** Pls DO NOT post this on any online social media.

Violations of which will result to penalties as

stipulated in the UST Students’ Handbook**

MS N-103: Complimentary and Alternative Medicine

- Is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not
presently considered to be a part of conventional medicine
Ex. acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, and homeopathy

Complementary therapy- Used to supplement/ augment conventional therapy

Alternative therapy - Generally used instead of conventional treatment

Conventional Medicine (Western/ Traditional Medicine)

- Medicine practiced by holders of M.D. and D.O. ( doctor of osteopathy) degrees and by allied
professionals.( Registered nurse, Physical therapist & Psychologist)

Integrative medicine
- Combines mainstream medical therapies and CAM therapies for which there is some high-quality
evidence of safety and effectiveness.

Factors affecting the use of Alternative Medicine

1. Desire for control over decision-making
2. Hope to gain therapeutic benefit.
3. Desire to avoid toxicities, invasiveness or other qualities of conventional treatments.
4. Need to control undesirable side effects of conventional therapies.
5. Preference of natural over synthetic medications.
6. Dissatisfaction with attitudes and practitioners conventional medicine
7. Failure to determine diagnosis
8. Failure of conventional therapy
9. Chronic illness with poor prognosis
10. Acute or chronic conditions for which conventional treatments are lacking or disappointing
11. Reduced insurance coverage
12. Healing system that is part of a client’s cultural or identity group heritage.
13. Restraints on access to health care
14. Increased costs of prescriptions and services.
15. Increased interest in preventive strategies and holistic approaches to health such as eating a
more nutritionally sound diet, maintaining fitness and reducing stress.

Issues Related to Herbal Remedies and Dietary Supplements

- Current laws do not give a strict definition of the term “supplement”
- Manufacturers of supplements may only make general claims about their products
- Herb manufacturers are not required to demonstrate the safety, efficacy, or quality of their
products
- Supplement manufacturers are not held to strict standards
- Food companies can make health claims if most of the scientific evidence supports the claim
- The placebo effect plays a significant role in the use of herbal remedies and supplements
- Most medicinal plants are untested

Risks Posed by Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)

- Most herbal remedies and supplements are untested and therefore might have unknown adverse
effects on the body
- CAM could interfere with prescribed medication, anesthesia or surgery
Role of the nurse in CAM
1. Obtains a health history from the client
2. Initiates the discussion about the use of CAM modalities.
3. Educates clients about possible adverse reactions, provide information from the NCCAM, and to
teach lifestyle-modification behavior that could prevent the development of acute or chronic
problems

5 Categories of CAM
1. Alternative Medical Systems
2. Mind Body Interventions
3. Biologically Based Therapies
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stipulated in the UST Students’ Handbook**

4. Manipulative and Body Based Methods

5. Energy Therapies

A. Alternative Medical System

- Involve complete systems of theory and practice; Independent or parallel to conventional
medicine
- Many are traditional systems of medicine that are practiced by individual cultures throughout the
world
a. Major Eastern Whole Medical Systems
• Traditional Chinese medicine
o Acupuncture and Moxibustion
o Chinese Materia Medica
o Massage and Manipulation
• Ayurvedic Medicine
b. Major Western Whole Medical Systems
• Curanderismo
• Homeopathy
• Naturopathy

Traditional Chinese Medicine

- complete system of healing that dates back to 200 B.C. in written form
- Principle: the body is a delicate balance
Yin represents cold, slow, or passive principle (female)
Yang represents hot, excited, or active principle (male)
Qi, the Vital Energy- Invisible flow of energy that circulates the universe
Qi flows throughout the body along a network of energy circuits called meridians
Obstruction in the normal flow of Qi can cause illness
- Diagnostic Methods
Inspection
Auscultation/Olfaction: Sounds and odors of the body may signify imbalance
Inquiry: Comprehensive history taking
Palpation: Pulse diagnosis
- Treatments and Interventions
a. Acupuncture- Stimulation of anatomic points called hsueh where meridian passes close to the
skin
b. Moxibustion- Application of heat from burning substances at acupuncture points
c. Chinese Materia Medica- standard reference book of information on medicinal substances
that are used in Chinese herbal medicine

Acupressure- Method of maintaining health, treating disease and alleviating pain by applying
pressure or massaging certain points on the body surfaces

Acupuncture- "Oriental medicine" or "traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)

- involves the insertion of stainless steel needles into various body areas
- A low-frequency current may be applied to the needles to produce greater stimulation
- claims to restore balance

Tui Na Massage- Chinese therapeutic massage; Pushing and grasping

- combination of all massage styles including relaxation, deep tissues, acupressure, joint, or bone
manipulations
- deals almost exclusively with physical/structural imbalance only

Ayurvedic Medicine
- The relationship between the body and the mind is so intimate that, if either of them get out of
order, the whole system would suffer
- Practiced for 4000 years in India
- Sanskrit word: ayur means life; veda means knowledge
Principle: Connection and balance between microcosm and macrocosm
- Microcosm – the people; Macrocosm – the universe
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- Understand the world to understand people; Understand the people to understand the world
- Because of this assertion it is believed that human health is influenced by his environment
- Diagnostic Methods
a. Pulse diagnosis- pulses are related to prana
b. Tongue diagnosis- Color of tongue indicates functional status of internal organs
c. Urine diagnosis
d. Body observation
o Cool, hot, rough, or dry skin indicates imbalance
o Nails that have longitudinal striations, bumps, or a parrot beak also indicates imbalance
o Specific lifestyle interventions are a major preventive and therapeutic approach
e. Individualized care and treatment
f. Treatments and Interventions includes:
o Nutrition- balanced diet means balance of six tastes - sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter,
and astringent
o Yoga- Combination of exercise, meditation, breathing, and relaxation techniques

Western Alternative Medical Systems

A. Curanderismo- Spanish verb “curar” or to heal

- Various techniques: Prayer, Herbal medicine, Healing rituals, Spiritualism, Massage and
Psychic healing
- Healers call themselves “curanderos” and “curanderas”
- The only healer in the culture who can treat mal puesto - illnesses caused by witchcraft (brujos
and brujas)

Three levels of healing

1. Material level- Use of physical or supernatural objects to heal
2. Spiritual level- Similar to shamanic healing rituals
3. Mental level- Transmits mental vibrations in a way that directly affects a person’s condition

B. Homeopathy- Complete system of medical theory and practice

- Samuel Christian Hahnemann (1755-1843) – German physicist
- Considers all the aspects of a person’s health status – individualized
- Practitioners are called homeopaths
- Aims to stimulate the body’s own healing responses
- Administered in minute or potentially nonexistent material dosages
- Herbal medicine and Minerals

C. Naturopathy- System of healing that originated from Europe

- Body naturally heals itself; Emphasizes health restoration and disease treatment
- Six principles:
a. Healing power of nature
b. Identification and treatment of the cause of disease
c. The concept of "first do no harm"
d. The doctor as teacher
e. Treatment of the whole person
f. Prevention
- Core modalities:
a. Diet modification and nutritional supplements
b. Herbal medicine
c. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine
d. Hydrotherapy
e. Massage and Joint manipulation
f. Lifestyle counseling
- No research study has regarded naturopathy as a complete system of medicine

B. MIND-BODY TECHNIQUES
- Uses a variety of techniques designed to enhance the mind’s capacity to affect bodily function
and manifestations
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stipulated in the UST Students’ Handbook**

- Examples: aromatherapy; art, music, or dance therapy; biofeedback; hypnosis; imagery;

meditation; shamanism; spiritual healing; Tai Chi; yoga

a. AROMATHERAPY
- Use of fragrant compounds or essential (volatile) oils extracted from plants
- Used to improve mood and overall health
- Popular compounds: CHAMOMILE, EUCALYPTUS, JASMINE, LAVENDER, PEPPERMINT,
ROSEMARY
- Application of AROMATHERAPY
• Inhalation (directly or diffused into the air)
• Absorption through the skin (baths, massages, compresses)
• Absorption through the mucous membranes (oral rinses and gargles)
• Ingestion (occasionally prescribed, with caveats)
b. ART, MUSIC OR DANCE THERAPY
- Use drawing or art, music, or dance to help individuals cope or express emotions
c. BIOFEEDBACK
- Treatment that utilizes monitoring devices to assist individuals to make them more aware of their
physiology and allow them better self-control over such things as blood pressure, muscle tension,
temperature, and bladder control
- Types of Biofeedback
• Thermal- measures temperature thru the skin
• Electrodermal response (EDR) or galvanic Skin response- monitors sweating
• Electromyelography (EMG)- measures muscle tension
• Respiratory Assistance [R(os)]- monitors RR
• Gastrointestinal feedback
• Cardiovascular feedback (EKG)
• Pelvic muscle feedback
• Electroencephalography feedback (EEG)
d. HYPNOTHERAY
- application of hypnosis as a form of treatment, usually for relieving pain or conditions related to
one's state of mind
- State of restful alertness during which individual become more aware of his or her surroundings
to change behavior or promote healthful practices
- Techniques: Age Regression, Revivification, Guided Imagery, Parts Therapy , Confusion,
Repetition , Direct Suggestion, Indirect Suggestion , Mental State, Hypnoanalysis, Post Hypnotic
Suggestion and Visualization
e. IMAGERY
- Two way communication between the conscious and unconscious mind and involves the whole
body and all of its senses.
- Mental exercise where the client’s mind and thoughts are supposed to impact or assist a certain
outcome
f. MEDITATION- meditari, means “to consider” or “to pay attention to something”
- General term for a wide range of practices that involve relaxing the body and stilling the mind
- Uses reflection or mental concentration to create a higher sense of well-being and relaxation
g. SHAMANISM
- a range of traditional beliefs and practices similar to Animism that claim the ability to diagnose
and cure human suffering and, in some societies, the ability to cause suffering
- based on the premise that the visible world is pervaded by invisible forces or spirits that affect the
lives of the living
h. Spiritual Healing
- direct interaction between the healer and a client with the intention of improving the client’s
overall or specific condition or potentially curing the disease
- Variations: Reiki, intercessory prayer, faith healing, therapeutic touch
i. FAITH and PRAYER
- Active effort to communicate with a deity or spirit, including a monotheist God, Saints, gods
within a pantheon, or others; either to offer praise, to make a request, or simply to express one's
thoughts and emotions
j. TAI CHI- A Chinese Martial Art- “great ultimate fist”; “supreme boxing” or “root of all motion”
- promoted and practiced as a martial arts therapy for the purposes of health and longevity
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- considered a soft style martial art, an art applied with as complete a relaxation or "softness" in the
musculature as possible
- TAI CHI: Three primary subjects:
• Health - an unhealthy or otherwise uncomfortable person will find it difficult to meditate to a
state of calmness or to use T'ai Chi as a martial art. T'ai Chi's health training therefore
concentrates on relieving the physical effects of stress on the body and mind.
• Meditation - the focus meditation and subsequent calmness cultivated by the meditative
aspect of T'ai Chi is seen as necessary to maintain optimum health (in the sense of effectively
maintaining stress relief or homeostasis) and in order to use it as a soft style martial art
• Martial art - the ability to competently use T'ai Chi as a martial art is said to be proof that
the health and meditation aspects are working according to the dictates of the theory of T'ai
Chi Ch'üan
• to physically and energetically balance yin (receptive) and yang (active) principles
k. YOGA
- From the Sanskrit word yuj meaning “to yoke” or “to join”
- a combination of breathing exercises, physical postures, and meditation, practiced for over 5,000
years
- Hinduism: a journey of the body, mind, and spirit on a path toward unity

C. Biological Based Therapies

- Use substances found in nature such as herbs, foods, and vitamins.
- Includes, but is not limited to, botanicals, animal-derived extracts, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids,
amino acids, proteins, prebiotics and probiotics, whole diets, and functional foods
- Includes natural and biologically-based practices, interventions, and products, many of which
overlap with conventional medicine's use of dietary supplements
- Herbal, special dietary, orthomolecular and biological therapies

Herbal Therapy
- Employs individual or mixtures of herbs for therapeutic value
- Herb - a plant or plant part that produces and contains chemical substances that act upon the body

Special Diet Therapy

- More than 40 alternative diets are believed to prevent and/or control a variety of conditions as
well as promote health
- Macrobiotic diets – based on belief that disease is caused by an imbalance of yin and yang
- Gerson diet – vegan diet, high in potassium and low in sodium, to prevent cancer
- Atkins – low carb diet to treat nutritional disorders and obesity
- Ornish – vegetarian diet formulated to reverse heart disease
- Pritikin – low-fat, high carb diet

Orthomolecular Therapy
Dietary supplements- Aims to treat disease with varying concentrations of chemicals, such as,
magnesium, melatonin, and mega-doses of vitamins

Biological Therapy
- Use of “natural” but scientifically unproved therapies
- Dietary Supplements
• A product taken by mouth that contains a "dietary ingredient" intended to supplement the diet
• Dietary ingredients – include vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, and
substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, glandulars, and metabolites
- The difference between a dietary supplement and a drug lies in the use of the agent, not in the
nature of the agent itself.
- Dietary supplement – used to resolve a nutritional deficiency or to improve or sustain the
structure or function of the body, the agent is considered a dietary supplement
- Drug – used to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure a disease
- Interactions with Drugs: Because of widespread use and because they are “natural”, people
assume that dietary supplements are inert or harmless.
- Studies show that interactions between drugs and dietary supplements do occur.
- Toxicity: May be due to misidentification, contamination, and adulteration or product themselves
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stipulated in the UST Students’ Handbook**

- Manipulative and Body-Based Methods

1. Massage therapy: Assortment of techniques involving manipulation of the soft tissues of the body
through pressure and movement.
2. Osteopathic manipulation: Manipulation of the joints combined with physical therapy
andinstruction in proper posture
3. Reflexology: Method of foot (and sometimes hand) massage in which pressure is applied to
"reflex" zones mapped out on the feet (or hands).
4. Rolfing: Deep tissue massage (also called structural integration).
5. Trager bodywork: Slight rocking and shaking of the patient's trunk and limbs in a rhythmic
fashion.
6. Tui Na: Application of pressure with the fingers and thumb, and manipulation of specific points
on the body (acupoints).
7. Chiropractic - form of health care that focuses on the relationship between the body's structure,
primarily of the spine, and function; use a type of hands-on therapy called manipulation (or
adjustment) as their core clinical procedure
- Chiropractic is most often used to treat musculoskeletal conditions--problems with the muscles,
joints, bones, and connective tissue such as cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. MASSAGE
THERAPY

D. Energy Therapies
Two types:
a. Biofield therapies- within the body
b. Bioelectromagnetic- external

Biofield therapies- intended to affect energy fields that supposedly surround and penetrate the
human body.
Examples: Qi gong, Reiki and Therapeutic Touch

Bioelectromagnetic- involves the unconventional use of electromagnetic fields; employ

mechanical vibrations and electromagnetic forces
- involve the use of specific, measurable wavelengths and frequencies to treat patients

BIOFIELD THERAPIES- based on the concept that human beings are infused with a subtle form of
energy
- Asian practitioners postulated that the flow and balance of life energies are necessary for
maintaining health and described tools to restore them
- Practitioners of energy medicine believe that illness results from disturbances of these subtle
energies
- Examples: Acupuncture, Reiki, Qi Gong, Therapeutic Touch
1. Reiki- means "universal life energy” - practitioner places his hands on or near the person
receiving treatment, with the intent to transmit ki (Ki: life-force energy)
- if ki's flow is disrupted, the body's functioning becomes disrupted, and health problems can occur
2. Qi Gong- ancient form of exercise therapy, often translated as 'energy work' or 'breath discipline,
Combining breathing, mental focus, stretching, and movement
- promotes enhancement of the flow of qi in the body, improve blood circulation, and enhance
immune function.
3. Therapeutic Touch- derived from an ancient technique called laying-on of hands
- based on the belief that living beings have an energy field or aura which extends beyond the
surface of the body that can be manipulated by the therapist
- healing is promoted when the body's energies are in balance
- works with the interaction between the energy fields (auras) of healer and patient
- the healer must have an active intent for healing to occur
- the patient must desire (even unconsciously) a return to health

BIOELECTROMAGNETIC THERAPY
1. Magnetic Therapy - Use of static magnets to relieve pain or to obtain other alleged benefits
- based on belief that magnetic fields from permanent magnets placed close to the body can cause
bones to heal faster, relieve pain, and perform other forms of healing
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- It has recently been shown that static magnetic fields affect the microvasculature of skeletal
muscle
2. Millimeter Wave Therapy- Low-power millimeter wave (MW) irradiation elicits biological
effects, and is used to treat a variety of conditions
3. Sound Energy Therapy- referred to as vibrational or frequency therapy; includes music therapy
- presumptive basis of its effect is that specific sound frequencies resonate with specific organs of
the body to heal and support the body
- used to entrain mood states and reduce acute or chronic pain
4. Light Therapy- Use of natural or artificial light to treat various ailments
- High-intensity light therapy has been documented to be useful for seasonal affective disorder
- Low-level laser therapy is claimed to be useful for relieving pain, reducing inflammation, and
helping to heal wounds

NCM/2020