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Describe the basic concepts of alternative practices.
Concepts for Lecture
1. Several concepts are common to most alternative practices: holism,
2. Holism is a paradigm of the whole systems belief that people are
3. Humanism is a perspective that includes propositions such as: the
mind and body are indivisible; individuals have the power to solve
4. Balance consists of mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, and
5. Spirituality includes the drive to become all that one can, and is
bound to intuition, creativity, and motivation. It is the dimension that
6. Energy is viewed as the force that integrates the body, mind, and
spirit. It is the concept that connects everything. Grounding relates to
one’s connection with the ground and to one’s whole contact with
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Give examples of healing environments.
Concepts for Lecture
1. Healing environments are created when nurses use hands, heart, and
mind to provide holistic nursing care.
C
HAPTER
19
COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE HEALING
MODALITIES
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UGGESTIONS FOR
C
LASSROOM
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CTIVITIES
• Have the class debate the pros and cons of alter-
native healing modalities and medical therapies.
nursing history forms for their various clinical
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UGGESTIONS FOR
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LASSROOM
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CTIVITIES
• Have the students provide further examples of
healing environments.
• Have the students provide their own definitions
of healing environments.
have been a part in the clinical setting.
98 CHAPTER 19 / Complementary and Alternative Healing Modalities
Healing environments are created by providing knowledge,
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Describe the basic principles of health care practices such as Ayurveda,
traditional Chinese medicine, Native American healing, and curanderismo.
Concepts for Lecture
1. Although the information may be new to us, many of these traditions
are hundreds or even thousands of years old and have long been part
2. There are a number of health care practices that have been systema-
3. The Indian system of medicine,
Ayurveda
, is at least 2,500 years old.
Illness is viewed as a state of imbalance among the body’s systems.
Ayurveda emphasizes the interdependence of the health of the
individual and the quality of societal life. Mentally healthy individu-
4. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has developed over 3,000
years and is based on the premise that the body’s vital energy or qi
(pronounced “
chee”
) circulates through pathways or meridians and
5.
Spirituality and medicine are inseparable in Native American healing.
Medicine women and men see themselves as channels through which the
Great Power helps others achieve well-being in mind, body, and spirit.
The only healer is the One who created all things. Medicine people
consider that they have certain knowledge to put things together to help
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UGGESTIONS FOR
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• Assign students to research alternative healing
methods and how they might be used in practice
and present their findings to the class.
• Consider inviting practitioners of each of these
alternative treatments to speak with the class
about their practice.
into each client’s nursing plan of care.
CHAPTER 19 / Complementary and Alternative Healing Modalities 99
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Explain how herbs are similar to many prescription drugs.
Concepts for Lecture
1. Conventional primary care providers use plant-derived products reg-
ularly. Thirty percent of all prescription drugs in the United States
are derived from plants (e.g., aspirin from willow tree bark, mor-
phine from opium poppy, atropine from nightshade).
Although herbs can be quite effective, like prescription drugs it
is important to caution people about becoming dependent on them.
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Discuss the principles of naturopathic medicine.
Concepts for Lecture
1. Naturopathic medicine is not only a system of medicine but also a
way of life with emphasis on client responsibility, client education,
2. The education of naturopathic physicians includes 4 years of medical
school following a college degree in a biologic science. Naturopathic
3.
The goal of naturopathic treatment is the restoration of health and normal
body function, rather than the application of a particular therapy. Virtual-
ly every complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapy is
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UGGESTIONS FOR
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LASSROOM
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CTIVITIES
• Have each student investigate an herbal
medication using verifiable, reliable sources.
Have them write a brief summary in the format
of a medication card. Duplicate the cards for
each member of the class.
• Have students debate the pros and cons of the
use of herbal medicines.
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UGGESTIONS FOR
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LINICAL
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UGGESTIONS FOR
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• Invite a nurse who is a practitioner of TT, HT,
Reiki, or massage to provide a demonstration to
the class.
100 CHAPTER 19 / Complementary and Alternative Healing Modalities
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Identify the role of manual healing methods in health and illness.
Concepts for Lecture
2. The goals of chiropractic interventions are to reduce or eliminate
pain; to correct spinal dysfunction, thereby restoring biomechanical
3. Massage aids the ability of the body to heal itself and is aimed at
achieving or increasing health and well–being.
4. Acupuncture, acupressure, and reflexology are treatments rooted in
the traditional Eastern philosophy that qi, or life energy, flows
through the body along pathways known as meridians, forming tiny
5.
Hand-mediated biofield therapies include therapeutic touch (TT), healing
touch (HT), and Reiki. All three approaches could be simply defined as
the use of the hands on or near the body with the intention to heal. The
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Concepts for Lecture
2.
In mind–body therapies, clients focus on realigning or creating balance
S
UGGESTIONS FOR
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LINICAL
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CTIVITIES
•
Arrange clinical experiences for students that
allow them to learn about healing modalities
available in the community or offered in the clin-
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UGGESTIONS FOR
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CTIVITIES
to locate classes in yoga, t’ai chi, and other
CHAPTER 19 / Complementary and Alternative Healing Modalities 101
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Identify types of detoxification therapies.
Concepts for Lecture
1. Detoxification is the belief that physical impurities and toxins must
2. Hydrotherapy is the use of water as a healing treatment. The use of
hot and cold moisture in the form of solid, liquid, or gas makes use
3. Colonics, or colon therapy, is based on the idea that a high-fat,
Western diet leads to an accumulation of a thick, glue-like substance
4.
Chelation therapy is the introduction of chemicals into the bloodstream
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Discuss uses of animals, prayer, and humor as treatment modalities.
Concepts for Lecture
1. Animal-assisted therapy: The use of specifically selected animals as
a treatment modality in health and human service settings has been
shown to be a successful intervention for people with a variety of
physical or psychological conditions. For example, throwing a ball
for a dog increases upper extremity range of motion, ambulating
companion animals (personal pets) make to the emotional well–being
of people include providing unconditional love and opportunities for
2. Prayer: Prayer is most often defined simply as a form of communica-
3.
Humor: Humor is the ability to discover, express, or appreciate the com-
ical or bizarre; to be amused by one’s own imperfections or the whimsi-
cal aspects of life; and to see the funny side of an otherwise
S
UGGESTIONS FOR
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CTIVITIES
• Have the students investigate the scientific basis
for colonics and chelation therapy.
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UGGESTIONS FOR
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CTIVITIES
• Have the students discuss the pros and cons of
the use of humor in emergency situations (e.g.,
cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
• Have the students investigate the difference
between the types of humor men and women
enjoy and how this may be applied clinically.
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UGGESTIONS FOR
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LINICAL
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•
Have the students provide examples of when
they have used humor in the clinical setting.
respond if their clients asked them to pray with
102 CHAPTER 19 / Complementary and Alternative Healing Modalities
live, festivity, purpose, and determination—and therefore has healing
properties.
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Teach clients the uses and safety precautions regarding alternative therapies.
Concepts for Lectures
1. Although nurses should incorporate the client’s complementary and
2. There are three major concerns for clients’ use of nutritional
supplements: efficacy, consistency, and safety. Often, research
conducted to determine the effectiveness of supplements has been
flawed in design or produced conflicting results. Nurses should assist
3.
Another safety concern with supplements is that they may contain
contamination with dangerous substances such as mold, bacteria,