Anxiety Disorders and Stress Q 16
During a mother’s class, the nurse who is teaching the participants on stress management is questioned about the use of alternative treatments, such as herbal therapy and therapeutic touch. She explains that the advantage of these methods would include all of the following except:
A. They are congruent with many cultural belief systems.
B. They encourage the consumer to take an active role in health management.
C. They promote interrelationships within the mind-body-spirit.
D. They usually work better than traditional medical practice.
Correct Answer: D. They usually work better than traditional medical practice.
Complementary alternative medicine treatments are often used as adjuncts to traditional medical treatment. Although an individual may choose a particular alternative treatment method, there is really no current scientific proof that these methods will work better than traditional medicine. Stress can be effectively managed by Yoga, meditation, mindfulness, healthy eating, exercise, acupressure, acupuncture, building relaxation rituals like massaging or drinking herbal teas such as rose, bamboo, chamomile, peppermint etc.
Option A: Complementary therapies can be described as the health care techniques aimed at integrating physical, mental, and spiritual dimensions. The objective of complementary therapies differs from the allopathic care used in Western medicine, in which the cure of the disease is the result from direct interventions in injured organs. Different classifications have been proposed for complementary therapies. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine mainly categorizes them as biologically based therapies, mind-body interventions, and manipulative and body-based methods.
Option B: Complementary therapies may help improve a patient’s quality of life and the use of these therapies should be part of a further health care model established toward comprehensive care, offering therapeutic modalities that can strengthen the mind-body-spirit during a patients’ treatment journey.
Option C: Mind-body-based programs can also reduce stress and anxiety associated with the cancer experience. Data from breast cancer populations have suggested that mind-body based complementary therapies (eg, mindfulness, meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong, guided imagery, and affirmations) have the potential to influence the immune profile of breast cancer patients and survivors, along with decreasing stress levels by helping them in developing a greater sense of emotional balance and well-being.