Holistic medical services growing at U.S. hospitals

by: continuum wellness - September 11th, 2011   Filed under: alternative medicine, wellness Add Comment

Responding to patient demand, growing numbers of U.S. hospitals are integrating acupuncture, massage therapy and other alternative services into their conventional medical care, according to a national survey.

Forty-two percent of hospitals in the survey said they offer one or more of alternative “therapies,” including meditation, relaxation training, homeopathy and chiropractic care.

That’s up from 37% of hospitals that said they offered such medical services in 2007.

The alternative options are provided mostly in outpatient settings and come primarily in response to patient requests.

“Hospitals have long known that what they do to treat and heal involves more than just medications and procedures,” said Nancy Foster, vice president for quality and patient safety at the American Hospital Assn. “It is about using all of the art and science of medicine to restore the patient as fully as possible.”

How do you prepare for the flu?

by: continuum wellness - November 28th, 2010   Filed under: alternative medicine, flu, self-care Add Comment

According to this article from the Washington Post a number of Americans use alternatives to flu shots. I’m certainly one of them.

Half of Americans fighting flu with supplements

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

Nearly half of Americans plan to use dietary supplements or homeopathic treatments to help ward off influenza this season. But only about a third of that group plans to also get a flu shot.

That’s the news from a survey of 1,500 adults conducted in September by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. Read the rest of the article here.

Looking for more ways to stay healthy here is another interesting article:
The Abuse of Antibiotics, Part 4

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Research: CAM Approaches, Helping Critically Ill People Sleep

by: continuum wellness - October 19th, 2010   Filed under: alternative medicine, complementary medicine, sleep Add Comment

Use of complementary and alternative therapies to promote sleep in critically ill patients.

Abstract

The efficacy of complementary and alternative therapies for sleep promotion in critically ill patients is largely unexamined. We found only seven studies (three on environmental interventions and one each on massage, music therapy, therapeutic touch, and, melatonin) that examined the effect of complementary and alternative therapies.

A number of studies, however, have shown that massage, music therapy, and therapeutic touch promote relaxation and comfort in critically ill patients, which likely leads to improved sleep.

Massage, music therapy, and therapeutic touch are safe for critically ill patients and should be routinely applied by ICU nurses who have received training on how to administer these specialized interventions.  Environmental interventions such as:

  • reducing noise,
  • playing white noise such as ocean sounds
  • and decreasing interruptions to sleep for care, also are safe and logical interventions that ICU nurses should use to help patients sleep.
  • Progressive muscle relaxation has been extensively studied and shown to be efficacious for improving sleep in persons with insomnia; however, progressive muscle relaxation requires that patients consciously attend to relaxing specific muscle groups and practice these techniques, which may be difficult for critically 11 patients.

We do not currently recommend aromatherapy and alternative sedatives, such as valerian and melatonin, for sleep promotion in critically ill patients because the safety of these substances is unclear.

In summary, we recommend that ICU nurses implement music therapy, environmental interventions, therapeutic touch, and relaxing massage to promote sleep in critically ill patients.

These interventions are safe and may improve patient sleep, although randomized controlled trials are needed to test their efficacy. Aromatherapy and alternative sedatives require further investigation to determine their safety and efficacy.

***

Stuty Authors:
Richards K, Nagel C, Markie M, Elwell J, Barone C.
Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System,
2200 Fort Roots Drive, 3J/NLRVA, North Little Rock, AR 72114, USA

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Cancer patients find relief in integrative medicine services

by: continuum wellness - June 17th, 2010   Filed under: adverse events, alternative medicine, cancer, complementary medicine, health beliefs, integrative medicine, thoughts 1 Comment

Following is an interesting article (press release) on how integrative medicine is used alongside standard drug therapy. Note that the therapies mentioned in this are said to offset the harsh side effects of chemotherapy and boost the immune system. Later, it is stated that integrative medicine offers no cure for cancer. Cancer has been *cured* by the use of numerous modalities. Anyone interested should do their own research. The living proof is available. This Integrative Oncology program at Northwestern Memorial is to be commended. It is alleviating suffering, reducing cost and saving lives. Healing should do just this, heal, not cling to rigid viewpoints. Read on…please note, the emphasis in the text has been added.

25 February 2010

Northwestern Memorial’s Integrative Oncology Program aims to ease pain and help patients manage cancer

CHICAGO- The very instant Penny Kukovec was diagnosed with breast cancer her world permanently changed. Suddenly, it felt as if her life was out of her control. She felt powerless and overwhelmed. There were so many unanswered questions. Why me? What’s next? What about my family? The feelings Kukovec experienced are felt by many cancer patients following their initial diagnosis and as they pursue treatment. In an effort to effectively and compassionately respond to these worries, as well as address common side effects associated with cancer treatment, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University now offer integrative oncology services.

“When a patient is diagnosed with cancer many of them want to fully participate in their recovery, but don’t know where to begin. This program gives them control over their treatment,” said Julian Schink, MD, chief of Gynecologic Oncology at Northwestern Memorial and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.

The integrative oncology services are part of a larger 360 Care Program that recently launched aimed to address cancer patients’ needs from every angle through treatment that extends beyond medical therapies, to include counseling, stress management and integrative medicine. Integrative oncology services include acupuncture, massage, energy healing and naturopathic medicine offered by Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group’s Center for Integrative Medicine and Wellness.

“Our goal is to treat the whole person, not just their illness,” said Melinda Ring, MD, medical director of the Center for Integrative Medicine and Wellness. “Research suggests that a holistic approach can alleviate stress and anxiety, as well as the physical pain and discomfort patients often experience while undergoing cancer treatments by activating the body’s innate healing process.”

While there is little research to explain exactly how integrative approaches like acupuncture work, researchers at the National Institute of Health state complementary therapy such as acupuncture do improve the body’s immune system. In an oncology setting, integrative approaches provide an effective way to manage symptoms, alleviate side effects, and help patients restore their sense of control and vitality.

“My body was hit hard with trauma. I was so tired, my joints hurt and my muscles were tense. I knew I needed more help. When I began massage therapy my muscles relaxed, and it helped me release my emotions. It reminded my body that it can relax in spite of what I am going through,” said Penny Kukovec, patient at Northwestern Memorial.

Common side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment for cancer include muscle tension, aches, pains nausea, vomiting and fatigue. The main role of complementary medicine is to provide supportive care and reduce adverse effects while helping the patient cope.

“Unfortunately, the side effects associated with conventional therapies often cause patients to end their treatments prematurely, or require that we take a less aggressive approach,” said Schink. “We’ve seen this occurrence decrease with the addition of integrative oncology services.”

“The medicine I was taking for my cancer caused nerve damage in my hands and feet. It was very uncomfortable. Acupuncture helped relieve the pain,” said Nancy Amicangelo, patient at Northwestern Memorial.

There is evidence that integrative approaches may also play a role in reducing the rate of depression among cancer patients. Services such as massage therapy are believed to have a short-term effect on reducing anxiety related to depression among patients.

“You’re sick, your hair falls out, and your family is stressed. When you are diagnosed it’s sometimes all that you can think about. The massages offer me a chance to escape,” said Kukovec.

While integrative medicine does not offer a cure for cancer, there is strong evidence that it positively affects the patient. Studies show 77 percent of cancer patients who incorporate complementary approaches believe it improves their quality of life, and 73 percent state it makes them feel hopeful. In addition, 71 percent say it helps to boost their immune system.

All patients under the care of a Northwestern Memorial oncologist are eligible to receive free integrative medicine services as part of their cancer treatment. The 360 Care Program was made possible by a generous gift from Abra Prentice Wilkin, board member of Northwestern Memorial Hospital and longtime supporter of the hospital.

Source:
Angela Salerno
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Photo credit: Emory University

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Research: Reflexology and Other CAM Therapies Reduce Pain in Hospital Patients

by: continuum wellness - March 29th, 2010   Filed under: alternative medicine, healing, Health, integrative medicine, reflexology, relaxation Add Comment

Non-traditional therapies relieve pain among a wide range of hospitalized patients as much as 50 percent, according to a first-of-a-kind study in the Journal of Patient Safety.

The study shows that an inpatient integrative medicine program can have a significant impact on pain in an environment where pain management continues to be a major challenge, and traditional medications can have negative consequences.

“Roughly 80 percent of patients report moderate to severe pain levels after surgery,” says Gregory Plotnikoff, M.D., one of the study’s authors and medical director of the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing at Abbott Northwestern Hospital.

“We struggle to provide effective pain control while trying to avoid the adverse effects of opioid medications, such as respiratory depression, nausea, constipation, dizziness and falls.”

The study included 1,837 cardiovascular, medical, surgical, orthopedics, spine, rehabilitation, oncology, and women’s health patients at Abbott Northwestern between January 1, 2008, and June 30, 2009. They scored their pain verbally on a zero-to-ten scale before and after treatments.

The treatments included non-pharmaceutical services and mind body therapies to elicit the relaxation response including:

  • acupuncture
  • acupressure
  • massage therapy
  • healing touch
  • music therapy
  • aromatherapy
  • reflexology.

The study, “The Impact of Integrative Medicine on Pain Management in a Tertiary Care Hospital” was published March 5 in the Journal of Patient Safety.

“Earlier studies narrowly focused on whether specific integrative therapies manage pain in either cancer or surgical patients,” says Jeffery A. Dusek, Ph.D., research director for the George Institute.

“Our real-world study broadly shows that these therapies effectively reduce pain by over 50 percent across numerous patient populations. Furthermore, they can be clinically implemented in real time, across, and under the operational and financial constraints within an acute care hospital.”

Dusek says future research will focus on defining appropriate intervention doses, duration of pain relief, and developing profiles of which patients are most likely to respond to nonpharmacologic treatments. Reductions in total hospitalization costs, medication use and adverse events will be quantified in future prospective research using the electronic medical record.

“I think we will find that integrative approaches to pain management during the hospital stay will improve patient satisfaction and outcomes, and we will see cost savings from patients using fewer drugs and experiencing fewer adverse events,” said Lori Knutson, RN, BSN, HN-BC, executive director of the George Institute.

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Research: Effects of Homeopathic Remedies on Breast Cancer Cells

by: continuum wellness - February 15th, 2010   Filed under: alternative medicine, breast cancer, cancer, complementary medicine, holistic medicine, Homeopathy, women's health Add Comment

Below is an abstract of the research. Ultra-diluted remedies refer to homeopathic remedies. Four remedies were studied: Carcinosin, Phytolacca, Thuja and Conium in the test.

Cytotoxic effects of ultra-diluted remedies on breast cancer cells.

Frenkel M, Mishra BM, Sen S, Yang P, Pawlus A, Vence L, Leblanc A, Cohen L, Banerji P, Banerji P.

Integrative Medicine Program-Unit 145, Department of Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030-4009, USA. frenkelm@netvision.net.il

The use of ultra-diluted natural products in the management of disease and treatment of cancer has generated a lot of interest and controversy. We conducted an in vitro study to determine if products prescribed by a clinic in India have any effect on breast cancer cell lines. We studied four ultra-diluted remedies (Carcinosin, Phytolacca, Conium and Thuja) against two human breast adenocarcinoma cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and a cell line derived from immortalized normal human mammary epithelial cells (HMLE). The remedies exerted preferential cytotoxic effects against the two breast cancer cell lines, causing cell cycle delay/arrest and apoptosis. These effects were accompanied by altered expression of the cell cycle regulatory proteins, including downregulation of phosphorylated Rb and upregulation of the CDK inhibitor p27, which were likely responsible for the cell cycle delay/arrest as well as induction of the apoptotic cascade that manifested in the activation of caspase 7 and cleavage of PARP in the treated cells. The findings demonstrate biological activity of these natural products when presented at ultra-diluted doses. Further in-depth studies with additional cell lines and animal models are warranted to explore the clinical applicability of these agents.

In Defense of Homeopathy

by: continuum wellness - December 22nd, 2009   Filed under: alternative medicine, baby boomers, behavior, belief, complementary medicine, healing, healing philosophy, Health, health beliefs, health care, holistic medicine, Homeopathy, integrative medicine, self-care Add Comment

If the goal is improved health one would wonder why homeopathic medicine is relegated into a “fringe” category, especially in America. Homeopathy has its ardent fans who will never let it go, worldwide. The reason is simple, it works. If you have ever benefited from this therapy you would understand. Those that attack homeopathy, know nothing of it. There is gross misunderstanding on their part. Generally what ignorant people do when they do not understand a thing is to attack it. Perhaps there is fear of some sort. What is not present is a love for knowledge, understanding or the ability to allow space for something you do not understand.

Amy Lansky has written an insightful article to address some of these concerns, here is a link.

Also why do we need (allow) these individuals to decide if we want access to medical freedom, choices and options in our health care? Medical freedom is a necessity, not an option.

Leukemia and Complimentary Therapies

by: continuum wellness - September 23rd, 2009   Filed under: alternative medicine, cancer, complementary medicine, healing, healing philosophy, Health, health beliefs, health care, holistic, holistic medicine, integrative medicine, mind and body, reflexology Add Comment

As a reflexologist I note with interest its inclusion in this list of useful therapies. Acupuncture is listed, not Homeopathy which has been useful in healing many conditions. However the researcher seems to have some bias towards what are called ‘alternative’ therapies. How can one research anything if a bias is present? How will you find the truth? Research is too often focused on maintaining the status quo, with a goal of producing drugs that require continued use. Truth is, there are many true stories of people who have lived to tell, that they have healed (vs. ‘managed) from any number of conditions – where the ‘experts’ said it couldn’t be done, note Norman Cousins, one very well known case. Optimum care will come when people are free to choose therapies of their choosing and we respect what is good in various approaches.
The abstract is listed below, read on…


Is there a role for complementary therapy in the management of leukemia?
Expert Rev Anticancer Ther. 2009 Sep;9(9):1241-9
Patients with leukemia often seek additional treatments not prescribed by their oncologist in an effort to improve their cancer treatment outcome or to manage symptoms.

Complementary therapies are used in conjunction with traditional cancer treatments to decrease symptoms and side effects associated with cancer or cancer treatment, and to improve patients’ overall quality of life. Complementary therapies are distinct from so-called ‘alternative’ therapies, which are unproven, ineffective and may postpone or interfere with mainstream cancer treatment. Complementary therapies are pleasant, inexpensive, nonpharmacologic and effective. For patients with leukemia, the complementary therapies that are always appropriate include mind-body interventions, such as self-hypnosis, meditation, guided imagery and breath awareness. Massage and reflexology (foot massage) decrease symptoms with effects lasting at least 2 days following treatment. Acupuncture is very beneficial for symptom management without adverse consequences. Physical fitness with regular exercise and healthy dietary habits can significantly decrease side effects of cancer treatments and may prolong survival. Botanical extracts and vitamin supplements may interfere with active cancer treatments, and should be discussed with the oncologist or pharmacist before use.

Integrative Medicine Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1429 First Avenue, NY 10021, USA.

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Approaches to Healing Jealousy

by: continuum wellness - August 19th, 2009   Filed under: alternative medicine, healing, healing philosophy, Health, health beliefs, health care, healthy mind, Homeopathy, integrative medicine, self-care, self-healing, teens, thoughts, wellness, women, women's health 2 Comments

by Catherine Carter

“Everybody likes you.” “I wanted that.” These thoughts led a teen to write what could be called hateful and spiteful notes in her diary of fellow classmates. She thought it was private. No one would ever know. And no one did until the fateful day that someone found the secret book and made it very public. Her secrets were now out in the open.

So what is jealousy?
Jealousy
foolish and irresistible
Meaning: (Webster)
Suspicious fear or apprehension; painful apprehension of rivalship in cases nearly affecting one’s happiness. Uneasy through fear that good will, interest, affection or the like, regarded as belonging to one’s self is transferred to another; pained by suspicions of preference given to another.
Synonyms: suspicious; anxious; envious

In the Complete Repertory, the rubric: Ailments from jealousy, lists 65 remedies. Among some of the remedies listed are Apis (honeybee), Lachesis (Bushmaster Snake) and Platina (Platinum metallicum). As you can see just from the three listed remedies, homeopathic remedies come from the natural world around us. What is important to understand is that the young lady’s jealousy was a reflection of some lack of inner peace. The cause we do not know and we are offering any type of diagnosis.

Homeopathy focuses on healing the person,their unique way of being in the world. By identifying similar substances in nature that can produce a similar pattern one is able to heal internally. Homeopathy is quite helpful in balancing emotions.

Emotions are powerful forces. Ignored the energy often remains blocked and can lead to physical ailments or further emotional problems.

Flower Essences such as the Bach Flower remedies are also very helpful for emotional balancing. The Bach Flower essences recognize 38 conditions which are aligned to the following seven headings:
For Fear
For Uncertainty
For Insufficient Interest in Present Circumstances
For Loneliness
For Those Over-Sensitive to Influences and Ideas
For Despondency and Despair
For Overcare for the Welfare of Others.
Dr. Edward Bach discovered the remedies through an intuitive process, while in the English countryside. The Bach flower essences focus on Type Remedies which relate to a personality pattern and the Helping Remedies which help to resolve transient mood of the psyche. For more information on the Bach Flower Essences click, here. And here is a questionnaire, you can explore.

One does not have to be undone by the thought pattern labeled as ‘jealousy.’ See it as a sign that you simply need some healing. Ultimately you are not your thoughts.

There are many ways that one can heal emotional states that will lead one to ultimately balance and fulfillment.

“Resentment of someone’s good will serve as a barrier to one’s own growth.”

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www.continuumwellness.org

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When perspiration smells like cheese

by: continuum wellness - April 28th, 2009   Filed under: alternative medicine, complementary medicine, healing, holistic, Homeopathy, integrative medicine, mind and body, self-care, self-healing Add Comment

OK I made up the question.  Still let’s have a look at it from a homeopathic perspective.

Question:

Lately, my husband has started sweating profusely when he is asleep.  His sweat has a strong cheesy smell. He is showers regularly so that is not the problem.  Is this serious?

———

A Homeopathic Look

I’m not speaking to the, is this serious question, as I am not an medical doctor.  Let’s take a peek at this situation from a homeopathic perspective.

I decided to repertorize these few symptoms and see what comes up.  Look below.  Of course, other factors have to be taken into consideration to make a remedy decision.
Cheesy perspiration, could also be close to “fetid” and “offensive”, but I like this rubric since it quite distinct and in the person’s own language.

Perspiration
ODOR, cheesy, (8)

Perspiration
PROFUSE (224)
night (97)

Based on this limited information what homeopathic remedy might you suggest for this individual?

For a doctor’s perspective on the question read here.

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