General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Top cancer hospitals across the country treat their patients' PAIN with "woo." [View all]MattBaggins
(7,894 posts)Relaxation and anxiety.
Anxiety is the bride of Pain They go everywhere hand in hand. That is not woo or pseudoscience that is good basic medical psychology.
You tell a patient "I will give you your pain med at 1:30", and as that target time approaches many people will start to feel pain relief. Just giving a person a goal line relieves anxiety which helps to promote relaxation. That is damn good medicine and good nursing. I don't care for the CAM artists because they try to promote it has something beyond that and enter the realm of fraud.
I myself have no use for touch therapy, prayer, meditation, guided imagery, massage but will use them on patients when asked since I realize how important they are. they are a part of good nursing. I refuse however, to randomly stick needles in people since this a an incredibly stupid INVASIVE procedure that has no effect other than to relive anxiety and help with relaxation. There are dozens of other techniques that will do this with out the need to break the skin barrier. Acupuncturists must engage in hocus pocus to try and hoodwink people into believing that they are practicing a magic that no one else understands in order to line their pockets with money.
Acupuncturists and Homeopaths are the worst of the charlatans fleecing people in pain and despair.