The Role of Nurse Practitioners in Utilizing Acupuncture as Complementary and Alternative Medicine “Empowering Patients through Collaboration: The Role of Nurse Practitioners in Recommending Acupuncture as an Adjunctive Therapy”

I need a response to a peer’s discussion post
Prompt
Define complementary and alternative medicine. Choose one example of
complementary and alternative medicine. Describe the nurse
practitioner’s role in utilizing your chosen complementary and
alternative medicine. Support your answer with evidence-based research.
In your
response, it is important to be respectful, make your response
meaningful, and express yourself clearly.    It is a best practice to
not use unsupported personal opinions, generalizations or language that
might be viewed as offensive to others.  If you are trying to extend a
discussion, consider using probing questions.  If providing a
disagreement to a peer post remain respectful, considerate, and maintain
an academic tone. 
Respond to this post please
Complementary
and alternative medicine (CAM) refers to medical products and practices
used for patient care that are not part of conventional or standard
medical practice. CAM is mainly used for various purposes during patient
care such as to help them cope with the side effects of other
treatments such as in cancer where patients are likely to experience
nausea and fatigue and to ensure comfort and ease worries (Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2023). CAM is also used as part of
the intervention approaches for certain illnesses such as cancer and to
make the patient feel that they are also being responsible for their
care.
Healthcare
providers can use different types of CAM when caring for their patients
including mind-body therapies which focus on the mental aspects,
breathing, and body movements. Some of the examples of mind-body
therapies include meditation, biofeedback, yoga, and tai chi.
Biofeedback uses special tools to control body functions such as heart
rate to improve awareness while yoga focuses on balancing the mind and
body through controlled breathing and stretches (CDC, 2023). Tai chi is
another type of mind-body therapy that focuses on gentle exercise using
slow sets of movements while imagery uses positive images of the mind
such as imagining scenes and pictures. Biological-based practices are
also considered CAM and include using vitamins, dietary supplements such
as herbs, and botanicals such as cannabis.
Manipulative
and body-based practices such as massage therapy which involves
kneading soft tissues of the body and chiropractic therapy which
involves manipulating the spine and joints are also considered CAM. They
can be used along with other types of CAM such as energy healing such
as reiki and therapeutic touch, and whole medical systems such as
ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine such as acupuncture
(CDC, 2023). Ayurvedic medicine involves cleansing the body and
restoring balance to the mind and spirit using various strategies such
as diet, meditation, physical therapy, and herbal medicines.
Acupuncture
The
chosen example of CAM is acupuncture which is an ancient practice
involving the strategic insertion of fine, sterile needles into specific
points on the body. The belief behind acupuncture is that it can help
balance the flow of vital energy, “qi,” throughout the body to promote
overall well-being (Song et al., 2023). Stimulating specific acupuncture
points allows the body to naturally heal and function appropriately.
During an acupuncture session, practitioners carefully select and insert
needles into these points, which are believed to correspond to specific
energy pathways within the body. The needles may be manipulated
manually or stimulated with an electrical current to enhance their
therapeutic effects. In patient care, acupuncture is often used as a
complementary therapy alongside conventional medical treatments for
various physical and mental health conditions.
Nurse Practitioner’s Role
The
nurse practitioner has a crucial role in utilizing and recommending
acupuncture to improve the health outcomes of patients with diverse
health challenges. Nurse practitioners are well-equipped to assess a
patient’s overall health status, consider their medical history, and
determine if acupuncture might be an appropriate adjunctive therapy to
conventional treatments (Dalamagka, 2023). When recommending
acupuncture, nurse practitioners can educate patients about its
potential benefits to ensure they adhere to acupuncture as one of the
treatment plans. The nurse practitioner can also discuss realistic
expectations, and provide referrals to qualified and licensed
acupuncturists within their healthcare network. This collaborative
approach empowers patients to make informed decisions about
incorporating acupuncture into their treatment regimen. The nurse
practitioner can recommend acupuncture for patients with different types
of health conditions including chronic pain and in improving sleep
quality in patients with insomnia.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, May 16). Complementary and alternative medicine for cancer patients. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/survivors/patients/complementary-alternative-medicine.htm
Dalamagka, M. (2023). Acupuncture and electrotherapy: An alternative and complementary treatment method. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews. https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2023.17.2.0293.
Song, Y., Fu, Y., Sun, S., Sun, J., Shen, L., & Zhang, Y. (2023). Clinical thinking of acupuncture for snoring based on “disharmony qi leads to restlessness”. Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion, 43 8, 951-4. https://doi.org/10.13703/j.0255-2930.20221117-0006.