Chapter 14:

Complementary
and Alternative
Healing
Chloe Vendemia
Morgan Buchenic
Marissa Buchenic
Shauna Letcher
Introduction
● Health care offers several different complementary and alternative medicines
such as alternative medicine therapy and products.
● Consumers and clinical settings have become interested in actually using CAM
(complimentary alternative medicine).
Definition of Complementary Alternative
Medicine (CAM)
Healing philosophies, practices, and products that are outside of what western
society considers mainstream medicine and are not typically taught in the education
programs of physicians, nurses, and other health professions.
Use of Complementary and Alternative Healing methods

● Over the past few decades, CAM has progressed from a fringe movement to highly
popular, widely used therapies that are being integrated into conventional care.
● According to a nationwide government survey, approximately 38% of US adults 18 years
or older and approximately 12% of children use some form of CAM.
● The growing popularity of CAM has been consumer driven, and most pay out of their own
pockets.
● Use of supplemental calcium increased from 28% during 1988–1994 to 61% during
2003–2006 among women aged 60 and over.
Contributing factors to consumers’ desire for CAM

● Dissatisfaction with conventional health care system

● Increased empowerment of consumers in the healthcare system
● Unwillingness to “grin and bear” the effect of disease
● Shrinking the world
● Growing evidence of effectiveness
“CAM practices and products are consistent with the values, beliefs, and
philosophical orientations toward health held by many people”
(NCCAM,2011a).

● Consumers often discover that CAM can promote several holistic care
ideas that they value.
● For example, individual empowerment, self-care, attention to all facets of
one’s being, and a high quality of life.
Principles underlying alternative healing
● The body has the ability to heal itself
● Health and healing are related to a harmony of mind, body, and spirit
● Basic, positive health practices build the foundation for healing
● Approaches to healing are individualized
● Individuals are responsible for their own healing
Overview of popular CAM healing therapies
● Hundreds of healing therapies are practiced throughout the world.
● Consumers’ growing use and increased integration of CAM therapies into
conventional care place a demand on nurses to become familiar with these
therapies.
Acupuncture
● Has been practiced in China for more than 2000 years, it is a major
therapy within traditional Chinese medicine.
● It is based on a belief that there are invisible channels throughout the
body called meridians, through which energy flows.
● It is believed that illness and symptoms develop when the flow of energy
becomes blocked or imbalanced. Health is restored when the energy
becomes unblocked; this is achieved by stimulating acupuncture points
on the meridian and placing needles on the points where the
acupuncturist believes the energy is imbalanced.
● Some evidence shows that acupuncture can help for nicotine withdrawal,
asthma, stroke rehabilitation, carpal tunnel syndrome, and a growing list
of other conditions.
Ayurveda
● Ayurveda means “the science of life” and is a system of care that promotes
spiritual, mental, and physical imbalance.
● The treatment to restore balance is influenced by the body type a client
possesses and could include the following: cleansing and detoxification,
palliation, rejuvenation through special herbs and minerals, and mental hygiene
and spiritual healing.
Biofeedback
● It is a technique in which the client is taught to alter specific bodily functions
(e.g., heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension).
● The client uses various relaxation and imagery exercises to affect desired
responses .
● There are many conditions for which biofeedback can offer benefit, including
urinary incontinence, anxiety, stress, irritable bowel syndrome, neck and back
pain, and cardiac arrhythmias.
Chiropractic Medicine
● Chiropractic medicine is based on the belief that misalignments of the spine,
called subluxations, put pressure on the nerves, leading to pain and disruptions
in normal bodily function.
● This misalignment is treated by manipulation and adjustment of the spine.
● Typically, the chiropractor’s hands do the alignment, although chiropractors
increasingly are using heat, electrical stimulation, and other treatments.
Dietary Supplements
● The past advice that vitamin and mineral supplements are
unnecessary if one is eating well has been replaced with the
recommendation that everyone should take a daily vitamin
and mineral supplements.
● Many people do not consume the proper nutrients through
their diet. However too much of a good thing can prove
harmful, and high doses of vitamins and minerals can lead to
serious complications.
● Nurses need to be aware of new findings so that they can
use supplements wisely and educate consumers to do the
same.
Herbs
● It is estimated that as many as 70,000 plant species have been used at one time
or another by various cultures for medicinal purposes.
● With more than 20,000 herbs and related products on the market, staying
current of uses, dosage, interactions, and adverse effects is a near impossible.
However, it would be helpful is nurses would become familiar with some of the
most commonly used herbs.
Herbs
Commonly used herbs:

● Chamomile
● Feverfew
● Garlic
● Ginger
● Ginseng
● Green Tea
● Lavender
● Soy
Homeopathy
● A branch of medicine developed in the late 18th century by Samuel
Hahnemann.
● homos meaning “similar” and pathos meaning “suffering”
● People use homeopathy for a range of health concerns, from wellness
promotion and disease prevention to the treatment of diseases and conditions
such as allergies, asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, digestive
disorders, ear infections, headaches, and skin rashes. (NCCAM, 2011b).
Homeopathy
● The ideal way to use these remedies is to have a homeopath prescribe a
customized remedy based on individual characteristics and symptoms.
● However, homeopath practitioners aren’t plentiful, so the next best thing
would be to buy over-the-counter preparations that are labeled for their
intended purpose (arthritis, headache, hay fever, cold).
Hypnotherapy
● Hypnotherapy wasn’t approved as a valid medical treatment until
the late 1950s.
● This mind-body therapy is now widely and successfully used for a
wide range of conditions, including chronic pain, migraines, asthma,
smoking cessation, and irritable bowel syndrome.
● This process of hypnosis begins by the therapist guiding the client
into a relaxed state and then creating an image that focuses
attention to the specific symptom or problem that needs to be
improved.
● The client must be in a state of deep relaxation to be receptive to a
post- hypnotic suggestion.
● Most people are capable of being hypnotized if they are willing.
Imagery

● Process of of creating a “picture” (image) in the mind that can cause a

specific bodily response.
● The person creates an image on his or her own.
● This process begins by the client establishing a desired outcome (to
relieve stress, enhance circulation, reduce blood pressure).
● The nurse then assists the client in creating an image that helps to
achieve the outcome (the nurse may describe how the blood circulates
through the body, help the client develop an image of how cancer cells
can be eliminated, or suggest that the client think of a peaceful place
where cares can “melt away”) and guides the client in reaching a relaxed
state.
● Imagery isn’t a difficult mind-body healing therapy to master and can be
easily implemented in virtually every practice.
Magnet Therapy

● Only recently became popular in the US

● The most common uses of magnet therapy are for pain and wound
healing.
● The mechanism of magnetics isn’t completely understood, but it is
believed that magnets relieve pain by creating a slight electrical current
that stimulates the nervous system and consequently blocks nerve
sensations.
● Magnets are hypothesized to speed wound healing by dilating vessels and
increasing circulation to an area.
● Magnets come in a variety of forms, strengths, and prices.
● There are magnet disks that can be strapped to limbs, magnet mattresses
that one can sleep on, and magnet jewelry.
Massage, Bodywork, and Energy Therapies
● Many people today receive regular massages as an important component of their self-
care to aid in stress management.
● Other than promoting relaxation, massage can help in reducing edema, promoting
circulation and respirations, and relieving pain, anxiety, and depression.
● The term bodywork is applied to the combination of massage with deep-tissue
manipulation, movement awareness, and energy balancing.
● Touch therapies include techniques in which the hands of the nurse are near the body, in
the client’s energy field.
Meditation and Progressive Relaxation
● Meditation is the act of focusing on the present moment.
● This practice gained considerable attention in the US in the 1970s when Harvard Medical
School cardiologist Herbert Benson published research on the relaxation response
(Benson and Beary, 1974).
● Benson reported that after 20 minutes of meditation, participants’ heart rate,
respirations, blood pressure, oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, and serum
lactic acid levels decreased.
● This led to meditation being used for a variety of conditions, including stress, anxiety,
pain, and high BP.
Naturopathy
● An intense interest in natural cures in Europe during the 19th century led
to the development of spas that offered natural treatments to promote
health and healing.
● Soon this movement spread to the US and in 1896 the American School of
Naturopathy was founded.
● Naturopathy is based on the principle that the body has inherent healing
abilities that can be stimulated to treat disease.
● The naturopathic physicians assess and treat the cause of the disease
rather than merely alleviate symptoms.
● They help clients identify unhealthy practices, encourage healthy lifestyle
habits, and guide them in managing health problems using natural
approaches such as herbs, homeopathic remedies, diet modifications,
dietary supplements, and exercise.
Prayer and Faith

● Many people consider their faith to be an integral part of

their total being rather than a therapy, but now there is
scientific evidence supporting the therapeutic benefits of
faith and prayer in health and healing.
● Hundreds of well-conducted studies have revealed that
people who profess a faith, pray, and attend religious
services are generally healthier, live longer, have lower rates
of emotional disorders, and otherwise enjoy better health
states than those who do not. (Barnum 2006; O’Brien, 2007;
University of Maryland Medical Center, 2011).
Tai Chi
● Another practice from traditional Chinese medicine used to
stimulate the flow of qi, the life energy.
● It is a combination of exercise and energy work that looks
like a slow, graceful dance using continuous, controlled
movements of the arms and legs.
● This has some proven benefits, including reduction of falls,
improved coordination in older adults, and improved
function in persons with arthritis. (Adler and Roberts, 2006;
Jahnke et al, 2010; NCCAM, 2011d).
● Many people find that tai chi helps to reduce stress and
promotes a general sense of well-being.
Yoga
● Has changed from a mystical form of Hindu worship
practiced more than 5000 years ago to what is now known
as a system of exercises involving various postures,
meditation, and deep breathing.
● The word yoga means “union”; the union of body, mind, and
spirit is achieved through yoga.
● Research suggests that yoga has many beneficial effects,
such as to reduce stress, improve mood and sense of well-
being, decrease heart rate and blood pressure, increase lung
capacity, improve flexibility, and promote relaxation
(NCCAM, 2011e).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU3HuPNsyG4
A Holistic Approach

● Holistic nursing is not something new to the nursing world, it has been around
long since Florence Nightingale in the nineteenth century.
● Nursing promotes many of the same principles found in CAM therapies.
○ The uniqueness of each patient is honored
○ Disease is an opportunity for increased awareness of the interconnectedness of body, mind and
spirit
○ Nurses empower individuals for self-care
Facilitating Use of CAM
● Nurses should facilitate the use of CAM into their nursing practices.
○ This begins with the nurse asking the patient the use of their CAM practices and products.
● Typically CAM therapies are not discussed with the patient's physician,
therefore making nurses the first health professional to know about the
patient's use of alternative medicines and practices.
○ Being client advocates, nurses should bring this use to the physician's attention
● Factors that should be assessed
○ CAM practices and products used and their sources
○ Appropriateness of use of CAM practices and products
○ Side effects and risks associated with use of CAM
○ Condition for which CAM currently is not used that could benefit by its use
Integrating CAM into Conventional Settings
Nurses can be advocates for their patients by demonstrating leadership in helping
integrate CAM therapies into the clinical settings.

This could mean

● Telling their patient about CAM therapies that they think would be
beneficial to their condition
● Informing their patient about vitamins and supplements that could
improve their health
Using CAM Competently
● As CAM therapies become more popular in the Western culture, it is important
for nurses to stay knowledgeable about different uses, limitations and
precautions that come along with these new practices and products.
● Nurses must be familiar with cultural factors that can influence the acceptance
of different CAM therapies.
● Knowledge and sensitivity to personal and cultural preferences is essential in
the nursing world.
Legal Considerations
● Like most practices, practitioners of healing therapies advocate for recognition
and separate licensure.
● Therapies that typically need a license to practice
○ Massages
○ Acupressure
○ Biofeedback
● Another issue is who the nurse is supervised by when employed in a setting of
an acupuncturist, hypnotherapist and homeopath
○ Can these therapists delegate tasks to this nurse?
○ How does the nurse ensure that diagnoses are not being made by the therapists?
■ Treatments being prescribed?
● Nurses need to develop clear practice guidelines to ensure a legally sound
practice.
Conclusion
Nurses have the opportunity to demonstrate initiative and integrate
complementary and alternative healing into the clinical setting, to provide care for
the patient’s body, mind and spirit in their time of illness. Without coordination
from the nurses, CAM therapies would merely be additional ingredients instead of
an important focus of taking care of the whole patient, not just the diseased part of
them.
Reference Page
Cherry, B., & Jacob, S. R. (2011). Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends & management. St.
Louis, MO: Mosby/Elsevier.

Dietary Supplement Use Among U.S. Adults Has Increased Since NHANES III (1988–1994).
(2011). Retrieved October 09, 2016, from
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db61.htm