...Along with many other complementary therapies, aromatherapy has experienced a recent surge in interest and popularity. It is often the concepts of self-help and a natural alternative to medication that draws many people to therapies such as this, as they can often be self-prescribed by the individual (Balaskas 1990). The term complementary implies that aromatherapy should be used in harmony with more orthodox medical therapies, however in late pregnancy, many of the common ailments are discomforts which cannot be alleviated by conventional medicine. It is at this point that therapies such as aromatherapy really come in to their own. This essay will examine the use of aromatherapy during the later stages of pregnancy for minor ailments and discomforts, and as a preparation for childbirth. While some oils will be mentioned, space limitations prevent the listing of effective oils for all uses. These oils may be found from any aromatherapy text. The role of the midwife as an aromatherapy practitioner will be explored, as will aspects of safety pertinent to the use of complementary therapy. Serious complications of pregnancy will not be discussed here, as although some therapies may be useful at this time, medical advise should always be sought before commencing any treatment. Minor complications of early pregnancy will also not be examined as a great deal of contradiction exists within the literature regarding the relative safety of much treatment during these early months (Davis...
Words: 2212 - Pages: 9
...sympathetic system, respiratory system and the cardiovascular system. Combined with meditation, it is a form of exercise that has the potential to alleviate symptoms in women navigating the climacteric. In my review of literature, this essay will compare information from studies relating to the effectiveness of yoga and mind-body techniques in treating the symptoms associated with menopause. The midwife can offer yoga therapy to women who do not desire hormone therapy and would like to explore a non-allopathic alternative to treat her perimenopausal symptoms. Yoga is moving meditation, the union of mind and body. The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word "Yuj" meaning to unite. This means integrating all aspects of the woman- body, mind and spirit. The goals of yoga therapy are to improve the physical body, expand and relax the mind, and achieve a balanced life experience. The study of yoga and mind-body complementary and alternative medicine {CAM} is a fairly recent endeavor in the United States (Bond, 2007). The use of CAM, specifically by women, is on the rise in the United States (Schuiling, 2013). Complementary and alternative medicine {including yoga} in some midwifery communities is an essential part of midwifery practice, and in others, it is utilized only as a personal healthcare or lifestyle choice. It may be applied as an adjunctive measure to support balance and normalcy, or as an alternative option to resolve disability. Women worldwide are finding...
Words: 1495 - Pages: 6
...Complementary and Alternative Medicine’s Effectiveness in Increasing Health Quality Alyson Dzierzynski HPA 18 Abstract Four articles in which complementary and alternative medicine was discussed. In this essay I discuss after reviewing the different articles a couple of things. The topic of the paper reviewed will be discussed, as well as the research question or the hypothesis. If there are any variables they are identified. The participants, the type of research (qualitative or quantitative), the data collection process and how the data was analyzed will be noted. The results of each article and each of their findings will be noted. Then, there will be a summary of the findings in the research, and it will be told whether or not the data supports or contradicts the hypothesis. The strengths and weaknesses in the articles reviewed will also be mentioned in the article review. An analysis of four articles was preformed in order to test Complimentary and Alternative Medicine’s Effective in Increasing Health Quality. The topic of the first paper was to establish why older Americans tend to use complementary and alternative medicines. In this article (Tait, Laditka, Laditka, Nies, Racine & Tsulukidze, 2013), there were a couple of hypotheses made based on four categories, conventional medicine was no help, treatments were too expensive, they were recommended by a healthcare provider and lastly, they were recommended by family, friends, or...
Words: 2651 - Pages: 11
...|BHMA ESSAY 2013 | |The importance of holism in medical care today | |and ways this can be promoted | | | |Kundan Iqbal | |Newcastle University | |“…every living person has his own peculiarities and always has his own peculiar, personal, novel, complicated disease…’TOLSTOY | The importance of holism The term ‘holism’ was coined by philosopher Jan Smuts in 1926, derived from the Greek hólos, meaning ‘whole’[1]. Aristotle captured the essence of holism in his Metaphysics when he stated ‘the whole is more than the sum of its parts’. Applied to healthcare, holism is the art and science of caring for a person in a way which considers all aspects of their body, mind, spirituality and emotional state in relation to “[other] individuals, the environment, or populations...
Words: 2272 - Pages: 10
...Complementary and Alternative Medicine’s Effectiveness in Increasing Health Quality Alyson Dzierzynski HPA 18 Abstract Four articles in which complementary and alternative medicine was discussed. In this essay I discuss after reviewing the different articles a couple of things. The topic of the paper reviewed will be discussed, as well as the research question or the hypothesis. If there are any variables they are identified. The participants, the type of research (qualitative or quantitative), the data collection process and how the data was analyzed will be noted. The results of each article and each of their findings will be noted. Then, there will be a summary of the findings in the research, and it will be told whether or not the data supports or contradicts the hypothesis. The strengths and weaknesses in the articles reviewed will also be mentioned in the article review. An analysis of four articles was preformed in order to test Complimentary and Alternative Medicine’s Effective in Increasing Health Quality. The topic of the first paper was to establish why older Americans tend to use complementary and alternative medicines. In this article (Tait, Laditka, Laditka, Nies, Racine & Tsulukidze, 2013), there were a couple of hypotheses made based on four categories, conventional medicine was no help, treatments were too expensive, they were recommended by a healthcare provider and lastly, they were recommended by family, friends...
Words: 2668 - Pages: 11
...The aim of this essay is to explore an aspect of care that a client group receives whilst in the community setting. The chosen aspect of care will be palliative care delivered to those patients who have been told they have a non-curative illness but are not yet at the end of life. The stage of the illness of the client group chosen is one where the patient is managed at home because there as there is nothing anyone can do to make things better (Calman-Hine Report 1998). The essay will also briefly describe three different professional groups involved in providing palliative care. It will then go on to discuss how good communication and collaborative working between these professional can provide the best quality of care of the patient and how poor communication can compromise the patients quality of care. Palliative care can be defined as the overall care of patients whose disease does not respond to curative treatment. The aim of Palliative care is to improve as much as possible the quality of life of patients and their families facing a life-threatening illness. This can be achieved by providing pain and symptom relief, spiritual and psychosocial support from diagnosis to bereavement (WHO 2002). Patients with life threatening illness may require care from a variety of different specialists and services at a number of points in their illness; this will include both statutory and non-statutory organisations (National Health Service Executive 1998). To ensure that all...
Words: 1114 - Pages: 5
...medical treatments that go against mainstream medication, something know was Complementary...
Words: 1639 - Pages: 7
...exploration essay on yoga can help provide better health Introduction Although yoga has only become popular in recent years it has a rich and long history that is not less than five thousand years old. Even then it still remains unknown when exactly the practice began. A review of various literature insinuates that in ancient times people’s desire for health, need for self understanding and long life gave birth to yoga, a mental and physical exercise which has ever since spread to many parts of the world. What Yoga is The word ‘yoga’ essentially means to yoke or join together’ and thus the exercise is meant to harmonize the functions of the mind and body and result to an individual’s general well being and wellness (Monro, 1997, 215-21). The yoga system is built and supported by meditation, simple postural exercises, relaxation and breathing practices. Yoga exercises are designed and developed to appropriately put pressure or strain on the body’s glandular systems consequently increasing their efficiency and an individual’s total health. The body on the other hand is perceived as the primary instrument that allows people to evolve and work and therefore the yoga student is required to treat it with immense respect and care. The breathing techniques are supported by the assertion that breath is unarguably the source and basis of life for the human body. Therefore breathing practices and control...
Words: 3239 - Pages: 13
...Piercing the skin with needles seems like a peculiar notion and the possibility that this could have any health benefits seems a bizarre concept, at least from the biomedical perspective. Yet, acupuncture is now a common form of treatment for many ailments and most towns in New Zealand have an acupuncture clinic (Dew, 2003). However, there have been several social, political, medical and regulatory processes and forces by which acupuncture has become this integrated into mainstream health services. This discussion will focus on four of these processes, which include providing evidence which is in accordance with biomedical constructions of evidence, use of needles as a boundary object, the rise of integrative medicine and subsidisation of the...
Words: 1397 - Pages: 6
...The practice of meditation is central to the Buddhist tradition and is considered to be one of the essential Buddhist practices for reaching enlightenment. History tells us that meditation was a necessary component of the Buddha’s life and his search for liberation from suffering. Rahula (1978 p, 67) argues that the Buddha’s teachings on meditation had the aim of ‘producing a state of perfect mental health, equilibrium and tranquillity’. However, Rahula (1978) also states, that the Buddha’s teachings on meditation were the most misunderstood of all his teachings. Although the origins of meditation are not easy to trace, Friedlander (2002 p. 37) suggests that they may predate proto-history. There are varying methods of meditation practice found in different cultures and the western and eastern concepts of meditation vary greatly. For this reason, Friedlander (2002, p. 15) argues that ‘we may need to explore the meaning of meditation within the context that it is found’. This essay will explore the meaning of meditation and discuss the relationship between meditation, prayer and ritual. Meditation is an ancient, personal spiritual practice which has evolved from early Indian culture and it may be plausible to suggest that the practice of meditation developed from the ecstatic trances associated with shamanistic religions (Friedlander 2002). There are various techniques of meditation such as breath control, mantras and single-pointed concentration. Meditation is a practice...
Words: 1100 - Pages: 5
...with Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT), a widely practiced health intervention, being the main source of mediation administered by chiropractors (healthcare professionals dedicated to the non-surgical treatment of disorders...
Words: 1182 - Pages: 5
...physiological and behavioural domains, which presents unique challenges in the assessment and evaluation. These challenges require close consideration of the child’s age, prior pain experiences, developmental, cognitive and communication levels. As nurses are responsible in the assessment of children’s pain, it is appropriate to know all methods, and techniques of alleviating this uncomfortable stimuli, thus presenting the clinical question; in children, how can non-pharmacological (complementary/ alternative) methods be more beneficial in pain management compared to non-pharmacological/conventional medicines? The purpose of this paper is to explore how non-pharmacological methods can be useful in reducing pain. The different variations of non-pharmacological interventions, adverse effects of pharmacological medication, economic factors and knowledge deficits related to nurse education of pain management will be discussed below. Non-Pharmacological Techniques Non-pharmacological techniques, or complementary therapies are considered as any intervention used for pain alleviation that are non-analgesics or other kinds of medications and can be used with or without pharmacological aid. To better understand how many of these types of procedures are effective on a cellular level, we must look at “The Gate Control Theory”. This theory proposes inhibitory neurons in the spinal cord regulate pain information to the brain. When these neurons are stimulated through pressure or massage they inhibit...
Words: 4548 - Pages: 19
...The ANMC Competency Standards for the Midwife (2008) value woman-centred midwifery practice and state that midwives must work in partnership with women and their families. Using the available evidence, describe how the principles of collaboration and autonomy relate to the principles of working in partnership with women. Then critically analyse how midwives apply these principles to provide woman-centred midwifery practice. As stated by the ANMC Competency Standards, midwives must work in partnership with women in order to achieve women-centred (WCC) care. The critical aspects of providing WCC involve firm performance of continuity of care and developing a strong, but professional midwife-women partnership. Through the implementation of these factors with the added strength of autonomy and collaboration WCC can be achieved to a great extent. However, within practice it is important to maintain evidence based practice and research for the best outcomes. This essay will examine how evidence based practice, partnered with the principles of autonomy and collaboration interconnect with the midwife-women partnership. WCC can be described as women and families being at the heart of everything midwives do in practice. (Fraser & Cooper, 2009). In simpler terms, it can be described as ‘working with a women in whatever way she wants’ (Pairman, 2010 pg. 327) Findings have suggested the practice of WCC increase women’s satisfaction with care. (Iida, Horiuchi, & Porter, 2011)...
Words: 1723 - Pages: 7
...07-02-2014 Module Three. MAIDSIA14: word count 1996 Why Is The Initial Consultation So Important? What factors will an ethical therapist cover at this time? When a person has a specific problem, whether it is a fear or phobia or something they wish to change about themselves, one of their options is to use a hypnotherapist to help them overcome their problem. During the first consultation, the therapist will address the client’s specific needs by conducting an assessment. The assessment is the fundamental base line from which the therapist will use the information needed to design a program specifically tailored for a particular client. During this essay I hope to deliver the importance of the initial consultation between therapist and client including the ethical factors. I would like to discuss the process, what happens at the initial consultation, and how the therapist will gather the required information. I also aim to explore the benefits and use a debate for the more complex ethical issues that therapists face. As well as discovering the reason why the prospective client has thought about hypnotherapy, the therapist is also judging their skills for the appropriate job at hand, and that the client’s goals are obtainable. The initial consultation can be a very powerful tool for both the client and the therapist. First impressions will be formed during the initial conversation which can be in person or over the...
Words: 1998 - Pages: 8
...Society (ACS) indicated that more than a million an d a half new cases of cancer are diagnosed every year. Along with physical disease, cancer also brings a significant impact on the patient’s overall quality of life (QOL). This paper asserts that for optimal patient outcome, healthcare workers, particularly nurses, need to attend to the cancer patient’s overall QOL rather than simply focusing on the physical disease of cancer. This essay will first address the issue of understanding what constitutes the patient’s QOL. Then key factors that directly affect the QOL are reviewed in the context of current best evidence. That will be followed by a section that addresses the nursing implications of this subject. The paper concludes with a brief summary and conclusion about the importance of maintaining patient QOL in cancer patients. The first element, is thus to define what is meant by “quality of life.” The next section of this paper addresses that specific issue. Defining Patient Quality of Life Before patient QOL can be addressed in a nursing practice, it is essential to understand what is meant by QOL. Bahrami (2011) has noted that no specific, well accepted definition of patient QOL exists. One reason for this lack of consensus on QOL is that life quality is a highly individual concept with different people having different items as important to them (Bahrami, 2011). In addition to being specific to an individual, QOL is also often highly culture-specific (Bahrami, 2011)....
Words: 3187 - Pages: 13
