Complementary Therapies Study Guide Summary & Study Notes

🧭 Overview

Complementary care integrates conventional medicine with unconventional practices. Alternative care replaces conventional medicine with unconventional practices. Integrative care brings together both conventional and unconventional approaches in a coordinated manner.

🌿 Classifications & Scope

Common terms include alternative, complementary, integrative, nontraditional, unconventional, holistic, and natural. These therapies vary in how they are used: complementary care combines with conventional medicine, alternative care replaces it, and integrative care coordinates both.

🪴 Natural Products

Natural products include herbal therapies, nutraceuticals, nutrition therapy, aromatherapy, and probiotic therapy. Health Canada advises using only herbal products approved for sale under the Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate regulations.

🌱 Herbal Therapy

Herbal therapy is composed of plant or plant parts. It may work like medications and affect multiple physiological targets. Nurses should know adverse effects and potential drug interactions; surgical implications may exist.

🌿 Common Herbs

Examples of commonly used herbs include Aloe, Echinacea, Garlic, Ginger, Gingko Biloba, Ginseng, St. John’s Wort, and Kava for various conditions.

🌿 Cannabis and Cannabinoids

Cannabis contains cannabinoids that interact with brain and body receptors. The major cannabinoids are THC, CBD, and terpenes. It is administered by inhalation, oral ingestion, sublingual, topical, and rectal.

🧬 Dietary Supplements

Common dietary supplements include Glucosamine, Chondroitin, Fish Oil and Omega-3 fatty acids, Melatonin, and Probiotics.

🧘 Mind-Body Practices

Mind-body practices include Massage, Yoga, Meditation, Pressure point therapy, Breathing, Chiropractic, Hypnotherapy, Pet therapy, and Prayer.

🪶 Indigenous Health & Traditional Practices

Indigenous health emphasizes spiritual, emotional, physical, mental, and social well-being. Canada includes First Nations, Métis, and Inuit healing systems, with the Medicine Wheel symbolizing cycles of life. Common practices include Smudging, Sweat lodge, and the use of four sacred medicines: sage, tobacco, sweetgrass, and cedar.

🧭 Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Interventions include Acupuncture, Moxibustion, Cupping, Chinese massage, Meditative physical exercise, and Nutrition counselling.

⚡ Energy-Based Therapies

Involve manipulation of energy fields and include therapies such as Therapeutic touch, Healing touch, Reiki, and Bioelectromagnetic therapy.

🙏 Spiritual & Holistic Nursing

Nurses are committed to spiritual care as part of holistic practice. Practices include prayer where appropriate and respectful conversations about spirituality in care.

🛡️ Safety & Nursing Management

Consider age-related changes, polypharmacy, herb-drug interactions, and vulnerability of certain populations. Nurses should assess and manage risk and respect patients’ decisions about supplement use.