Alternative Therapies on the Horizon
© Donna L. Quesinberry
What do Harvard, Prince Charles, and the National Institute of Health (NIH) have in common? They advocate varied forms of alternative medicine and touch therapy. Medical centers are beginning to integrate 'touch therapy' in their treatment plans with cardiac care and varied other critical care patients. Results of studies of these treatments demonstrate that they have a positive effect on people who are hospitalized and/or in pre-emptive care to embrace health and wellness. Touch therapy involves massage and some touch therapies alter or change the body's 'energy fields.' Among the more recognized approaches that are promising are:
- Healing touch - Practitioners use their hands above or on the body, they use gentle touch, with an intent to affect the body's energy fields. One study found that patients had shorter hospital stays if they received healing touch before and after open-heart surgery.
- Reiki - This centuries-old practice involves light touch over different parts of the body in an ordered sequence. In one study, people who underwent Reiki sessions before cardiac catheterization reported feeling more confident, and their cardiologists said these patients were more relaxed and cooperative.
- Massage therapy - Massage uses various techniques to manipulate the body's soft tissues through pressure and movement. A study found that systolic blood pressure dropped significantly when massage therapy was incorporated with modern medical techniques according the the Harvard Heart Letter and other publications.
Prince Charles of Wales commissioned an investigation nine months ago to overview available evidence concerning alternative therapies to cure conditions such as back pain and stress. The results of this study concluded that people who suffer from chronic conditions (e.g., back pain, anxiety and depression) benefit from therapies such as meditation, massage, tai chi, Indian ayuryedic methods, osteopathy, chiropractic remedies, acupuncture, homeopathy, herbal medicine, and even prayer. The report furthered that patients treated with these alternative treatments saw a 30 per cent drop in the number of consultations with their general practice physicians and experienced savings in prescription drug bills of 50 per cent.
Economist Christopher Smallwood, conducted a study that included the views of health professionals and case studies where medicines have been used in reaching the conclusions presented to Prince Charles of Wales. Rustum Roy of Pennsylvania State University (professor of materials) argues that any argument against homeopathy is absurd. "Damn right it is worth looking into," he states. Lee, a certified internist, has witnessed homeopathic cures of nausea and other conditions in her practice. "They perhaps work," she said, "by accessing the body's inner abilities to heal. We have not named all the things that help people get well. We should be open-minded skeptics."
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