SCI Forum Reports
Medical Care after SCI: Conventional and Alternative Treatments
December 2, 1997
"What is health?" asked moderator Steven Stiens, MD , an assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Some define health as physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being, while for others it is simply the absence of illness. Our personal definitions of health influence our decisions about when and where to seek medical care, Stiens said.
Conventional medical care includes prevention, acute treatment, and rehabilitation. After SCI, rehabilitation is aimed at restoring as much function as possible and helping the person achieve his or her fullest potential. Ideally, the rehabilitation process focuses on the unique characteristics and goals of each individual, and includes annual health evaluations to prevent medical complications and maintain optimal functioning. "In spite of treatment, however, many people continue to feel ill and want to try other methods to enhance their function or feelings of well-being," Stiens said. In fact, he said, "many techniques and natural remedies have been demonstrated to be effective."
Panelist Jian Feng Yang, a certified acupuncturist and instructor at the Northwest Institute of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in Seattle, explained that acupuncture is part of a 3,000-year-old system of traditional medicine based on a model of vital energy, which differs from the biochemical model of Western medicine. According to the Eastern model, disease is caused by a deficiency or imbalance in the energy that flows along pathways throughout the human body. These pathways can be reached through locations on the body surface called acupuncture points, and needles placed in these points affect the energy passing through them. The treatment plan, which often combines acupuncture and herbal medicines, is designed to return the body to a balanced state of health.
Yang said he has treated people with SCI for digestive, muscular, spasticity, sexual function, lung, and emotional problems, and has used acupuncture needles with electrical stimulation to treat constipation, pressure sores, muscle atrophy, and lung infections in persons with SCI.
Therapeutic touch is another technique that works with energy fields in the body, according to Lois Young, RN, a staff nurse on the inpatient rehabilitation service at the University of Washington Medical Center. The technique is based on the work of healers who use laying on of hands, but does not involve actual contact. "You work about 3-6 inches away from the body," Young said.
When treating a patient, Young said she opens herself up "to act as a channel or conduit." She runs her hands over the patient, and when she finds blocked areas (indicated by "cold or pushing feelings" against her hands), she tries to open that area to energy. "When it's done, it's like my hands are released," she said.
Young said she has seen positive results using therapeutic touch on patients with SCI. "I know of a couple of patients who feel their function improved afterward," she said. Many patients fall asleep during her treatments, which she sees as a good sign - "relaxation promotes healing." She has found her technique to be helpful for decreasing anxiety and pain, and has worked with one man with a high cervical lesion who "loved therapeutic touch because when I did it he could feel his whole body."
A more direct hands-on approach is practiced by Rhalena Lief, a licensed massage practitioner. Lief said that massage is helpful for treating several SCI-related problems, including spasticity (it provides temporary relief) and constipation. "Massage can help release waste pooling in muscles and helps circulation in joints," she said. "It can connect you back with your body spiritually, and help you feel at home in your body." A massage therapist in the audience said that massage can also help treat pain, overuse injuries, and muscle contractures.
Rolfing, also known as structural integration, is a therapeutic technique that uses body manipulation and movement education to release restrictions of energy in the connective tissues around muscles, said Certified Rolfer Jamie Compton. Benefits include reduced body tension and muscular pain as well as improved posture and emotional state, Compton said.
Nutrition is a key piece of the wellness puzzle, according to panelist Sage Dahm. A nutritional health practitioner, educator, and coach, Dahm said he helps people heal themselves and build up their immune systems by teaching them how to boost their nutrition and eliminate the toxins in their bodies. One basic factor in maintaining health is drinking enough water - "two-thirds of the population is dehydrated, which means they're not functioning properly." Dahm said he has treated people with chronic asthma, allergies, infections, digestive problems, and other common ailments.
The panelists agreed that consumers should check with their insurance providers to find out which alternative health therapies are covered, how much their insurer will pay, and whether a physician referral is required. Stiens noted that although some alternative health therapies are now covered by health insurance, most insurance providers will only cover treatments that have been proven clinically to be effective.