Alternative Medicine
Throughout recorded history, people of various cultures have relied on what
Western medical practitioners today call alternative medicine. The term
alternative medicine covers a broad range of healing philosophies,
approaches, and therapies. It generally describes those treatments and
health care practices that are outside mainstream Western health care.
People use these treatments and therapies in a variety of ways. Alternative
therapies used alone are often referred to as alternative; when used in
combination with other alternative therapies, or in addition to conventional
therapies they are referred to as complementary. Some therapies are far
outside the realm of accepted Western medical theory and practice, but some,
like chiropractic treatments, are now established in mainstream medicine.
Worldwide, only an estimated ten to thirty percent of human health care is
delivered by conventional, biomedically oriented practitioners ("Fields of
Practice"). The remaining seventy to ninety percent ranges from self-care
according to folk principles, to care given in an organized health care
system based on alternative therapies ("Fields of Practice"). Many cultures
have folk medicine traditions that include the use of plants and plant
products. In ancient cultures, people methodically collected information on
herbs and developed well-defined herbal pharmacopoeias. Indeed, well into
the twentieth century much of the pharmacology of scientific medicine was
derived from the herbal lore of native peoples. Many drugs commonly used
today are of herbal origin: one-quarter of the prescription drugs dispensed
by community pharmacies in the United States contain at least one active
ingredient derived from plant material ("Fields of Practice").
Twenty years ago, few physicians would have advised patients to take folic
acid to prevent birth defects, vitamin E to promote a healthy heart, or
vitamin C to bolster their immune systems. Yet today, doctor and patient
alike know of the lifesaving benefits of these vitamins. Twenty years ago,
acupuncture, guided imagery, and therapeutic touch were considered outright
quackery. Now, however, in clinics and hospitals around the country,
non-traditional therapies are gaining wider acceptance as testimonials and
studies report success using them to treat such chronic maladies as back
pain and arthritis.
The number of people availing themselves of these alternative therapies is
staggering. In 1991 about twenty-one million Americans made four hundred and
twenty-five million visits to practitioners of these types of alternative
medicine; more than the estimated three hundred and eighty-eight million
visits made to general practitioners that year (Apostolides). The U.S.
Department of Education has accredited more than twenty acupuncture schools
and more than thirty medical schools now offer courses in acupuncture
(Lombardo; Smith). As the number of Western medical institutions researching
alternative therapies increases, the legitimacy of at least some alternative
therapies will also increase.
Van Vonderen, K. E., & Kinnally, W. (2012). Media effects on body image: Examining media
Freud’s theory is based on the idea that ones personality is derived from conflicts that stem from both our conscious and unconscious mind. To better understand how these conflicts arise he divided the mind into theoretical categories which include the id, ego, and superego.
Throughout the novel Huck struggles to follow his morals because he is afraid of abandoning the values that he had been taught by his environment. When he first travels with Jim along the river, he thinks it’s a sin to help an escaped slave because he is breaking the laws of Southern society. While thinking about his conflict he is reminded of Miss Watson. Huck asks himself, "What had poor Miss Watson done to you that you could see her nigger go off right under your eyes and never say one single word? What did that poor old woman do to you that you could treat her so mean” (Twain 100)? Even though Huck feels that Jim deserves to live freely, Huck is anxious about helping him because he fears disobeying his environment’s values. Whenever Huck follows his own sense of decency, he still makes mistakes, but he knows that he is wrong.
Domestic violence can be described as any form of abuse towards a victim, whether physical, emotional, sexual, verbal, psychological, or economical. The stakeholders in such violence are the abuser(s), the victim(s) and the bystander(s), all of whom are affected in some form or another by the abuse. For further clarity, domestic violence in this discussion refers to situations where the principle stakeholders, i.e. abuser and victim are in a relationship, for example partners, co-workers or friends. Domestic violence affects all stakeholders, not only the victim but the abuser and bystanders, and it can be easily prevented.
Freud believed that one’s sex instinct was the most determining factor of his or her personality; however, instead of relating sex to the mature class of humanity, he instead targeted infants and children (4). He generated a process of psychosexual stages in which each stage focuses in on a sensual body part and a corresponding time period in life (4). The stages are as followed, starting from birth: Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, Genital (4). Furthermore, each stage comes with its own conflict that arises when one is in this stage. He correlates that if this conflict is not solved during the set period of time, it can cause a fixation, thus bringing on personality traits in their adulthood relating back to that certain stage (4). For example, for one who is in the Anal stage (1 to 3 years) the conflict is toilet training. If the child remains too long or too briefly in this stage, later on in the future they could be more excessively cleanly or even destructive and rebellious (4). Perhaps the stage that was targeted with the most criticism, was the Phallic Stage or the Genitals stage occurring from 3 to 5 or 6 years (4). This stage mainly declared that young boys are more drawn to their mother and become more hostile towards their fathers, hinting to the underlying ideas that the young boys are sexually drawn to their mother. In a vice versa scenario,
Domestic violence occurs due to several causes including insecurity, jealously, and stress but drug abuse crime and mental illness may exacerbate it. Insecurity and jealously, and stress but drug abuse, crime and mental illness may exacerbate it. Insecurity and jealousy in intimate relationships may precipitate violence. Similarly, stress may make individuals violent. Families in which spouses or one spouse is a drug user, a criminal or has a mental illness are more prone to domestic violence. This is because the said groups of individuals are prone to violent behavior due to influence of drugs, crime or mental illness. Under normal circumstances, people who have violent behavior may have poor personalities, and Psychiatric disorders to such people may increase their violent behaviors.
All forms of literature consist of patterns that can be discovered through critical and analytical reading, observing and comparing. Many patterns are discussed in the novel, How to Read Literature like a Professor, by Thomas C. Foster. Among these patterns, he discusses the use of symbolism and the representation something can have for a different, underlying aspect of a piece of literature. These symbols tend to have multiple meanings and endless interpretations depending on who is reading and analyzing them. No matter
The Chinese healing art of acupuncture is one that can be dated back at least two thousand years. Some authorities maintain that acupuncture has been practiced in China for even four thousand years. Though its exact age is vague, what is certain is that up until the recent twentieth century, much of the population of the world was uninformed about acupuncture, its origins, and its capacity to promote and maintain good health. Even today in relatively "advanced" nations such as the United States there are many who hold acupuncture under the stereotype of a new or radical medicine, one which would almost always be a second choice after more familiar Western approaches to handling illness.
This paper will discuss the use of nonpharmacological modalities for pain relief. Pain can be difficult to assess in clients. It is different for each individual and the best way to determine a client’s pain is through subjective data. I learned in lecture that it is also important to observe a client’s facial expressions, posture, and body movements when assessing for pain. I was lucky to be able to experience in clinical this semester, many clients who were experiencing severe post-operative pain. After receiving opioids and non-opioid medications, most of these clients were still continuing to experience severe unrelieved pain. These occurrences inspired my curiosity with the use of nonpharmacological modalities. I have already learned in lecture that different types of nonpharmacological modalities such as, massage, music, and guided imagery can help relieve pain when used along with pharmacological medications. However, I wanted to research the different types of nonpharmacological modalities that are available for nurses and which ones work best for different areas of the body. What are the best nonpharmacological modalities currently in use within the nursing practice that may help alleviate pain in a hospitalized client? The following three articles present information on several types of nonpharmacological modalities along with which ones were found to be most successful in alleviating certain types of pain and which ones were not.
Today, many psychologists feel that psychological therapy can give cancer patients’ a longer life. The first to take this stance was Psychiatrist David Spiegel M.D., of Stanford University School of Medicine, in a 1989 study Spiegel gathered patients once a week to discuss there feelings about the cancer and here they received support from other cancer sufferers. “When Spiegel followed up a decade later, he discovered that patients who had participated in the sessions had survived an average of 18 months longer than those in the control group” (Clay,2000). It is felt that if you can tap into a patients mind and help them deal with the cancer by dealing in the mental aspect of it that it will be beneficial to that patient in the long run. Cancer takes a large toll on your body as well as your mind, so if the physical aspect is challenging, the psychological aspect something that a patient should try to excel at like mind over body. Although many cancer patients use this treatment it is not absolutely sure it will lengthen the life span. But the story of Kip Little will beg to differ. Kip, was a cancer patient who had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 1986 and was supposed to be dead a decade ago. After, Kip went through her mastectomy; she met a psychologist at the Ontario Cancer Institute and began working with him and other cancer patients . They patients would gather there to talk about their feelings, practice ways of relaxing and find ways to cope with their pain and any other problems. Then in 1990, cancer returned to Kip, and she was given only a short time to live. Instead of physical treatment, Kip used the relaxing techniques and similar exercises for the mind. Using all these techni...
Holmstrom, A. (2004). The effects of the media on the body image: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 48(2), 196-217.
Herbal medicine dates back a very long time. More than 4,000 years ago, the Chinese emperor Qien Nong put a book together, or a herbal, of different medicinal plants (O’ Sullivan 2). It contained descriptions of more than 300 plants. Some of these plants are still used today. The Sumerians, at the same time recorded prescriptions on clay tablets. Also, the Egyptians recorded their information regarding medicine on rolls of papyrus. A very famous papyrus is the Ebers Papyrus, which includes specific information on how to use different plants (Brody 1).
Freud's often-controversial psychoanalysis was an attempt to explain the human psyche (mind) which is comprised of three components: the id, ego, and superego; and the conflict between these components shaped personality (Swanson, 1963, p. 14-16). He believed the ego is responsive to the id that developed at infancy. He also believed that defense mechanisms are unconsciously adopted to protect the ego from anxiety. He was convinced that anxiety was used to warn the ego of potential threats. He focused on internally held forces, including conflicts, biological dispositions, and sexual motivation for his theories (Macintyre, 1963, p. 98-99). He sought to address underlying issues in a person's life, and personal cha...
Turner, J. S. (2014). Negotiating a media effects model: Addendums and adjustments to Perloff 's framework for social media 's impact on body image concerns. Sex Roles, 71(11-12), 393-406. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11199-014-0431-3
When you are sick you take medicine, but there are many remedies for the same problems. The use of herbal remedies traces back to the Chinese in the use of Traditional Chinese Medicine, as well by a compiled book in China written back more than 2,000 years ago (Wachtel-Galor & Benzie, 2011). Modern medicine has roots that are more recent in the development and production of synthesize drugs (Wachtel-Galor & Benzie, 2011). The old generations took herbal remedies to improve their health, but now as time and people, progressed modern medicine comes on top. Herbal and modern medicines have good and bad points, but one has qualities that are more effective.