A Rose by Any Other Name...Complimentary Therapies in Palliative Care

by Susan Thrane, RN, PhDNon-western, non-medical, non-allopathic modalities have been called by many names: complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), integrative, supportive, adjuvant, placebo and hooey just to name a few. Whatever you call them (I prefer complementary or integrative), modalities such as massage, yoga, aromatherapy, guided imagery, meditation, energy therapies such as Reiki, Healing Touch, Therapeutic Touch, or creative art therapies (these include dance/movement, art, and music therapies provided by a trained therapist) do require training for the person providing the therapy. For Children....Playing video games, listening to music, virtual reality programs, coloring, or any craft activity can also be helpful for symptom management for children and adolescents. For Infants.....Modalities helpful for symptom management for infants include kangaroo care (skin-to-skin contact) swaddling, holding, rocking, breastfeeding, sucking on a pacifier, or a combination of these.Generally speaking, these therapies don’t stand alone in the symptom management realm; they are most often used in addition to medications for symptom management. What these modalities bring to the palliative care table is a way for children and families to have fun and to participate in their own care. By providing access to integrative therapies, we can help manage symptoms and increase the child and family quality of life. Offering complementar...
Source: Pallimed: A Hospice and Palliative Medicine Blog - Category: Palliative Care Tags: adolescents alternative therapy cam children complementary therapy infants integrative therapy palliative care pediatric pediatrics symptoms Source Type: blogs