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Integration: a synergistic approach to health/wellness.

Integration is defined as the weaving of new possibilities, new alternatives, and new options into a cloak of security where concepts of health or wellness are actualized. In integration, the mind, body, and soul are open to explore and embrace these new possibilities, alternatives, and options. The authors believe the process of integration, and thus health, is enhanced via synergy; particularly the synergy created by the provider/individual relationship. Health care is an outcome or the culmination of a variety of modalities identified, explored, and celebrated by the individual seeking health/wellness and the primary care practitioner coordinating care. In the quest to provide individuals with the health care they seek, practitioners are encouraged to take note of the lessons taught by alternative and complementary health care practitioners. Individuals want to be heard. They are seeking effective, low cost interventions that are as natural as possible. Reiki, meditation, biofeedback, massage, botanicals, healing touch, ayurveda, and aromatherapy represent some of the healing modalities and complementary therapies to explore for integration.

Complementary Therapies↗

Holistic nursing management of pain and suffering: a historical view with contemporary applications.

Nursing is rooted in caring for those who suffer and experience pain. As nursing has grown through the ages, technological advances and socioeconomic changes have required nurses to adapt as they continue to provide holistic, patient-centered care. Over the past century, nursing practice has been dominated by Western medical culture, resulting in a relegation of the caring-healing practices of nurses to the margins of healthcare delivery. Recent changes in the ontology of caring-healing practices are rooted in a new knowledge of complimentary practices. Advancements in behavioral sciences and the neurobiology of pain and suffering, together with an acceptance of Eastern and other healing practices, have enriched and enlightened our understanding of pain management. The recent growth of self-help and support programs has enlightened the healthcare consumer in choosing treatments. Contemporary clinical practice may now include methods that reflect the interconnectedness between the mind and body, such as biofeedback, healing touch, aromatherapy, progressive relaxation, meditation, and behavioral therapy. This article examines the historical concepts of pain and suffering that have influenced the approach to pain management and describes significant holistic methods that may be utilized by the nurse in managing pain.

Complementary Therapies↗

A critical review of natural therapies in wound management.

The use of natural medicine by both the general population and the nursing profession is increasing. Also referred to as unconventional, alternative, and complementary, these therapies often are derived from natural sources and facilitate improvements in health and well being by supporting innate healing processes of the body. Although the application of natural therapies in wound management is still in its infancy, several--honey, larval therapy, aromatherapy, herbal medicine, homeopathy, nutrition, and mind-body-spirit techniques--are demonstrating potential benefit in the management of acute and chronic wounds. Existing evidence of safety and effectiveness is predominantly based on the results of in vivo studies; confirmation from well-designed clinical trials is deficient. Consequently, clinical research is needed to examine these therapies to address the escalating incidence of chronic wounds in a climate of increasing healthcare costs.

Complementary Therapies↗

[The alternative therapies for preventing osteoporosis in menopausal women].

Due to the influence of endocrine, menopausal women are easily affected by osteoporosis. Nowadays, with the popularity of preventive medicine, the proportion of the public willing to accept alternative therapies has increased. In this study alternative therapies, including Chinese medicine, diet, exercise, aromatherapy, acupressure and acupuncture were integrated, to prevent osteoporosis in menopausal women. It is expected that this study will enhance the quality of nursing and expand the prospects of nursing care in this field.

Complementary Therapies↗

Complementary therapy use by women's health clinic clients.

CONTEXT: While it is known that more women than men use complementary and alternative therapies, it is important to look at women who are pregnant or possibly receiving hormonal therapy, as side effects and consequences of these therapies may have a significant effect on their health status. OBJECTIVE: To assess women's knowledge, perceived effectiveness and use of 20 complementary and alternative therapies. DESIGN: Descriptive four-page questionnaire to obtain data on the use, reason for use, knowledge, perceived effectiveness, and sources of information of twenty complementary and alternative therapies. SETTING: Women's Health Center at a large Midwestern hospital. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 250 women waiting to be seen by either a nurse midwife or obstetrician/gynecologist at an outpatient clinic. RESULTS: Sixty-nine percent of the participants used one or more complementary therapy. The most frequently used therapies included prayer, vitamins, massage, diet, and aromatherapy. The best predictor of use of each therapy was the participant's knowledge of the therapy. Participants generally rated the efficacy of the therapies higher than their knowledge level. Frequently cited sources of information were popular media and family. The least common information sources were nurse-midwives, drug stores, Internet, and other professional healthcare providers. CONCLUSIONS: Women in this setting use complementary therapies at a rate greater than the general population. The participants obtained a great deal of their information about the therapies from popular press, media, friends, and family members rather than from licensed healthcare providers.

Adult↗

[Survey of parents of children with cancer who look for alternative therapies].

Alternative therapies are regimens that run counter to the mainstream of Western medicine. The main purpose of this study was to investigate and evaluate the alternative medicine with which parents of children with cancer seek to have their children treated. The research took as its subjects the parents of children with cancer who were outpatients or inpatients in six medical centers from September to December, 1999. Data were collected by questionnaire and 110 copies were effective. The results showed that 69.1% of the parents had been seeking alternative therapies. The most popular form of alternative therapy identified by this research was folk and religious therapy (68.4%), followed by Chinese medical treatment (57.9%), followed by special diets (50.0%). Other forms were used, such as herbal and arcanum therapy (13.2%), human electricity (3.9%), meditation (1.3%), and aromatherapy (1.3%). The results also showed that 61.8% of the parents had not discussed the use of the alternative therapies with the children's doctors. Hospital workers, therefore, should try to understand the situations of pediatric patients using alternative therapies, and provide appropriate suggestions to parents of pediatric patients as well as more humane, thoughtful medical care.

Child↗

Christmas gingerbread (Lebkuchen) and Christmas cheer--review of the potential role of mood elevating amphetamine-like compounds formed in vivo and in furno.

The typical spices used in winter include nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and anise. These spices contain two groups of chemicals, the allylbenzenes and their isomers, the propenylbenzenes. It was suggested 40 years ago by Alexander Shulgin that these substances act as metabolic precursors of amphetamines. The biotransformation of these precursors to nitrogen-containing metabolites is reviewed. These reactions have not been reported in humans. Whether or not the pharmacology and toxicology of spices such as nutmeg can be explained on the basis of their allylbenzene or propenylbenzene content is speculative. Humans may be exposed to amphetamines derived from these precursors in forno, the formation during baking and cooking, for example in the preparation of Lebkuchen, or Christmas gingerbread. It is possible that this may be responsible, in part, for uplifting our mood in winter. However, the role of these aromatic substances, acting simply as odours, evoking old memories of winters past, cannot be ignored. Whether spices have a true pharmacological effect or they act as aromatherapy remains to be elucidated through clinical and laboratory studies.

Affect↗

[Alternative methods of nicotine dependence treatment].

The methods of tobacco dependency treatment, which are alternative to pharmacological ones, have in recent years increasingly gained popularity. The most popular include: acupuncture, laser therapy, electrostimulation, hypnosis and autohypnosis, bioresonance, as well as herbalism, aromatherapy and homeopathic methods. The above mentioned methods have been shortly characterized in this paper. Their effectiveness and usefulness of application have as well been brought up for discussion on the basis of available specialist literature. The aspects related to safety of particular methods of therapy for the patient have also been presented. The analysis showed that effectiveness of the methods is often disputable and the main advantage of those methods is a support effect to patient who wants to give up smoking. Thus, it seems that alternative methods may be applied in combination with pharmacological ones because they increase the smoker's motivation to stop smoking and at the same time increase the chance to overcome the addiction in general.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

[Complementary therapies in palliative cancer care].

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has grown in popularity both among the general population and among the cancer patients. Cancer patients often use CAM, which is a treatment that is not commonly used in the conventional setting. However, the prevalence of CAM use appears to vary substantially, with reported frequency of use of at least one CAM therapy ranging from 20% to 83.3%. Complementary medicine has become an important aspect of palliative cancer care. Acupuncture, aromatherapy, homeopathy, hypnotherapy, massage, reflexology, relaxation techniques, and spiritual healing are frequently used forms of treatment. The purpose of this article is to provide information about some complementary therapies that are commonly used by cancer patients in the palliative care.

Complementary Therapies↗

[Antibacterial action of essential oils extracted from Madagascar plants].

The following aromatherapy study reports the antimicrobial activity of eight Malagasy essential oils by the determination of their respective M.I.C. (Minimal Inhibitory Concentration) on enteropathogenic and spoilage bacteria strains. The aromatic plants used were taken from the Labiatae family (Thymus vulgaris, Ocimum gratissimum), the Myrtaceae family (Eugenia caryophyllata, Melaleuca viridiflora) and the Compositae (Helichrysum lavanduloides, H. bracteiferum, H. gymnocephalum, Psiadia altissima). Their inhibitory effect were tested on eight referied strains commonly used for antibiotic measurements and also on twelve others enteropathogenic bacteria strains. The results showed that three oils from Thymus vulgaris, Ocimum gratissimum and Eugenia caryophyllata were particularly efficient with a large spectra action. We noticed that the essential oil of Melaleuca viridiflora had also a high inhibitory effect especially on Gram positive bacteria.

Bacteria↗

[Contact allergy to essential oils].

Ethereal oils are widely used, in food, toothpaste, as flavouring agents in perfumes and cosmetics, and in dermatological treatment, as antiseptics, adstringenta, antipruritic tinctures, lotions and pomades. The use of ethereal oils seems to have increased in recent years, probably due to a growing interest in alternative medicine, and especially aromatherapy. By describing the cases of three patients with allergic contact dermatitis, we wish to point out possible unwanted side effects of using ethereal oils.

Adult↗

Complementary therapy and the mother's wishes.

Midwives cannot ignore the growing interest from clients who wish to use complementary therapies. However, midwives have a duty to ensure that their clients are aware of the advantages and the dangers of particular therapies. Co-operation with complementary therapists is to be encouraged, but the midwife must never delegate responsibility for her client. Managers should arrange for midwives to receive training in particularly complementary therapies, so that midwives may widen the scope of their professional practice. Midwives whose clients request complementary therapies may find themselves asked to provide hypnotism, aromatherapy or another therapy that may conflict with the accepted standards of midwifery practice. A mother might also wish to use homeopathic remedies for an underlying condition.

Clinical Competence↗

Using massage in the relief of lymphoedema.

Lymphoedema of the arm is a complication of treatment for breast cancer. The condition often causes discomfort, reduced movement and changes in body image. Massage is one of the cornerstones of treatment. Aromatherapy massage is relaxing, increases patient comfort and promotes a therapeutic relationship between nurse and patient.

Female↗

Nonpharmacologic pain management in terminal care.

The elderly, terminally ill patient often experiences physical, emotional, and spiritual pain. While pharmacology remains the cornerstone of pain management, non-pharmacologic methods can serve as adjuncts for pain relief, and also serve to enhance the overall quality of the patient's life. Neurostimulation, such as TENS unit, acupuncture, and massage, are based on the gate theory of pain control. These treatments can be useful particularly in muscular pain. Methods aimed at altering the patient's behavior or mood, such as imagery and aromatherapy, can provide an atmosphere of relaxation and comfort. For those patients with localized, particularly difficult to manage areas of pain, specialized neurolytic or neurosurgical methods are available. It would behoove health care practitioners who deal with pain management in elderly, dying patients to add some of these non-pharmacologic methods to their armamentarium of therapies.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

The operating room of the future.

As more and more care moves to the home setting, the ability to undergo a surgical procedure from the comfort of your own home may not be that far away. As for the operating room itself, patient care will be radically different than it has been in the past. Radiologists, assisted by computers and robots, may be performing procedures on patients "anesthetized" by acupuncture, therapeutic touch and aromatherapy in a totally bloodless environment.

Forecasting↗

Treating CAD with Cardiac Surgery Combined with Complementary Therapy.

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery to bypass blocks in the vascular pipeline can correct an acute problem, but it doesn't treat the underlying disease. This cardiac surgical team from a leading medical center explains why and how music therapy, aromatherapy, hypnosis, diet, and other modalities can be used to complement and extend the effect of the surgical repair.

Journal Article↗

Complementary therapies for depression: an overview.

Depression is one of the most common reasons for using complementary and alternative therapies. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the evidence available on the treatment of depression with complementary therapies. Systematic literature searches were performed using several databases, reference list searching, and inquiry to colleagues. Data extraction followed a predefined protocol. The amount of rigorous scientific data to support the efficacy of complementary therapies in the treatment of depression is extremely limited. The areas with the most evidence for beneficial effects are exercise, herbal therapy (Hypericum perforatum), and, to a lesser extent, acupuncture and relaxation therapies. There is a need for further research involving randomized controlled trials into the efficacy of complementary and alternative therapies in the treatment of depression.

Acupuncture Therapy↗