For our second peer review session we were to write a three page paper on the "Major Questions in our Subject". For me this was easy. Complementary and Alternative Medicine is my subject and there are tons of questions asked over and over again about it. I started off by answering the most profound question What is CAM and How Can It Help Me Feel Better? I went into how it helps and different types of therapies used for helping different things. Then i tried to answer the question that most often is next in line to being asked. Is It Safe? This was the most difficult to try to answer and i tried to the best of my knowledge.
Problems - I had and very bad run in with using the word "you" in half my paper, so that is deffinately something that will have to be worked out before i hand in the second draft. There were a few small questions on what was i trying to say, or this should be worded different such as : my first sentence it didn't really make sense and all my peer right away pointed that one out to me. Some weren't sure of the many focus of the paper and i will be sure to make it clear before its turned back in.
My reviews :
Casey: Coming into this paper i had never read her work before, when i started off it was well written but there were a few things i wasn't clear about. She mentioned Enron, but never really let the reader know what she wanted us to know about them. Also with Sarbanes Oxley Bill i was not sure on what she was trying to relate to. Other then that i just saw that she over used the work " ethics" throughout the first page an a half. And that we were suppose to have 2 cited works but she only had included 1.
Beth: Starting off i didn't really know anything about her subject. She was using MN which she never abbriviated anywhere. That was the biggest problem for me in her paper. She needed to make it a little longer but other then that it was very interesting and catching.
Ann: Ann had very little grammar mistakes and i really liked how she used the Terri Schiavo case in her paper. It fit right in and it was something a lot of her readers will be able to connect with. The only thing in her paper was that i wasnt' sure of what the point was that she was trying to get across or the question she was trying to address.
Cody: I also liked how he brought the examples in his paper. Between the 3 and 4 paragraph it seemed to just jump and not really have a clear point of stopping and starting somewhere else. Over all it was very well written. He is a great writter but again the ending to me just drops and doesn't really end.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Will it Help?
Paitents and people all over the world have been asking this question in the doctors office and other places about CAM ( Complementary and Alternative Medicine) Will the CAM therpaies help me? Many people have been using the CAM therapies for things such as; chemotherpay side effects, osteoarthritis, alzheimers, kidney disease even for their pets. Will it help you can really be answered for you, but by reading such clinical research conducted might show you that, its really worth the shot.
They have found that when an acupuncture needle is inserted at specific sites on the wrist, inside of the forearm or leg, this triggers the release of opioid chemicals in the brain that reduce excitatory responses in the cardiovascular system. This decreases the heart's activity and its need for oxygen, which in turn can lower blood pressure, and promotes healing for a number of cardiac ailments, such as myocardial ischemia (insufficient blood flow to the heart) and hypertension (http://www.camlawblog.com/). With electrical stimulation that was then next added lowered increased blood pressure from 40 to 50 percent.
Studies like this that you can read and ask about to a physician should be helpful in deciding wether or not CAM will work for you. There are many other studies that have been done that you can read on the site that was cited below.
1. Cohen, Michael, H. "Acupuncture found to lower elevations in blood pressure." CAM Law . (http://www.camlawblog.com/) 26 Feb 2007.
They have found that when an acupuncture needle is inserted at specific sites on the wrist, inside of the forearm or leg, this triggers the release of opioid chemicals in the brain that reduce excitatory responses in the cardiovascular system. This decreases the heart's activity and its need for oxygen, which in turn can lower blood pressure, and promotes healing for a number of cardiac ailments, such as myocardial ischemia (insufficient blood flow to the heart) and hypertension (http://www.camlawblog.com/). With electrical stimulation that was then next added lowered increased blood pressure from 40 to 50 percent.
Studies like this that you can read and ask about to a physician should be helpful in deciding wether or not CAM will work for you. There are many other studies that have been done that you can read on the site that was cited below.
1. Cohen, Michael, H. "Acupuncture found to lower elevations in blood pressure." CAM Law . (http://www.camlawblog.com/) 26 Feb 2007.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
To Test of Not to Test?
The stated reasons for the increase in popularity of alternative
medicine therapies includes a rise in prevalence of chronic disease, an
increase inpublic access to worldwide health information, reduced tolerance for paternalism, an increase sense of entitlement to a better
quality of life, declining faith that scientific breakthroughs will
have interest in spiritualism (1).This and the time not taken out to
examine the truth about the risks taken using alternative medicines is
leadingAmerican more towards them. This leads them more towards not informing doctors of their use also. Around 41% of Americans
use some kind of alternative medicine. [Well] with the increase in
number of Americans using alternative remedies, and the medical
establishment becoming more concernedabout possible adverse interaction with prescription drugs, Congress in 1992 established an Office of Alternative Medicine within the National Institutes of Health to evaluate alternative remedies(1).But only 2 million dollars was then spent testing theses, when given 10.7 billion dollars. 100,000 people die each year to adverse interactions with prescription drugs, this being the 4Th leading cause of death in the United States. The FDA ( Federal Drug Administration) should be testing theses to better extent.
Clark, Peter A. "The Ethics of Alternative Medicine Therapies". Journal of Public Health Policy. Vol. 21, No.4 (2000) pp. 447-470. 10 Feb 2007..
medicine therapies includes a rise in prevalence of chronic disease, an
increase inpublic access to worldwide health information, reduced tolerance for paternalism, an increase sense of entitlement to a better
quality of life, declining faith that scientific breakthroughs will
have interest in spiritualism (1).This and the time not taken out to
examine the truth about the risks taken using alternative medicines is
leadingAmerican more towards them. This leads them more towards not informing doctors of their use also. Around 41% of Americans
use some kind of alternative medicine. [Well] with the increase in
number of Americans using alternative remedies, and the medical
establishment becoming more concernedabout possible adverse interaction with prescription drugs, Congress in 1992 established an Office of Alternative Medicine within the National Institutes of Health to evaluate alternative remedies(1).But only 2 million dollars was then spent testing theses, when given 10.7 billion dollars. 100,000 people die each year to adverse interactions with prescription drugs, this being the 4Th leading cause of death in the United States. The FDA ( Federal Drug Administration) should be testing theses to better extent.
Clark, Peter A. "The Ethics of Alternative Medicine Therapies". Journal of Public Health Policy. Vol. 21, No.4 (2000) pp. 447-470. 10 Feb 2007.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Peer review session
During the Peer review session my paper was read through and anyalized. Danielle, Ann and Cody were all in my group and they all told me basically the same thing. My paper needed to be brought down verbally, so that when the reader read it they could actually understand it. I was also told to watch my grammar. In the first paragraph some of the bottom sentences did not make sense and they needed to be changed. Over all they all wrote that i had great information and that i just need to organize a little better.
Cody's paper was very well written, though it was a little too short for what we needed. In about the second paragraph I told cody that i thought he might be getting a little to personal when he said " Ben ( you know we know each other on a first name basis). I said that he needed a little more information. This paper was very well written and very good grammar.
Danielle's paper when i began to read it the first paragraph just had so much information put in there. She said she wanted to put a little backround before jumping in which is good but it just wasn't put together very well. The sentences weren't flowing and it just had to many pieces that didn't fit together right. She also didn't have a work cited which is something that i thought should be inculded. Over all i thought that it was a good start to a very good paper.
On Ann's paper i didn't have many comments.Ann working in a hospital knows so much first hand with Medical ethics that she has a great understanding for everything that she writes. In the comments i told her i said all she needed was to make it a little more longer and that maybe needs more information. This paper was very well written.
Cody's paper was very well written, though it was a little too short for what we needed. In about the second paragraph I told cody that i thought he might be getting a little to personal when he said " Ben ( you know we know each other on a first name basis). I said that he needed a little more information. This paper was very well written and very good grammar.
Danielle's paper when i began to read it the first paragraph just had so much information put in there. She said she wanted to put a little backround before jumping in which is good but it just wasn't put together very well. The sentences weren't flowing and it just had to many pieces that didn't fit together right. She also didn't have a work cited which is something that i thought should be inculded. Over all i thought that it was a good start to a very good paper.
On Ann's paper i didn't have many comments.Ann working in a hospital knows so much first hand with Medical ethics that she has a great understanding for everything that she writes. In the comments i told her i said all she needed was to make it a little more longer and that maybe needs more information. This paper was very well written.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Complementary or Alternative??
Complementary medicine is used together with other conventional medicine. EX: (using aromatherapy following surgery for lessening the discomfort).
Alternative medicine is used in place of the conventional medicine. Ex: (using a diet instead of radiation for cancer treatment).
Major types of Complementary and Alternative medicines:
1. Alternative medical systems are built upon complete systems of theory and practice. Often, these systems have evolved apart from and earlier than the conventional medical approach used in the United States. Examples of alternative medical systems that have developed in Western cultures include homeopathic medicine and naturopathic medicine.
2. Mind-body medicine uses a variety of techniques designed to enhance the mind's capacity to affect bodily function and symptoms. Some techniques that were considered CAM in the past have become mainstream (for example, patient support groups and cognitive-behavioral therapy). Other mind-body techniques are still considered CAM, including meditation, prayer, mental healing, and therapies that use creative outlets such as art, music, or dance
3. Biologically based therapies in CAM use substances found in nature, such as herbs, foods, and vitamins. Some examples include dietary supplements, 3 herbal products, and the use of other so-called natural but as yet scientifically unproven therapies (for example, using shark cartilage to treat cancer).
4. Manipulative and body-based methods in CAM are based on manipulation and/or movement of one or more parts of the body. Some examples include chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, and massage.
5. Energy Theories - involve the use of energy fields. Two kinds are:
*Biofield therapies are intended to affect energy fields that purportedly surround and penetrate the human body. The existence of such fields has not yet been scientifically proven. Some forms of energy therapy manipulate biofields by applying pressure and/or manipulating the body by placing the hands in, or through, these fields. Examples include qi gong, Reiki, and Therapeutic Touch.
*Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies involve the unconventional use of electromagnetic fields, such as pulsed fields, magnetic fields, or alternating-current or direct-current fields.
Theses are some of the brief explanations of some of the types of CAM theories/therapies there are.
cited from : "CAM Basics". National Center for Complementary And Alternative Medicine. National Institutes of Health. 12, Jan 2007.
Alternative medicine is used in place of the conventional medicine. Ex: (using a diet instead of radiation for cancer treatment).
Major types of Complementary and Alternative medicines:
1. Alternative medical systems are built upon complete systems of theory and practice. Often, these systems have evolved apart from and earlier than the conventional medical approach used in the United States. Examples of alternative medical systems that have developed in Western cultures include homeopathic medicine and naturopathic medicine.
2. Mind-body medicine uses a variety of techniques designed to enhance the mind's capacity to affect bodily function and symptoms. Some techniques that were considered CAM in the past have become mainstream (for example, patient support groups and cognitive-behavioral therapy). Other mind-body techniques are still considered CAM, including meditation, prayer, mental healing, and therapies that use creative outlets such as art, music, or dance
3. Biologically based therapies in CAM use substances found in nature, such as herbs, foods, and vitamins. Some examples include dietary supplements, 3 herbal products, and the use of other so-called natural but as yet scientifically unproven therapies (for example, using shark cartilage to treat cancer).
4. Manipulative and body-based methods in CAM are based on manipulation and/or movement of one or more parts of the body. Some examples include chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, and massage.
5. Energy Theories - involve the use of energy fields. Two kinds are:
*Biofield therapies are intended to affect energy fields that purportedly surround and penetrate the human body. The existence of such fields has not yet been scientifically proven. Some forms of energy therapy manipulate biofields by applying pressure and/or manipulating the body by placing the hands in, or through, these fields. Examples include qi gong, Reiki, and Therapeutic Touch.
*Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies involve the unconventional use of electromagnetic fields, such as pulsed fields, magnetic fields, or alternating-current or direct-current fields.
Theses are some of the brief explanations of some of the types of CAM theories/therapies there are.
cited from : "CAM Basics". National Center for Complementary And Alternative Medicine. National Institutes of Health. 12, Jan 2007.
Friday, February 9, 2007
Progress Report
Starting out i wanted to do something around the area of nursing. Nursing is my profession choice and i am very interested in it. This, though, came to be a very big problem because the area of Nursing is so big. As of right now i have been to the library at least 3 or 4 times looking at books and nursing magazines. I have finally picked a topic, yet it really isn't that soild. CAM ( Complementary and Alternative Medicine) is the my topic. I want to focus on how theses medical treatments can really help with healing and just dealing with pain that will always be there. In my paper i want to focus on a lot of acupuncture and massage. Theses two subjects seem to be the most widely used and researched on. My research is going well , i have 3 books that are helping out and a ton of web sites. The only thing i feel that i need to work on is grammar and just putting all the information together.
This is a very wide topic and widely used today in our society. This is why im afraid that my paper is going to be too long. I feel that right now i have so much information i want to get out there and across to my readers but its just too much at the same time. I need to work on simplifing what i am writing. A lot of the works that i have been reading are more complicated and i would like to be the one that could help people understand all the information by reading my paper.
This is a very wide topic and widely used today in our society. This is why im afraid that my paper is going to be too long. I feel that right now i have so much information i want to get out there and across to my readers but its just too much at the same time. I need to work on simplifing what i am writing. A lot of the works that i have been reading are more complicated and i would like to be the one that could help people understand all the information by reading my paper.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Looking into Complementary & Alternative Medicine
Modern physicians diagnose and treat diseases (abnormalities in the structure and function of the body organs and systems), whereas clients suffer illnesses. (Experiences of undesirable changes in states of being and in social function; the human experience of sickness). Pain is the essential experience of illness because it defies all the diagnostic tests of modern medicine, yet it produces its ravages of disability and dysfunction (pg 13). Complementary and Alternative medicine allows other physicians to treat more then just the disease. From a complementary point of view, no illness is purely physical. Rather, suffering manifests in multiple dimensions: physical, emotional, social, or spiritual. What is of concern is how suffering becomes physicalized. How does suffering result in body symptoms, some of which are so severe as to be associated with changes in tissue structure and function (pg 13,14)?
Take, for example, cancer. How does cancer begin? We know that immune deficiency is important. Abnormal cells are continually appearing, but our body possesses the wisdom to eliminate them. What happens to allow a (nidus) of such cells to take hold? We know that emotions contribute to cancer. Depression suppresses immunity and leads to decreased cellular function. We know that watching a tragic movie suppresses immune parameters in the laboratory. We know that poor nutrition interferes with immune function. We know that some families carry genes that make them easier targets for cancer. What then sparks the flame that establishes the cancer (pg 14)? Many things in the environment could spark the weaken immune system. Cancer can then invade the human body.
This is just one of the examples that lets physicians that study CAM can really see the effects of emotional, and spiritual being of a person and how it deals with being sick. Treatments such as massage, acupuncture and even herb remedies can be helpful for people who want to use CAM.
CAM= Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Nidus= anything that resembles a nest in appearance and function.
photo by : http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/images/300/massage_stomach.jpg
Work Cited
1. Encyclopedia of Complementary Health Practice. New York: Springer Publishing Company. 1999.
Take, for example, cancer. How does cancer begin? We know that immune deficiency is important. Abnormal cells are continually appearing, but our body possesses the wisdom to eliminate them. What happens to allow a (nidus) of such cells to take hold? We know that emotions contribute to cancer. Depression suppresses immunity and leads to decreased cellular function. We know that watching a tragic movie suppresses immune parameters in the laboratory. We know that poor nutrition interferes with immune function. We know that some families carry genes that make them easier targets for cancer. What then sparks the flame that establishes the cancer (pg 14)? Many things in the environment could spark the weaken immune system. Cancer can then invade the human body.
This is just one of the examples that lets physicians that study CAM can really see the effects of emotional, and spiritual being of a person and how it deals with being sick. Treatments such as massage, acupuncture and even herb remedies can be helpful for people who want to use CAM.
CAM= Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Nidus= anything that resembles a nest in appearance and function.
photo by : http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/images/300/massage_stomach.jpg
Work Cited
1. Encyclopedia of Complementary Health Practice. New York: Springer Publishing Company. 1999.
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Pioneers of Acupuncture
In Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture the main figures in this concentration are difficult to almost not even able to be found. Many of the influences started in early A.D maybe even B.C. One of them, Fu Hsi, who lived in the Yellow River area of China approximately 8000 years ago, is the one theorist that started the practice. By observing nature, he formulated the first two symbols, a broken line and unbroken line. These symbols represent the two major forces in the universe, creation and reception, and how their interaction forms life. The duality was named Yin-Yang and they represented the backbone of Chinese Medicine theory and application. Fu Hsi then discovered that when yin-yang fuse, a creative action occurs, and this gives birth to a third aspect. Fu Hsi then pondered on how this triplicity occurs eight times and this led to the eight trigrams and then 64 hexagrams of the I-Ching (Book of Change) the I-Ching shaped the thinking for years to come and everything influential book on Chinese Medicine is based upon its fundamental philosophy (1).
Huang-ti Nei-Ching (The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine), one of the oldest Chinese medical books still in existence, is used today as one of the main reference books on acupuncture theory. Since the time of the Emperor, the practice of acupuncture has remained virtually unchanged (2). The original nei ching consists of many parts of which the most important are the "Su Wen" and the " Ling Shu." The former deals with physiology, pathology, etiology, and health maintenance; the latter with anatomy, treatment, and the nervous system. The "Su Wen" introduced the following methods of treatment: Huei Shi- cutting stone, early surgery using stone knives, Medicinal- decoctions and medicinal soups, Acupuncture, Moxibustion- Heat therapy, and Massage- Manipulation and exercise (3).
The Huang Ti Nei Ching, even though it's a book has been a major influence and "founder" of early medicine used in the United States today, such as massage, acupuncture and all early medicine in china that is been brought here today. Most of the techniques used then are widely used here today.
Photo by:
http://www.firebird-acupuncture.com/images/pic_logoHome2/gif
1. The Art of Acupuncture & Classical Chinese Herbology. 1998. Scott Suvow, M.O.M, L.A.C , NCCAOM. 3 Jan 2007
2. "Acupuncture." coolnurse.com. 3 Jan 2007.
3. Tierra, Dr. Michael. " Hara Diagnosis." Planetherbs. 3 Jan 2007.
Huang-ti Nei-Ching (The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine), one of the oldest Chinese medical books still in existence, is used today as one of the main reference books on acupuncture theory. Since the time of the Emperor, the practice of acupuncture has remained virtually unchanged (2). The original nei ching consists of many parts of which the most important are the "Su Wen" and the " Ling Shu." The former deals with physiology, pathology, etiology, and health maintenance; the latter with anatomy, treatment, and the nervous system. The "Su Wen" introduced the following methods of treatment: Huei Shi- cutting stone, early surgery using stone knives, Medicinal- decoctions and medicinal soups, Acupuncture, Moxibustion- Heat therapy, and Massage- Manipulation and exercise (3).
The Huang Ti Nei Ching, even though it's a book has been a major influence and "founder" of early medicine used in the United States today, such as massage, acupuncture and all early medicine in china that is been brought here today. Most of the techniques used then are widely used here today.
Photo by:
http://www.firebird-acupuncture.com/images/pic_logoHome2/gif
1. The Art of Acupuncture & Classical Chinese Herbology. 1998. Scott Suvow, M.O.M, L.A.C , NCCAOM. 3 Jan 2007
2. "Acupuncture." coolnurse.com. 3 Jan 2007
3. Tierra, Dr. Michael. " Hara Diagnosis." Planetherbs. 3 Jan 2007
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