

Patients, as consumers have a say on the decisions a healthcare facility makes regarding integrating CAM practitioners in their clinical practices. As such, a specialty clinic’s Chief Medical Officer should pay attention to the consumer suggestions. The patient should know that they will be granted the right to make health care decisions that resonate with their preferences, wishes, and values. Additionally, a patient would want to know whether the practitioners would respect their autonomy, regarding treatment decisions and health care goals, and act in patients’ best interests, according to fiduciary duties.

It is noted with regard to doctors that the basic means of influencing the acceptance of CAM and informing patients is their personal passion for medicine and their passion to find the appropriate solutions for the treatment of their patients. The next means of informing them was their family and their wider environment, ie people who trust them. According to Adams et al (2012), this conclusion of the practical part is confirmed, in particular they stated in their study that the basic criteria for influencing doctors are mainly personal study and participation in informative seminars, while an important means of information is the broader cycle (Akilen et al., 2014; Andrikopoulos et al., 2015), the relevant environment as an important factor.

The demand for the integration of complementary and traditional medicine into healthcare practice is on the rise. In the United States, an estimated 1 in 9 children from birth to 18 years old use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) (Burns et al., 2017). Use is increasing among some of the most vulnerable populations of children such as those with chronic, recurrent, or incurable disorders (McClafferty et al., 2017). Chronic health conditions are often more effectively addressed with the integration of complementary therapies (Burns et al., 2017). Children and families are turning to CAM for hope in managing illnesses and improving quality of life. CAM includes a variety of products and therapies, new and old, many requiring more

In today’s society, individuals strive to live a healthier and longer life. People strive to do this by making lifestyle changes. For example, being more health conscious by purchasing organic foods and BPA free products. Recently, consumers have been enamored with reports stating BPA products may cause cancer. In addition, people are purchasing organic foods because it has been said that switching to the consumption of organic foods may decrease the toxins that can cause harm to the body. Thirdly, with the frequent incidents of antibiotics prescriptions being freely distributed, when they may not be necessary in the treatment of certain infections, more people are being affected with super infections. This in turn is causing people to switch to complementary/alternative therapies. There continues to be an increase in the use of herbal supplements, vitamins, and in modalities such as: alternative therapies like acupuncture and massage therapy. As more consumers use these therapies, the medical industry has started to turn their attention to integrating these therapies into daily nursing practice. In this paper, Noreen Cavan Frisch’s writings “Nursing as a Context for Alternatives/Complementary Modalities”, “Standards for Holistic Nursing Practice: A way to think about our care that includes complementary and alternative modalities”, and “Keeping the Concept of ’human energy field’ in the Mainstream of Nursing Work” are analyzed for techniques used to persuade

The global health care arena in the past three decades has been transformed by the growth in the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by residents in both developed and developing countries. The increase in public interest in the use of CAM is particularly high in Western societies where conventional biomedicine has dominated the health care landscape (Bishop & Lewith, 2010; Bodeker & Kronenberg, 2002; Boon, 2002). CAM has become a critical component of the public health care system of many western countries, including Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States (Andrews & Boon, 2005; Eisenberg et al., 1993; Fautrel et al., 2002; McLaughlin, Lui, & Adams, 2012; Thomas, Nicholl, & Coleman, 2001). Whereas there are many definitions and conceptions of CAM, the term is often used in references to medical and health practices that have different traditions, practices, and bodies of knowledge from conventional biomedicine (Adams et al., 2011; Hall, Griffiths, & McKenna, 2014; Reid, Steel, Wardle, Trubody, & Adams, 2016). Thus, it encapsulates both indigenous health traditions of the world (for example, Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine) as well as, contemporary alternative forms of health care such as chiropractic, aromatherapy, and naturopathy. A distinct feature of these alternative forms of health care is their psychosocial paradigm of health and wellbeing (Anyinam, 1990; Bowleg, 2012). A fundamental