Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Blog entry 3
How do you connect the alternative medicine you engage in or believe in to traditional medicine which includes your personal beliefs? Conduct a short interview with a member of the health profession to obtain an understanding of their views of alternative medicine. Reflect on this conversation in your entry.
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The alternative medicine that I have engaged in before has almost no connection to traditional medicine in some ways and it others it has many things that are similar. For example, when I had a cold my mother used to make me lots of teas, I used to drink a glass every hour with honey and lime in it, in a way that was my mom pushing fluids into my system to thin secretions and help the cold run its course. When I had an upset stomach my mom used to always feed me soup, and sprite with salt, she was rehydrating and making sure I got all my nutrients. These two things are very similar to interventions a healthcare professional would try when a child is sick.
ReplyDeleteOn other occasions, I have seen things that have no correlation to the problem but it actually fixes it. When my mother gets a headache she gives herself a foot massage in a certain area of her feet along with a prayer to her spirits. This always works on her and it has also worked on my sister and I before. I don’t see the correlation of this intervention to anything in traditional medicine. Nevertheless, it actually helps her without taking any drugs, therefore I think it is good thing she can do that and get rid of headache.
I interviewed, Dr. Martin Fox, MD. at Kentucky Plastic Surgery. When asked about traditional and alternative medicine, he told me that he did not believe in putting anything in the body that wasn’t there to begin with or its unnecessary (keep in mind that he is a plastic surgeon), people should never take drugs to stop natural things from happening. When I pointed out how ironic the things he was saying sounded, he told me that Plastic surgery could be considered a form of alternative medicine for some people. It uses traditional medicine in its procedures but makes people feel good in a way no other medicine can.
I was confused by the response I received from the Dr. Fox, it’s something I didn’t expect to hear from him. The fact that he considers his practice to have something to do with alternative medicine completely puzzled me. I guess I was expecting an absolute black and white from a healthcare professional.
I approach health and wellness from an integrative perspective, that is taking into account ones dietary choices, environment, lifestyle stressors, occupation, and relationships-each as contributing factors to dis-ease. In my experience, my mental and emotional state are represented in my body either in health or illness. And the opposite is true; the choices i make in my diet are reflected in my mental and emotional wellbeing. It is from this interconnected perspective that I approach medicine.
ReplyDeleteWhen i first read the question proposed in this blog i assumed the term "traditional medicine" was referring to the practice of traditional (native) peoples. However, after reading the question a few times I realize traditional medicine in our culture is conventional medicine(mainstream medicine). While "traditional" medicine has its place in our culture, one that helps many people in need; it's focus is on what is physical (matter). I believe this is a very limited perspective, which addresses symptoms through medication or surgery, only to produce more (possibly worse) symptoms. I believe "traditional" medicine has become a quick fix, and often ignores the root causes of disease.
I interviewed Dr. Peter Cole alongside his wife Nurse Practioner Ila Sisson. Together they run a clinic on their 10 acres in Orangeville, Ontario, Canada. Their approach to medicine is both conventional and alternative. Healing touch therapies, traditional medicine, herbalism, and counseling are among the many various services they offer. Futhermore they hold Sacred Healing Fires and Sweat Lodge Ceremonies handed down to them from Native Elders in the community. I find their approach to wellness to be a refreshing example of an integrative approach.
We have a good family friend that is a surgeon, so I asked him his views on alternative medicines. I think it's safe to say he is a tradionalist all the way when it comes to medicine. He thinks alternative medicines are "hocus pocus". He scoffs at my mother when she goes to the chiropractor and jokes with my dad about his array of herbal supplements he takes on a daily basis. He thinks they dont have a place in his line of work (surgeries) and he doesn't think they have a place in his personal life.
ReplyDeleteHonestly his answers didnt suprise me at all, but I would bet he is not the only person in the healthcare field that feels this way. Hopefully over time, this stubborn idea will begin to die away and alternative medicine will be more accepted by more healthcare professionals.
Post From Lindsay Heister
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I personally have not integrated much alternative medicine into any treatments I receive from traditional medicine. I drink the occasional herbal teas when I have a sore throat or cough, but I don't do that consistently. Also, my mom is a big believer in Echinacea supplements when anyone in my family feels a cold coming on, but in the past I have ignored her advice.
I decided to interview a friend's mom who is a nurse at Cincinnati Children's Hospital in Cincinnati. I asked her what her view was on alternative medicine, and she gave me an answer similar to what I would have expected from my mom (who is not a nurse). First, she said she only treats her patients with traditional medicine for two reasons. One, she has to follow doctors' orders and it is uncommon for a doctor to order something like herbal tea or acupuncture. Secondly, she said she felt it was outside her area of expertise to be recommending treatments included in alternative medicine. However, she did say that when taking care of her children at home, while she first turns to traditional measures such at Neosporin and Motrin, she does not rule out other options. She said she never really thought of these things as alternative treatments, but giving her sick children foot and back rubs, and hot chocolate or even hot tea could be considered just that. "Whatever I could do to help them feel better!"
I can appreciate both of her answers, and it makes me think about the little ways in which I can begin integrating alternative medicine into my life and health practices.
Prior to this class I never really considered alternative medicine as a way to help me get better when I am sick. I can honestly say that I am one of those people who go to the doctor at the first sign of being sick. When I'm sick I don't want to wait to feel better. I want to feel better immediately. For example, I had six sinus infections in one year and for every single one of them I went to the doctor, told him what I had, he confirmed the diagnosis, and wrote me a prescription for an antibiotic. If it was a really bad sinus infection that made me feel like I had the flu, then I would ask for a steroid pack to get me feeling a million times better the next day. This is what I have been used to. People like me who get sick so frequently, seek out a doctor quickly to feel better more quickly than waiting it to run its course.
ReplyDeleteNow I have a better understanding of alternative medicine and I think it would be a much better way for me to treat my recurring sinus infections. Traditional medicine fixes my issue for the moment, but then I get sick again a month or two down the road. This is a constant battle I have been struggling with for a very long time. I realize that the traditional medicine never seems to get rid of the root cause of my problem, whatever that may be. This class has opened up my eyes to a set of new possibilities!
I now believe that alternative medicine in combination with traditional medicine is a great way to treat illness's. Before this class, I didn't have enough knowledge to integrate alternative medicine into my life.
For my interview, I interviewed Dr. Hager (Bellarmine Faculty who is a Nurse practitioner). She believes alternative medicine is very helpful to many people and it is much more popular and credible out west in comparison to how it is viewed here. She believes the main difference between alternative medicine and traditional medicine is the use of drugs. Alternative medicine takes a natural approach to treatment and uses vitamins and herbs. She believe it is superior to that of traditional medicine, because the person is listened to and explored in many ways, instead of just one way. It really focuses on the person as a whole. She says that doctors of the traditional approach listen for half a second, then prescribe. They just don't take the time to really listen to the person. Dr. Hager believes alternative medicine tries everything to help the person and when ALL fails, chemicals may be approached (As a last resort). She thinks it is very useful and wishes there was more data on what vitamins could do in certain amounts. I completely agree with her statements.
I do not use any alternative medicine so I have no way of comparing it to the traditional medicine that I have been raised around and that I am being taught now that I am in nursing school. However; now that this class has began introducing me to alternative medicine I do have viewpoints about it. I think that alternative medicine can be very helpful and should be available to all patients, whether they are receiving care from a traditional healthcare provider or not. I think that patients should be better educated on the benefits of traditional and alternative medicine and that all healthcare providers should have an understanding of both to promote the teaching process. I do believe that there are cases when traditional medicine does have its benefits, but I appreciate the natural approach of alternative medicine so I think that when this can appropriately be used in place of traditional medicine then it should, such as with Sinus issues.
ReplyDeleteI conducted an Interview with Dr. Hager who is a Nurse Practitioner and she had some of the similar viewpoints I hold of alternative medicine. She thinks that alternative medicine is very helpful to many people. Especially those out west, where it is more popular, and she believes more credible. Her view on the differences between alternative and traditional medicine is the use of drugs. She says that alternative medicine tries to approach treatment through natural treatments, including herbs, vitamins, etc, and thinks it is superior in many ways because the person is listened 'to' and explored in ways different than traditional medicine. She also thinks traditional medicine listens for a half second, then prescribes...... and that alternative medicine tries everything to help the PERSON; and then when all fails, chemicals may be approached.
I like the way she put this because this is what I like about the alternative approach, like I mentioned earlier, more natural. I think that drugs/chemicals are poisons to the body and that is why there are so many side effects. I think that these should only be used as a last resort of if they have a better pronosis for the patient.
From Becca Roy
ReplyDeleteI believe you should use traditional medicine when my health or the health of others is called into question. If something seems out of order about my health, I believe it’s ok to try alternative treatments until the symptoms continue to persist or worsen and then it’s time to go to the doctor. If the doctor can give you an antibiotic or another drug to help keep you from spreading the illness to another, I think that the pharmaceutical drug is the best approach. Also, I don’t think many people my age have time to wait for the alternative treatment to kick in, where the traditional drugs get faster results. If I did have the time, I do think alternative treatments are the best solutions for minor short-term illnesses. For the most part, I’ll be looking into alternative medicine to enhance my health rather than curing an illness.
For my interview, I spoke with my friend, Mike. He is a nurse at University Hospital. During the clinical setting, he does not use much alternative treatments for his patients. He did say that, for wandering patients, they will try to give them something productive to do, like folding towels instead of something harsh like restraining them. On the other hand, in real life, he uses them for himself. He is an ironman athlete that has constant injuries from his competitive lifestyle. He uses a variety of alternative treatments to help heal his injuries and maintain a healthy body. He recently had Achilles tendonitis, and used natural anti-inflammatory agents, such as turmeric, a plant of the ginger family. He uses alternative medicine because they treat the underlying problem instead of masking pain like most over the counter pain medicines. He says he uses natural remedies whenever possible and believes pain medicine is too readily used in the hospital setting.
Post by Erika
ReplyDeleteBefore we left for Belize, I interviewed Jo Ellen from Jewish hospital. I was surprised at how many people believed in traditional medicine. She stated she was glad to have the options between todays medicine and traditional medicine. Also she stated that traditional medicine is more efficient when you believe in it and you trust in it. So, if you believe its all fake and it's not going to work then it will not work for you.
It was hard for me before the trip to believe in all of the traditional medicine. I also felt it was more of a mind trick. I did not know if it was more of a mind game or if the herbs actually healed. I would say though that I am thankful for other choices like herbs to be available to us as well.
The biggest form of alternative medicine that I use on a daily basis is aroma therapy for stress relief. Being an involved nursing major leaves little time for relaxation so I believe that even just smelling a relaxing scent can be beneficial. My favorite scent is lavender and I have lavender soap, shampoo, conditioner, bath salts, and even lavender scented cleaning spray. Aroma therapy is not something that is commonly mentioned in traditional medicine. Anti-anxiety medications are usually prescribed for people who have a hard time controlling their stress so maybe my lavender products are keeping me off the pills. I would much rather inhale a nice, relaxing scent than have my emotions controlled by a pill.
ReplyDeleteI chose to interview my mom who is a pediatric nurse. She worked on a rehab unit for most of her nursing career but now works on a diabetic outpatient unit. She said that she saw most of the alternative medicine used on the rehab floor including reiki, massage, lots of prayer, and guided imagery. Personally, she supports whatever method seems to be beneficial to her patients. She did say that she does not see a lot of alternative medicine used on the diabetic floor but she was eager to read my research paper about it. In her own life she uses music therapy, aromatherapy, and occasionally yoga to deal with the stresses of being a nurse and mother.
Elisa Archer:
ReplyDeleteSometimes I feel like a bit of a hypocrite by wanting to pursue a nursing career because personally I try to avoid traditional medicine as much as possible. I understand that it is the best route for many circumstances, but wish our standards of care were a little different. Luckily, on a personal level, I am a pretty healthy person and don’t have to worry about applying much medicine to my life. I suppose I try to prevent myself from getting to an ill state by running regularly and eating nutritiously. Eating and running also affect my mood for the day. When I eat well, I feel good about myself and if I have an off day my body feels gross and let down. When I go out and run at night it is a great way for me to clear my mind and come back with that “runner’s high.” The further I go, the greater I feel. If I don’t get my run in for a couple of days it is obvious to my friends and family by my irritable state of guilt. Practicing piano is also another way which I can take a break from nursing and allow myself to feel accomplished and better myself as a whole.
I first interviewed my sister, Elizabeth, who is a psych nurse practitioner in oncology at suburban about alternative medicine practice. She said it is not something she discourages, but is also not something she encourages do to the lack of studies. She thinks there is a lot of benefits depending on the person and treatment, but it needs to be explored more.
She also had me talk with one of her co-workers, Lisa, another NP in oncology who has a real interest in practicing alternative medicine. She believes alternative medicine has some contention, but primarily she practices evidence based which unfortunately not many studies have been done on in regards to alternative methods. She is not allowed to recommend particular herbal remedies because it is not the standard of care of a NP. What she does like to pay special attention to however is nutrition and exercise which also is not a standard of care focal point. She said many cancer patients interested in herbal therapy are taking Iscador, a European mistletoe which has been capable of shrinking cancer cells and prolonging someone’s prognosis. It is not FDA approved in the US, despite its benefits, due to lack of research but can be found on the internet and purchased in southern Indiana for those interested. She said many patients also find relief through mind body healing and acupuncture with Chinese herbalist.
Elaine:
ReplyDeleteMany societies around the world have used alternative medicines for centuries. As my research has stated, many of our modern day medicines are based on herbal remedies or alternative techniques. I firmly believe there can many ways to treat an aliment and that they should be used in conjunction with each other. Beth VanCleave, RN, BSN, CPN Asthma Clinician, AE-C with Kosair Children's Hospital, states the following, “I believe massage is a great way to open the chest wall relax the tension that can precipitate a stress induce asthma attack. But once the attack has started, albuterol is the only home medicine I would recommend.” This would be a very good way for alternative or complementary medicine could coexist with modern medicine.