Introduction to Complementary Therapies and Alternative Medicine

Author(s):  
Robert Adams

Complementary and alternative medicine therapies have been widely used for self-care for many years for the treatment of chronic back pain, headaches, and multiple other conditions. Traditional medical care has started to recognize its place in supplementing conventional treatments. It is important for nurses to develop their knowledge and skills in complementary therapies to be able to advise and support their patients and in some cases provide appropriate interventions.


Author(s):  
Sonia Puri ◽  
Dinesh Kumar Walia ◽  
Har Ashish Jindal

Reiki is one of the complementary and alternative medicine modalities which have been accepted and appreciated, globally. Many evidence based studies have validated its role in cancer. Reiki can play a major role in changing the patient’s outlook towards life and increasing the patient’s ability as well as willingness to comply with physician’s instructions and adhere to treatment protocols. The goal of Reiki treatments is to strengthen the flow of energy through these blocked or disturbed pathways, thus decreasing pain and enhancing the body’s natural ability to fight illnesses and heal itself. It combats the nausea caused from chemotherapy. One of the major criticism is lack of scientific foundation. There has been effort to collaborate conventional and complementary therapies to improve the quality of future research. In the near future, it may be considered as one of the advanced modalities of alternative medicine used in conjunction with conventional therapy for holistic approach for cancer management.


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