NRSG 313 Unit 3 – Individual Project

The medical landscape remains one of the most researched spheres across the world. Stakeholders continue to engage in studies in a bid to come up with numerous treatment modalities that guarantee safe care to patients. Other than the use of prescription medicine, contemporary research has focused on complementary treatments or manual therapies to garner evidence of their efficacy when compared to traditional treatment methods (Dusek et al., 2022). As professionals in the health industry try to find the best way to achieve positive health outcomes, the use of manual therapies has remained an option of consideration not only in the East but also across the Western world. Some of the most common alternative medicines used for manual therapies include chiropractic, pressure point therapy, acupuncture, and different types of massage (Zhang et al., 2020). While these therapies have gained prominence in recent years, there is a need to assess their effectiveness to affirm their use when compared with mainstream prescription treatments. As such, the present discussion delves into the analysis of acupuncture, chiropractic treatment, and pressure point therapy. Each of the manual therapies will be discussed independently to gather evidence for their use in clinical practice.

Acupuncture

The first alternative therapy is acupuncture and this is a manual healing method that involves the insertion of needles within specific spots in the body to relieve pain. The needles selected for this procedure vary in length but a majority of those used range between 13 to 130 mm and with a diameter of 0.16 mm (Tan et al., 2021). The acupuncture procedure is done at very precise locations within the body and usually lies on the channel of energy. The practice of this alternative therapy is guided by the premise that stimulation of particular areas of the skin can directly affect the functions of certain organs of the body. The energy transmitted by the needles also known as Qi enhances balance in the body to optimize health of patients with pain (Dusek et al., 2022). Other than being used for pain management, acupuncture can be used as an alternative therapy for muscle knots, and swellings as well as for the mobilization of blood as a way to improve healing in patients.

Usually, the clinical goal of acupuncture is to relieve a medical condition or manage symptoms of a disease, particularly those that involve acute pain (Zhang et al., 2020). While it has been practiced widely in China and Japan to manage acute pain, the procedure has enriched the lives of millions of clients across the world ever since its discovery.

The effects of acupuncture remain insignificant when the procedure is done by a qualified doctor. However, the common side effects of the therapy include bruising, minor bleeding, and soreness (Tan et al., 2021). In this regard, acupuncture procedures are contraindicated for patients with a seizure disorder, skin diseases, hemophilia alcohol intoxication, or those using a pacemaker to treat heart conditions. Since acupuncture is a non-pharmacologic therapy, it can be combined with other non-pharmacologic procedures of care. Specifically, the alternative treatment can work well along with regulated physical therapy particularly to relieve pain and reduce inflammation for patients.

The medication cost for treatment using acupuncture in the United States vary with a consultation fee ranging between $100 and $300 (Dusek et al., 2022). The cost per session attracts a fee between $50 and $90 per person. In the United Kingdom, the cost per session is £65 per person. Treatment packages will depend on the nature of the illness of a patient. There is a slight difference in the cost of acupuncture treatment in the UK and the US, but the cost may seem a little more expensive in London when compared to New York. Nonetheless, there are packages for 4, 8, and 12 sessions available for clients.

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Before administering the acupuncture procedures, acupuncturists need to inform the patient about the therapy so that they make decisions accordingly. The patients should be made aware that acupuncture reduces pain temporarily and that it does not treat chronic pain (Tan et al., 2021). In other words, it is not a long-term maintenance therapy for acute or chronic pain (Dusek et al., 2022). Besides, patients also need to be informed that the acupuncture needles are very thin and may not cause serious pain during and after the procedure. Besides, the patients need information on treatment procedures, benefits, costs, contraindications, and self-care after therapy.

For one to practice as an acupuncturist, the person must serve as a medical doctor with advanced training in acupuncture. However, in California, acupuncturists receive licensure from the State of California Acupuncture Board after undergoing intense training in a graduate medical school (Zhang et al., 2020). In essence, acupuncturists are highly skilled healthcare professionals who have clinical training in addition to knowledge of acupuncture. The premise affirms that they work under the guidance of medical ethics practiced by mainstream healthcare providers.

Chiropractic treatment

With the current trend of high rates of road traffic accidents and orthopedic complications, an alternative method of non-pharmacologic treatment has been considered in the plan of care for the affected patients. Chiropractic is the branch of healing that has gained prominence in the recent past to manage orthopedic patients (Øverås et al., 2021). The therapy is a healing art and procedure that refers to effective treatment by the use of the hand. Chiropractic is based on the belief that many causes of diseases in humans arise when the human body fails to adjust to the environment (Sherbourne et al., 2019). In this regard, the goal of the procedure is to treat ailments not by the use of prescription medicine but by adjusting the skeletal structures of the body that are believed not to be functioning correctly which can be a precursor to the present illness (Hays et al., 2019). Chiropractic treatment is used to address diseases of the skeletal system especially those that affect the bones through the stimulation of the nervous system by the use of the hands. The manual treatment is also applicable for the treatment of injuries to the spinal discs that arise due to physical impact on the spinal cord.

Chiropractic involves the examination of the spine and assessment of the optimal function of the nervous system. With these procedures, the treatment may result in pain in the affected body parts (Øverås et al., 2021). The therapy is also associated with headaches and local discomfort in the affected area. Chiropractic can also lead to nausea and dizziness though these two symptoms remain rarely reported by patients (Hays et al., 2019). The procedure is contraindicated for patients with cancer of the spine, stroke, bone anomaly in the upper neck, and those with severe osteoporosis.

Chiropractors address the problems in the skeletal system by use of standard medical procedures. As such, chiropractors interact with conventional treatment modalities such as physical examinations of patients, collection of medical history, laboratory result analysis as well as x-ray examinations (Sherbourne et al., 2019).

Since chiropractic procedures might involve other medical investigations in a care facility, their prices vary across different nations. However, in the United States, the cost of chiropractic procedures ranges from $30 to $300 per session (Øverås et al., 2021). The costs are slightly lower in the United Kingdom where a patient is expected to part with £50 and £100 to receive the therapy per session. These costs are barely affordable since a patient is required to have about 12 therapy sessions with a chiropractor for 6 weeks to complete treatment.

Health education on chiropractic provides knowledge that can influence the decision of patients to select the medical procedures that befit their disease. Chiropractors are therefore mandated to explain the procedures to the patients, the effects, and the costs for every session (Øverås et al., 2021). Nonetheless, patients need information on self-care, particularly on body posture and management of work-related low back pain after chiropractic procedures.

For one to practice as a chiropractor, the professional must enroll for 4-year undergraduate study in a reputable degree program. The trainee must cover not less than 4,200 instructional hours so that one acquires a doctor of chiropractic degree. Finally, one will require a practicing license from the board of chiropractic depending on the state of origin in America or across the world (Hays et al., 2019). Chiropractors are governed by the medical ethics practiced by doctors in mainstream healthcare.

Pressure Point Therapy

Massage therapy has been used over a long period for euphoria but its impact on medical practice remains uncelebrated. Pressure point therapy, also known as acupressure is a massage therapy that involves the gentle application of firm pressure on particular sections of the hands or feet that corresponds to the body part that is ill or is under the stress of pain (Wang et al., 2019). While the procedures of acupressure may be confused with acupuncture, their principles of application remain the same. In other words, both procedures rely on the circulation of energy called Qi across the body to relieve pain. The clinical goal of the procedure is to stimulate the flow of energy especially when there is an imbalance in the circulation of Qi due to an illness in the body (Anita et al., 2020). Based on this premise, acupressure can help to overcome different diseases such as muscle sores, decrease pain, stress, and tension as well as boost blood circulation to improve immunity in the body. Nonetheless, pressure pain therapy can be used as an adjunct procedure to calm and soothe the mind of patients with mild depression.

Pressure point treatment may be assumed to induce pleasure in the affected body parts but it can also be associated with adverse events. Most often, acupressure can result in nausea or pain in the affected area (You et al., 2019). The procedure may cause numbness, a sensation of discomfort, and soreness at pressure points in patients receiving the therapy. Due to these effects, acupressure is contraindicated for hemophilic patients and those on anticoagulant therapy. Moreover, patients with seizure disorders, skin infections, and those using pacemakers are not eligible for pressure point treatment.

Acupressure as an alternative treatment can work well along with regulated physical therapy particularly to relieve pain and reduce inflammation for patients (Anita et al., 2020). Since the procedure involves light to intense massage, ointments can be used along with acupressure (Wang et al., 2019). Acupressure may also require an x-ray investigation to distinguish swellings in the affected body parts from the broken bone tissues.

The consultation fee for acupressure in America is relatively high and ranges between $100 and $300. However, the cost of the acupressure procedure attracts a fee in the range of $50 to $90 for every session (Anita et al., 2020). In the United Kingdom, the consultation cost varies between £35 to £110 while the therapy attracts a fee of £75 per session (You et al., 2019). These prices may change depending on the number of sessions recommended and the extent of the therapy to be administered. On average, patients on acupressure therapy are required to attend 3 to 4 sessions a day. In a nutshell, the procedures can attract a substantial cost when the therapy sessions are extended over a long period.

Health education to patients during and after acupressure can provide them with necessary information that they can use when they are not on regular appointments for the procedure. Most often, patients need to be informed about the benefit of the procedures in managing pain at specific points of the body (Wang et al., 2019). They can also be enlightened on how to conduct the actual procedures which can help them with self-care when they are not within the reach of the provider.

Unlike acupuncture or chiropractor, one does not need to be a medical doctor to practice as an acupressurist. However, one requires basic training in human anatomy and physiology to work as a pressure point treatment specialist (You et al., 2019). In the United Kingdom, one is required to earn a degree in a relevant associate degree program and must have done accredited acupressure courses before receiving a practicing license in the country (Anita et al., 2020). The regulations ensure that those involved in the service offer quality care to patients.

Conclusion

Manual therapies such as acupuncture, pressure point treatment, and chiropractic treatment have gained prominence in the contemporary medical landscape. Patients prefer them as alternative therapies considering that the procedures are not harmful and can be combined with mainstream treatments. Besides, since they are non-pharmacologic, alternative therapies may not pose the danger of toxicity to patients receiving the treatments. However, while these procedures are considered alternative care, they are still viewed as an old way of treatment. A majority of patients shun such therapies and would prefer modern-day medicine. In this regard, health professionals need to provide comprehensive education to patients on manual therapies if such procedures prove to be effective in addressing their present ailments when compared with modern-day treatment.

NRSG 313 Unit 3 – Individual Project References

Anita, N., Ahmad, M., Usman, A. N., Sinrang, A. W., Alasiry, E., & Bahar, B. (2020). Potency of back message and acupressure on increasing of prolactin hormone levels in primipara postpartum; consideration for midwifery care. Enfermeria clinica, 30, 577-580. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enfcli.2019.07.165

Dusek, J. A., Kallenberg, G. A., Hughes, R. M., Storrow, A. B., Coyne, C. J., Vago, D. R., … & McKee, M. D. (2022). Acupuncture in the emergency department for pain management: A BraveNet multi-center feasibility study. Medicine, 101(9). doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000028961

Hays, R. D., Spritzer, K. L., Sherbourne, C. D., Ryan, G. W., & Coulter, I. D. (2019). Group and individual-level change on health-related quality of life in chiropractic patients with chronic low back or neck pain. Spine, 44(9), 647. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000002902

Øverås, C. K., Johansson, M. S., de Campos, T. F., Ferreira, M. L., Natvig, B., Mork, P. J., & Hartvigsen, J. (2021). Distribution and prevalence of musculoskeletal pain co-occurring with persistent low back pain: a systematic review. BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 22(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-020-03893-z

Sherbourne, C. D., Ryan, G. W., Whitley, M. D., Gutierrez, C. I., Hays, R. D., Herman, P. M., & Coulter, I. D. (2019). Coping and management techniques used by chronic low back pain patients receiving treatment from chiropractors. Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics, 42(8), 582-593. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmpt.2019.07.002

Tan, J. Y. B., Wang, T., Kirshbaum, M. N., Zhao, I., Eliseeva, S., Polotan, M. J., … & Zheng, S. L. (2021). Acupoint stimulation for cancer-related fatigue: a quantitative synthesis of randomised controlled trials. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 45, 101490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101490

Wang, P. M., Hsu, C. W., Liu, C. T., Lai, T. Y., Tzeng, F. L., & Huang, C. F. (2019). Effect of acupressure on constipation in patients with advanced cancer. Supportive Care in Cancer, 27(9), 3473-3478. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-019-4655-1

You, E., Kim, D., Harris, R., & D’Alonzo, K. (2019). Effects of auricular acupressure on pain management: a systematic review. Pain Management Nursing, 20(1), 17-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmn.2018.07.010

Zhang, B., Zhang, K., Tang, Q., Sun, K., & Han, Z. (2020). Acupuncture for breathlessness in COVID-19: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine, 99(27). doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000020701

There are several types of manual therapies available. For this assignment, you will visit or call at least 2 establishments that offer different types of massage, chiropractic treatment, acupuncture, or pressure point therapy. Select 3 different types of manual treatments, and answer the following questions:

What is the name of the treatment?
What is the treatment used for?
What is the clinical goal of this treatment?
What are the contraindications and side effects? (You will have to research this on your own using the library and other complementary and alternative medicine [CAM] resources.)
Are there any conventional treatments that this manual healing method may interact with?
What is the price of the treatment? How many sessions are recommended? Compare the prices between the 2 different locations, and include both of them in your write-up. Did you discover any differences? Explain.
What education would you need to provide the patient with about this therapy?
What education level and credentials does the practitioner have who is offering the treatment?
Summarize what you learned from this exercise in 2â€“3 pages, excluding the title and reference pages, following the APA Expectations document for the College of Nursing.

Please click on this APA Style for CTU Students link for help with APA formatting. Use the CTU Writing Style Guide (templates provided)â€”not the Introductory Writing Style Guide.

NRSG 313 Unit 3 – Individual Project Rubric

The Individual Project (IP) grading rubric is a scoring tool that represents the performance expectations of the IP. This Individual Project grading rubric is divided into components that provide a clear description of what should be included within each component for the IP. It is the roadmap that can help you in the development of your IP. Individual Project Grading Rubric

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