Originally Posted by healinghand

The healers high and only mission is to cure the sick.

Medicine is curative. The healers job is to enable the body/mind to heal itself.

my thoughts

Coming from an RN perspective of almost 20 years in a variety of settings, personnal experience and educational programs. I have two additional degrees in holistic nutrition for which I took some non-tradditional classes for credit to expand my own knowledge bases about alternative medicine used for centuries in other countries. I am inclined to think that western medicine is sadly missing the boat by utilizing some tried and true treatment techniques rather than trying "a pill" per say. Different therapy modalities work on people differently depending on the person's needs. Not everything can be cured. Not every person wants to face a boatload of medical bills, bankrupt their family or take an armful of pills.

If I can do something for a patient that works, causes no harm, and they smile at me and say they feel better, I am all for it without seeing a "study per say".

My motto is be open minded for the sake of your patient.

renerian

If I can do something for a patient that works, causes no harm, and they smile at me and say they feel better, I am all for it without seeing a "study per say".

Very well said.

If I can do something for a patient that works, causes no harm, and they smile at me and say they feel better, I am all for it without seeing a "study per say".

"If I can do something for a patient that works"

How do you define "works"? That is the key question. I define it as "causes measurable positive changes in the patient's physical status, that are not explainable as placebo effect." Note that the question is not if we can cause the positive physical changes but if we can show that the medicine or treatment causes the positive changes. That is why we have to screen out the placebo effect. Unless we screen it out we have not shown that the medication is the effective agent. The positive effect may just be our smiling faces. There is nothing wrong with healing by "the theraputic use of self." There is a whole lot wrong with charging money for worthless medication, or of "healing by theraputic use of self" without being aware that is what we are doing.

It is not evidence of effectiveness that the patient says they feel better. Neither is that evidence that the treatment is harmless, but that is another question.

okay

I don't need a study or evidence if a patient feels better mentally and physically using non-traditional health care treatments. I think that western medicine is limited in helping people and still has alot of knee jerk pill pushing problems. Look at the nursing homes, polypharmacy is a huge problem.

The first thing out of many Dr.s mouths is here take this, blah blah blah. After seeing western medicine in action for almost 20 years in every health care setting there is, many times the "cure" is worse than the illness.

renerian

Renerian

I don't think you get it.
You do need the studies and the evidence. The first duty of every healthcare provider is to do no harm. It is the scientific evidence and studies that tell you that you are doing no harm. Rendering treatment in the absence of evidence of effectiveness is malpractice.
Having your patients tell you they feel better is very nice but not evidence. People are easily fooled. There are a host of reasons why they may say they feel better while the actual illness is unimproved. If they trust you and you say that what is being done will be good for them they will try to believe that they feel better. People have died under the hands of quacks protesting all the while how wonderful their doctor is.

Charlie

Actually we are not understanding each other. I am not advocating DR. treatments I am advocating for educating patients on things like healing touch, guided image (etc) , holistic nutrition, sunlight, water, natural foods native to each area, organics, feng shui, etc. Those types of things are what I am referring to. None of those things can hurt someone (unless someone lets say is a former rad therapy patient going to Hawaii and not using sunblock/big smile). Those are interventions that won't hurt anyone. I am not advocating coffee ground enemas, colonics or anything of that nature. For things of that nature I would certainly want some information relative to outcomes but I think that many other cultures have some tried and true herbal possibilities western medicine foo foos as not even an option. I guess my idea that I am trying to foster is for people of western medicine thoughts to at least read a book or two on other medical foundations that are centuries old and try some of the things they have to offer, on yourself. See if anything like a day on the beach, camping or even something as simple as following some feng shui suggestions or principals makes a difference.

All I am saying is be open to other ideas..........be open for not only your patient but to grow yourself as a practioner and a human. You might find a way to help your patients or yourself that everyone else missed.

Good conversation. Posts and emails make things hard to relay at times.

renerian

Peace

I am advocating for educating patients on things like healing touch, guided image (etc) , holistic nutrition, sunlight, water, natural foods native to each area, organics, feng shui, etc.

As the Hitchhiker's Guide says of Earth, "mostly harmless".
They could be harmful if advocated instead of more effective treatment, but I'm willing to accept that a licensed health pro would use good judgement about that. Or at least that if they did not they would be procecuted.
On the subject of professional good judgment, did you see that the minister of health of some African nation, it may have been South Africa, is advocating raw garlic and lemon skins as a cure for HIV? I believe you are supposed to eat the raw garlic and rub the lemons on your skin. Sort of AIDS salad dressing.

Charlie

LOL Aids salad dressing! Not funny I guess but it gave me a hearty laugh. Oh yes good judgement is essential.

Thanks for conversing!

renerian

I have a question, then what about allergy shots? Seems like the same principle to me! Just askin.