Complementary Therapies

Introduction

Complementary therapy refers to the practices and treatment processes that are not scientifically proven to bring effect to illnesses. Complementary treatment is usually used outside the known alternative medicine as well as the evidence-based treatment procedures. The treatment may be referred to as holistic or traditional therapy. For the fact that complementary therapy can be used alongside conventional medical practices, it may be helpful to some illnesses but not all. When there is evidence to support the use of complementary therapies, the doctor can offer the best advice on where to employ additional therapy for treatment of particular conditions. According to Shaw (2015), complementary therapies have increasingly gained popularity in Australia over the recent decades to deal with diseases rather than just improving individual well-being. It is said at least two-thirds of cancer patient use complementary therapy during their cancer treatment. The complementary therapies can significantly help an individual feel better as well as imp0roving their quality of life. Also, one can easily cope with the symptoms caused by particular diseases such as cancer or the side effects caused by the treatment of such conditions. There are several types of complementary therapies, and they include aromatherapy, herbal medicine, massage therapy, visualisation, acupuncture, and yoga. It is established that many of the health professionals are supportive of their patients using complementary therapies. In her article Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Poulsen (2017), some health professional are reluctant for their clients' to use the complementary therapies because they have not been scientifically tested to bring effect to one's health when they have illnesses. Research trials are still underway to determine how effective complementary therapies can work towards the treatment of several conditions and how to best use them to give the best outcomes during patient treatment. This paper focuses on complementary therapies available and how effective the treatment methods can be to particular conditions as well as improving patients' quality of life. The paper analyses a case study of a 65-years old woman suffering from stroke and hypertension. The paper further focuses on analysing the role of complementary therapy and relating the same to conventional treatments.

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1.1. Various therapies and treatments widely available

There are several treatments widely available for Mrs Simmons that can address her problems of walking and speaking. First, Mrs Simmons can be prescribed with some medications designed to treat particular symptoms that make her walking difficult such as pain, fatigue and muscle spasticity. Drugs such as Ampyra can significantly help to improve Mrs Simmons walking difficulties as well as enhancing the transmission of signals along her nerves that might be damaged. However, for this case, complementary therapies might be more helpful. Approaches such as occupational therapy, physiotherapy as well as orthotics can be the first line of defence recommendation for Mrs Simmons.

Physiotherapy approach is used to evaluate the ability of Mrs Simmons to move and function well and then finding strategies to strengthen weaknesses or other problem that is found. The approach includes a program of exercises, training using crutches and scooters to enable the patient to regain the strength of walking comfortably. Secondly, Occupational therapy is another treatment approach to help the patient walk comfortably. The strategy is primarily aimed at increasing safety, independence and the quality of life during the normal daily activities of MRS. Simmons. As said in the case, Mrs Simmons lives alone, and thus training her to have independence in walking is the best approach to help her cope with her daily activities. Also, aerobic exercise can be another treatment available for Mrs Simmons. Initially, it was thought that exercise was dangerous for people with walking difficulties because of increasing fatigue (Kim et al., 2015). However, the belief is now washed away by the findings in several studies that established how customises exercise programs significantly help one improve energy levels for strength, balance as well as endurance which leads to better walking and thus improving individual's quality of life (Kelner & Wellman, 2014). The exercises targeted for Mrs Simmons is to target improving her walking by focusing on maintaining leg-muscle strength and maybe weight loss.

Yoga can be a significant complementary therapy for Mrs Simmons to address the various conditions on her body. First, Mrs Simmons is known to be hypertensive, and thus yoga can be an essential complementary therapy for her. Yoga is known for its health benefits which are significant. Yoga can help in improving the cardiovascular fitness and efficient blood circulation in the body thus normalising the blood pressure of the patient. Also, yoga is beneficial to the musculoskeletal system (Kim et al., 2015). With the exercises performed in yoga, joints are mover through a full range of motion and thus encouraging tension and muscle stiffness. The exercise can significantly increase flexibility, endurance as well as strength and therefore dress the walking problem of Mrs Simmons. The long-term benefits of yoga are improved posture and reduced back pains in the elderly. Mrs Simmons is an old person and thus improving her posture through the utilisation of yoga can significantly improve her quality of life.

For speech problems, it is possible that the condition might just go away without any intervention, but also speech therapy may be helpful for Mrs Simmons. A speech therapist will take the patient through exercises which aim at strengthening the face and throat muscles of the patient. Through the exercises, the patient will learn how to control breath while speaking. Also, muscle-strengthening exercises will play a significant role in Mrs Simmons. Controlled breathing and muscle strengthening exercise will improve how words sound as well as making her speech smoother and fluent.

1.2. Advantages and disadvantages of complementary therapies

According to Kim et al., (2015), alternative therapies, traditional medicine as well as holistic therapy are all names given to complementary therapy. Each kind of treatment under complementary treatment has its unique theory and practice towards the treatment of illnesses. It is common in the current world that a significant figure of people uses complementary treatment together with their conventional medications because of the benefits associated with alternative therapy. However, it is still remarkable that some people are hesitant and sceptical to give a try to the alternative therapy practice because of their disadvantages.

Advantages

Some of the complementary therapies teach one to be more self-responsible of their health. Evidently, holistic healing focuses on helping one understand the cause and treatment of particular illnesses rather than just the symptoms. One also learns how to maintain the overall well-being of long-term optimal health (Kim et al., 2015). With knowledge and awareness about diseases, one becomes proactive and self-responsible for their health.

According to Poulsen (2017), in her article, says that complementary therapy is not relatively expensive as compared to conventional treatment of illnesses. The approach involves the use of natural ingredients in medications and healing. The ingredients are readily available in the garden and natural surroundings. Yoga, which is one of the most popular complementary therapies, only requires a mat. Additionally, yoga can be performed anywhere without any special equipment, unlike for conventional treatment which needs one to reach a medical profession and other special equipment for optimal treatment procedure.

Also, complementary therapies can work without any supportive or primary treatments. In the most recent studies on the effect of foods and herbs on cancer and diabetes patients, it was established that herbs and particular foods could significantly help in controlling and healing diabetes as well as cancer (Kelner & Wellman, 2014). People with anxiety, stress, and depression significantly benefit from doing yoga and taking some particular herbs. Therapeutic massage as well is known to bring forth relieve or joint and muscles pain without any supportive treatments. Thus, complementary therapy is beneficial (Shaw, 2015). Unlike for the conventional treatment, cancer patients need to undergo chemotherapy and use other drugs as primary treatment for the disease.

Disadvantages

Complementary therapy is not recommended for emergency situations because of their nature of the time they take to show the positive effect to the body. Most of the alternative treatment may take several hours, or days to show a positive effect (Kim et al., 2015). This is the most discouraging factor for the comprehensive therapy.

Secondly, some of the holistic treatment may need one to commit their time as well as energy for an optimum effect of the alternative therapy. Therefore, it means that one must change their lifestyle, such as changing diet and adopting a different mindset when dealing with life stressors. Lastly, it is apparent that some herbal medicines may interact with conventional medicine and give positive outcomes (Kim et al., 2015). However, some natural treatments may have adverse contra-indications for the condition in Mrs Simmons. For example, some herbs may increase the blood pressure and thus adversely affect her health. Kelner and Wellman, (2014), in their article Complementary and alternative medicine: challenge and change, they suggest that it is essential for one to make informed decisions before opting for complementary therapy. Thus it is crucial for one to explain plainly the scope of their conditions so that they can offer professional advice regarding incorporating the alternative treatment.

1.3. Factors influencing access to complementary therapies

Several factors may influence the use of complementary therapies. As psychologists suggest, the social environment determines who one becomes in the society, and it is possible that Mrs Simmons while in the hospital may request for alternative medicine out of her cultural beliefs. If Mrs Simmons believes that alternative medicine plays a role in the healing of her conditions, she may request for it.

Also, educational factors play a significant role in the access to alternative or complementary treatment. Sometimes, it is apparent that most patients believe that medical professionals' opinions are always the best for their treatment process. However, that is not the case. It is important for patients to get engaged in their treatment process to ensure high-quality services and treatment outcomes. When a patient is well educated and aware that complementary treatment is available, they may request for their implementation ion the treatment process (Kelner & Wellman, 2014). If a patient does not ask for the complementary treatment, it is possible that the medical caregivers may only concentrate on the conventional medicine, thus, hindering access of complementary therapies by Mrs Simmons. Apparently, some hospitals and clinics in the UK offer mediation to patients without charges. Thus Mrs Simmons may easily access the complementary treatment due to the mediation by the hospital itself.

Possibly, it is possible that Mrs Simmons may lack access to alternative treatment due to getting barred by the medical professions. Some medical professions may strongly discourage the use of alternative medicine in the treatment of particular conditions, and therefore barring patients from accessing the therapy. And for the fact that Mrs Simmons is admitted...