Complementary and alternative therapies: the nurse's role
Preliminary EvidenceIn Plain Language
One objective of Healthy People 2010 is to increase both quality and years of healthy life. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) encompasses strategies that can help individuals meet this goal. CAM includes therapies such as acupuncture, dietary supplements, reflexology, yoga, massage, chiropractic services, Reiki, and aromatherapy. Many CAM therapies focus on the concept of energy. The literature describes the use of CAM in individuals with neurological diseases such as dementias, multiple sclerosis, neuropathies, spinal cord injury, and epilepsy. Nurses have a unique opportunity to provide services that facilitate wholeness. They need to understand all aspects of CAM, including costs, patient knowledge, and drug interactions, if they are to promote holistic strategies for patients seeking to achieve a higher quality of life.
Key Findings: what this qualitative study found
- ✓Complementary and alternative medicine therapies including reflexology, acupuncture, massage, and yoga can help individuals achieve the Healthy People 2010 goals of increasing quality and years of healthy life.
- ✓CAM therapies have documented applications in treating neurological diseases such as dementias, multiple sclerosis, neuropathies, spinal cord injury, and epilepsy.
- ✓Nurses require comprehensive understanding of CAM therapies including their costs, patient knowledge levels, and potential drug interactions to effectively promote holistic care strategies.
What This Means for You
While reflexology is recognized as a complementary therapy that may support overall wellness, this paper does not provide strong clinical evidence for its effectiveness—it mainly explains why nurses should be knowledgeable about it.
What This Means for Practitioners
Position yourself as a partner in holistic care by staying informed about how reflexology integrates with conventional medicine and by communicating openly with patients' healthcare providers about potential interactions and complementary benefits.
Common questions about this study
What does this study mean in practice?
While reflexology is recognized as a complementary therapy that may support overall wellness, this paper does not provide strong clinical evidence for its effectiveness—it mainly explains why nurses should be knowledgeable about it.
What did this study find?
Complementary and alternative medicine therapies including reflexology, acupuncture, massage, and yoga can help individuals achieve the Healthy People 2010 goals of increasing quality and years of healthy life. CAM therapies have documented applications in treating neurological diseases such as dementias, multiple sclerosis, neuropathies, spinal cord injury, and epilepsy. Nurses require comprehensive understanding of CAM therapies including their costs, patient knowledge levels, and potential drug interactions to effectively promote holistic care strategies.
How strong is this evidence?
This is a qualitative study and we rate its evidence preliminary. It was published in The Journal of neuroscience nursing : journal of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses. This study is indexed here for context; it did not test reflexology itself.
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