Helping Patients in Impalpable Ways

A practitioner's thoughts and insights into Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Furthermore, the emotional impact of cancer and anxiety of “the unknown” long after treatments are completed undoubtedly further contribute to a rollercoaster of highs and lows. While everyone deals with cancer differently, we know from a Western medical perspective that there’s absolutely no separation between mind and body – what we think and how we feel affects us physically, and vice versa. It’s true! After several decades of research, WM now acknowledges this connection. While researchers around the world are still investigating and learning more about this connection, TCM has been rooted in this concept for 2,000+ years. This is one of a myriad of reasons why practicing as a TCM practitioner is so rewarding because even if our treatments are primarily targeting a physical complaint, patients inevitably experience benefits from an emotional perspective. This is why AP is a perfect compliment to western medical care because it’s safe, side-effects are rare, and it helps patients physically, mentally, and spiritually.

After having treated 1000’s of patients, I can say with confidence that AP is something that anyone with a diagnosis of cancer should seriously consider incorporating into their care. I feel especially strong about this if someone is suffering from pain. According to research, pain is something that is very often difficult to address, and very rarely managed well with WM. I am here to say that AP can be very helpful in filling that gap of managing pain well, while helping boost someone’s spirit along the way.

Q. How does your work advance knowledge in your specialized area?

While I have great passion working one-on-one with patients, I am equally driven and doing what I can to further knowledge about acupuncture and integrative medicine through writing/publishing, lecturing, and my participation in clinical research. The following highlights some of my work to date. In 2002, while I was working towards my masters in Chinese medicine degree, I was invited by Janice Zeller, PhD to join the Rush University College of Nursing in a part-time role as a research assistant in a multi-million dollar grant funded by the National Institutes of Health/National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. I was hired to help Dr. Zeller and her team, create and implement complementary medicine related materials into the nursing curricula. This was a wonderful opportunity to educate nursing students about the evidence-based role of complementary medicine in health and illness. Before the grant ended, our team revised the materials and created a complementary and alternative medicine certification program which is now offered as a CEU course via Nursing Spectrum.

As a result of this work, I established great relationships with faculty members in college. These relationships have provided me with opportunities to educate others about the evidence-base role integrative medicine in health. Including facilitating lectures about integrative medicine in a variety of master level College of Nursing courses; involvement in a mindfulness-based nursing errors study; and publishing a chapter on integrative medicine and pediatrics in a soon to be released edition of the textbook “Pediatric Acute Care: A Guide for Interprofessional Practice” by Jones and Bartlett. Most recently, I was asked to join three other faculty members to write a grant to explore the role of acupuncture in reducing inflammation in persons with HIV. The grant has been funded and we will begin the study in early Spring 2011.

Within Rush University Medical Center, I lecture to a variety of medical staff groups, and part of the Rush medical college CAM curriculum team. I have also recently been asked to serve on two task force teams – palliative care and pain management as they want integrative medicine to be part of their offerings.

In late 2009, I was awarded monies from The Women’s Board at Rush for the purposes of conducting a pilot study to explore the role of acupuncture for pain management in our pediatric patients. This study is still underway. Any pediatric patient between the ages of 5 -20 suffering from pain, nausea, or vomiting are eligible for enrollment. Participants who enroll in the study receive 8 acupuncture treatments, at no charge. The three outcome measures that I am tracking include (1) quality of life – from both a parent and patient perspective; (2) pain; and (3) nausea. Preliminary results demonstrate that AP treatments have a significant effect on QOL. Specifically, AP had a statistically significant impact on “emotional functioning” of the patient, from both the patient and parents’ perspectives; and there are statistically significant findings that demonstrate AP had a positive impact/effect on “physical functioning,” and this was from the participants’ perspective. Additionally, there are statistically significant results indicating that the treatments are reducing pain, and nausea.

At the conclusion of the study, my plan is to submit papers to a variety of peer-reviewed publications with hopes of getting this information published. There is a paucity of information on the use of acupuncture in pediatric-care, so I’m hoping it will be information that will be helpful for others to learn about.

Q. What applicability will it have for other healthcare professions in different fields and sectors? Why is it important for healthcare professionals to know about your work?

The applicability of TCM for other healthcare professions is great. While there may not be “gold standard” randomized controlled trials for every acupuncture study out there, AP has the largest body of evidence and research suggests AP is safe when performed by trained professionals who are state licensed, and nationally board certified. Above and beyond the benefits of using AP as adjunctive therapy to cancer care, there are positive findings and evidence demonstrating its applicability to a variety of other acute and chronic health conditions/illnesses. Some examples include headaches, migraines, infertility, osteoarthritis, amenorrhea, insomnia, neuropathy, post-operative nausea/vomiting, and generalized anxiety to name a few.

Healthcare professionals, of all backgrounds and specializations, should know that complementary medicine (CM) is something that is being used among people of all ages and backgrounds. In the United States, surveys show that approximately 38% of people are including some form of it into their care. We find that this number significantly increases among those suffering from chronic illness. For example, up to 90% of people with cancer use CM. The reason for including CM into one’s care is very personal for every patient. Overall, people use it to reduce pain, reduce the side-effects of treatment, do things that are less toxic, boost the immune system, have a sense of control and feel empowered, and to do everything possible to help heal in mind, body, and spirit. We know from the literature that when people are involved in their own care, they feel better, and in some but not all cases recover better.

Unfortunately, as many as 70% of patients are not disclosing their interest in/use of CM to their healthcare teams. A few reasons for this behavior include fear of being “fired” as a patient; the thought that supplements or other products marketed as “natural” won’t interfere with medications; and, no one asks in the first place. If you aren’t already inquiring about complementary use during your intake, please consider starting. You’re patients will really appreciate you opening the door to the great possibilities and potential benefits of AP or other forms of complementary medicine. Personally, I have been a witness to the power of this medicine, and there’s absolutely no doubt that it makes a difference, a big difference!

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