Exploring CAM

We are going to go on an online exploration as we discover a little bit more about Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). As CAM becomes more popular, it is our jobs as Physical Therapist to understand the possible benefits, limitations and risk associated with the different treatments available.

We will visit a few website to begin to open our minds and develop an understanding of the CAM, the evidence surrounding it and the potential for its use.

As Physical Therapist, we strive to be altruistic. This means we put the patients’ needs first. We want to consider our patients, not just as different systems, but as a whole person. Not just systems such as musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiopulmonary and gastrointestinal, but emotional, and spiritual as well. Our patients may have different views and we need to be able to appreciate and understand what they are going through, and this may include CAM.

You will be exploring 3 different web sites. I want you to consider yourself as a clinician. You have several patients who are using different CAM treatments. These patients have a variety of backgrounds.

Patient #1 is a 35 year old US Marine with chronic low pain and headaches. This pain can causes difficulty with dressing and walking. He hates to ask for help and wants to be able to "get back to being busy". He gets frustrated easily and has very little tolerance for slowing down. He moves quickly and does not spend much time on his exercises. He would rather take his medication and be done with it.

Patient #2 is a grandmother of 3 who is having some difficulty with her balance as she is slowing down and not as active as she used to be. When asked why her activity level is less, she complains about her chronic knee pain. She has fallen 3 times and is now in Physical Therapy primarily for her knee pain. She used to love gardening and being outside, but finds the grass very difficult to walk on.

Patient #3 is a mother of 3 toddlers and is having neck and shoulder pain. She feels like she is always running after her kids and has no time for herself. Even getting to therapy sessions is a challenge. She is interested in acupuncture.

As you explore these websites consider your patients. Each of these patients have mentioned CAM and want to explore different ways to "feel better".

Go to the OpenLearn course on Issues in complementary and alternative medicine.

View the following conversation of perceptions of CAM in health care:

https://www.open.edu/openlearn/body-mind/health/health-studies/alternative-therapies-what-can-mainstream-medicine-learn 

1. How do you feel this perspective on patient care, and patient interaction would have on the three patients above?

Go to the NCCIH website and find information to answer the following questions:

https://nccih.nih.gov/health/integrative-health

1. Under the Health Info a featured health topic includes CAM for US Military Families. What are the other challenges to treatment listed for this population?
2. Which free online lecture would you be most interested in listening to, that may benefit your patients?

Go to the website called goodtherapy.com and find the answers to the following.

http://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/complementary-alternative-medicine

1. How could you integrate CAM into your therapy sessions?
2. List one of the criticisms, limitation, or concern you have regarding CAM.

Now that you have explored a few website for and had time to understand CAM a bit. You will need to find a website that may be of interest to one of the patients (as listed) or to you. This website should be one that a patient understand and will provide information to a form of CAM that may benefit them, or provide additional information that is of interest. 

Now that you have finished this assignment consider all of your answers and think about what you would like to learn more about. Please find a resource, article or website you can share with the class on Wednesday 1/18.   You will need to post a link or embedded image of the website you found and brief statement of why you chose this website as part of your WebQuest assignment .  This assignment will be graded complete/incomplete.