Feeling the Healing with Complementary and Alternative
Modalities
Jeanie Hubert
Patricia Muessen
Introduction
2
“Chronic diseases – such as heart disease, stroke,
cancer, diabetes, and arthritis – are among the most
common, costly, and preventable of all health
problems in the U.S.” (CDC, 2012)
Complications lead to more interventions, leading
to more complications. . .
and more interventions
Some Statistics
3
 7 out of 10 deaths among Americans each year are from chronic
diseases. Heart disease, cancer and stroke account for more than 50%
of all deaths each year.1
In 2005, 133 million Americans – almost 1 out of every 2 adults2 had at
least one chronic illness.2
1 in every 3 adults is obese3 and almost 1 in 5 youth between the ages of
6 and 19 is obese (BMI ≥ 95th percentile of the CDC growth chart).4
About one-fourth of people with chronic conditions have one or more
daily activity limitations.5
Diabetes continues to be the leading cause of kidney failure, nontraumatic lower-extremity amputations, and blindness among adults,
aged 20-74 (CDC, 2012).
For this discussion, we will focus on Type II Diabetes
4
 Heart disease and stroke
 Hypertension
 Blindness and eye problems
 Kidney disease
 Nervous system disease
 Amputations
 Dental disease
 Pregnancy complications
 Susceptibility to many other illnesses as well as life-
threatening biochemical imbalances (CDC, 2012)
Assessment
Assessment
5
 There is a lack of knowledge in the community
about some of the gentler methods of treatment
available to people as an adjunct to medical care.
Assessment cont’d
6
 Our group contacted Lynne Danik, Head of
Volunteer Services at Hunterdon Medical Center

Lynne identified a need for increased awareness among
patients, and healthcare professionals, regarding the practice
of Complementary and Alternative Modalities to help treat the
patient population of Hunterdon County.
Did you know that there is a specialty called
Holistic Nursing?
7
 “Holistic nurses may integrate complementary/alternative
modalities (CAM) into clinical practice to treat people’s
physiological, psychological, and spiritual needs. Doing so
does not negate the validity of conventional medical
therapies, but serves to complement, broaden, and enrich
the scope of nursing practice and to help individuals access
their greatest healing potential. ” (ahna.org)
Diagnosis
8
 Ineffective Knowledge related to Complementary
and Alternative Modalities
 Readiness for enhanced learning of Complementary
and Alternative therapies
 Pain related to diabetic neuropathy, poor wound
healing
Planning
 Educate the diabetic population about
Complementary and Alternative Modalities (CAM)
of diabetes management.
 Presentation at Somerset County Library
 Distributed brochures at Avalon Assisted Living in
Bridgewater, NJ and Bridgeway Care Center, also
located in Bridgewater, NJ.
Implementation: Types of CAM
 Herbal and Nutritional Supplements
 are beyond the scope of this presentation; they should not be
approached without consulting your doctor as there are risks
 “Mind and Body” Modalities
 common – prayer, yoga, and massage
 less known – Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, and Guided Imagery
Reiki and Therapeutic Touch
Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and
relaxation that also promotes healing
Therapeutic Touch is an energy therapy which
promotes healing and reduces pain and anxiety
Hunterdon Medical Center
 Reiki is performed and managed daily by Volunteer
Resources at HMC.
 So… what do patients say about Reiki?
2012 Patient Satisfaction Survey of Reiki
 20 post-op, medical surgical patients were given a
survey to evaluate the effects that Reiki therapy had
on them during their hospital stay.
 Patients were questioned in three areas integral to
medical-surgical patient care:



Pain
Nausea
Stress & Anxiety
Reiki Volunteers at HMC
Survey says…
 Overall, the patients at Hunterdon Medical Center
reported:




71% reduction of stress
65% reduction in anxiety
54% reduction in nausea
47% reduction in pain
How Long is a Reiki Session?
 A Reiki session is catered to the needs of the patient;
it can be as short or as long as needed.
 On average, a typical session of Reiki lasts 45-75
minutes.
Implementation: Combining Reiki Therapy with
Diabetes Management
 A scientific study, titled National Patterns and
Correlates of Complementary and Alternative
Medicine Use in Adults with Diabetes (Garrow, D.,
Egede, L.E., 2006) discovered that:


Diabetes is not a predictor of overall use of CAM
However, persons with diabetes were:
•
•
More likely to use prayer
Less likely to use herbs, yoga, and vitamins then persons without
diabetes.
Reiki and Diabetes Mgmt. (Cont’d)
 Conclusions
 There has been a dramatic increase in overall use of CAM in
adults with diabetes; diabetes was not an independent
predictor of overall use of CAM; and people with diabetes were
more likely to use prayer, but less likely to use herbs, yoga, or
vitamins compared to persons without diabetes
Implementation: Our Presenation
 April 19th, 2013: “Feeling the Healing”
 Presented to the public of Somerset County at the
Somerset County Library in Bridgewater, NJ.
Implementation
Through our presentation, our group:
 Increased knowledge of CAM therapies to the public population
who were or were not suffering from diabetes mellitus.
 Demonstrated the uses of therapeutic touch through Richard, a
licensed practitioner in therapeutic touch.
 Evaluated increased knowledge of CAM therapy via feedback
received after our presentation by the audience.
 Overall, the audience had been extremely interactive with the
presentation and reported a significant increase in their
knowledge of CAM therapies.
Evaluation
 A dramatic increase in the use of CAM therapy has
increased among the diabetic population in the United
States.
 There is a recognized, documented need for healthcare
providers to become familiar with CAM therapies that their
patients utilize.
Evaluation
 The trend is use of complementary and alternative
medicine with traditional medicine. The RN, Social
Worker, and Primary Practitioner need to work
together to solve the problem in a unified fashion.
 Patients need more education on the psychological
affects of a chronic disease like diabetes. Referrals
and resources can be provided to patients with
existing or new diagnoses.
Evaluation cont’d
 CAMs provide additional options for dealing with
disease.
 The solution is not just a script for Metformin and
a low carb diet. Traditional medicine is part of the
solution and Complimentary and Alternative
Medicine can also help control blood sugar.
 When coping skills improve, risks of complications
decrease. Both mind and body need support to
control or curb this disease.
Thank You!
Jeanie Hubert
Patricia Muessen
References
 AARP, & NCCAM. (2012). Complementary and alternative medicine:
What people aged 50 and older discuss with their healthcare providers.
Consumer Survey Report.
 Budge, P. (2010). Management of diabetes in patients at the end of life.
Nursing Standard (Royal College Of Nursing (Great Britain): 1987),
25(6), 42–46. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cmedm&AN=2
1133213&site=eds-live
 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011a). National diabetes
fact sheet: diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes in the United States, all
ages, 2010. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Atlanta, GA:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/estimates11.htm#13
References
 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011b). National diabetes
fact sheet: National estimates and general information on diabetes and
prediabetes in the United States. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Chronic diseases and
health promotion (Vol. 14). Atlanta, GA. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/overview/index.htm
 Chang, H., Wallis, M., & Tiralongo, E. (2007). Use of complementary and
alternative medicine among people living with diabetes: Literature
review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 58(4), 307–19. doi:10.1111/j.13652648.2007.04291.x
References
 Clark, C. E., Smith, L. F. P., Taylor, R. S., & Campbell, J. L. (2011). Nurse-
led interventions used to improve control of high blood pressure in
people with diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Diabetic
Medicine a Journal of the British Diabetic Association, 28(3), 250–261.
doi:10.1111/j.1464-5491.2010.03204.x
 Cox, T. (2003). A nurse-statistician reanalyzes data from the Rosa
therapeutic touch study. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine,
9(1), 58–64.
 Garrow, D., & Egede, L. E. (2006). National patterns and correlates of
complementary and alternative medicine use in adults with diabetes.
Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 9(12), 895–902.
doi:10.1089/acm.2006.12.895
References
 Harkness, E., Macdonald, W., Valderas, J., Coventry, P., Gask, L., &
Bower, P. (2010). Identifying psychosocial interventions that improve
both physical and mental health in patients with diabetes. Diabetes Care,
33(4), 926–930. Retrieved from http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov
 Harris, S. T., & Pokorny, M. E. (2012). Living with diabetes: What
patients are saying. Care Management Journals, 13(2), 46–50.
 Hunterdon Medical Center therapists lend their hands to help patients
heal. (2012, October 8).Hunterdon County Democrat. Retrieved from
http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-countydemocrat/index.ssf/2012/10/hunterdon_medical_center_thera.html
 Kilbourne, B., Cummings, S. M., & Levine, R. S. (2009). The influence of
religiosity on depression among low-income people with diabetes. Health
& Social Work, 34(2), 137.
References
 Kleinman, A. (2013). From illness as culture to caregiving as moral




experience. New England Journal of Medicine, 368(15), 1376–1377.
doi:10.1056/NEJMp1300678
Ku, T. K., & Minas, H. (2010). Development of the nursing relationships
scale: A measure of interpersonal approaches in nursing care.
International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 4, 12. Retrieved from
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2889861&t
ool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract
Live a meaningful life. (2012).The International Center for Reiki
Training. Retrieved from http://reiki.org
Lorente Armendariz, I. (2011). Psychological factors in diabetes care.
Revista De Enfermeria Barcelona Spain, 34(6), 42–47.
Miles, P. & True, G. (2003). Reiki--review of a biofield therapy history,
theory, practice, and research. Alternative Therapies in Health and
Medicine, Mar-Apr,9(2), 62–72.
References
 NCCAM. (n.d.). Are you considering complementary medicine? National
Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Pub. No.: D339.
Retrieved from
http://nccam.nih.gov/sites/nccam.nih.gov/files/D339_2.pdf
 NCCAM. (2008a). Diabetes and CAM : A focus on dietary supplements.
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Retrieved
from http://nccam.nih.gov/sites/nccam.nih.gov/files/D416_GTF.pdf
 NCCAM. (2008b). Time to talk: Tell your health care providers about
your use of complementary and alternative medicine.
 NCCAM. (2010). Chronic pain and CAM : At a glance. National Center for
Complementary and Alternative. Retrieved from
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/pain/chronic.htm?nav=gsa
References
 NCCAM. (2012). What is complementary and alternative medicine.
National Center for Complementary and Alternative. Retrieved from
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam
 Pan, S. Y., Gao, S. H., Zhou, S. F., Tang, M. . ., Yu, Z. . ., & Ko, K. M.
(2012). New perspectives on complementary and alternative medicine:
An overview and alternative therapy. Alternative Therapies in Health
and Medicine, 18(4), 20–36.
 Welch, G., Zagarins, S. E., Feinberg, R. G., & Garb, J. L. (2011).
Motivational interviewing delivered by diabetes educators: Does it
improve blood glucose control among poorly controlled type 2 diabetes
patients? Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 91(1), 54–60.
Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21075562
References
 Welcome to AHNA: What is holistic nursing? (2012).American Holistic
Nurses Association. Retrieved from
http://www.ahna.org/AboutUs/WhatisHolisticNursing/tabid/1165/Defa
ult.aspx
 Winkley, K., Ismail, K., Landau, S., & Eisler, I. (2006). Systematic review
and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials of psychological
interventions to improve glycaemic control in patients with type 2
diabetes. Diabetic Medicine A Journal of the British Diabetic Association,
333(7558), 65. Retrieved from http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/167303/