Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, Research Paper Example

This thesis report investigates the prevailing trends and status of Medicaid coverage for complementary plus alternative medicine- CAM: the dissertation similarly seeks to identify plus establish the areas that deserve keener consideration and possible improvements in the future (Chen, Lee, Xu & Zhang, 2015). Although CAM using diverse therapies that are not recognized by scientific medical procedures, many patients suffering from chronic diseases like diabetes have gravitated towards CAM therapies resulting in the need for identification and documentation of any side effects and health behavior (Chen, Lee, Xu & Zhang, 2015). The main striving for health in these contemporary times should be to establish a new healthcare system that strikes the balance between cost and the emerging issues like an insurance for therapies referred to as the (CAM) Complementary plus Alternative Medicine (David Adams, 2018).

The bone of contention is the exponential growth of healthcare spending in the United States of America, which remains a concern to this very day although in recent years the spending had shown signs of slowing down (“US Healthcare Spending as of 2019 | Visualized Health”, 2021). Over the decades of legislation and developments by policymakers and numerous stakeholders, the healthcare system has gradually depreciated and is in dire need of mass improvements. The challenges and deficiencies in healthcare stemmed from the private sector and the government for implementing policies based on short-term thinking that yielded devastating repercussions in the long run (Chen, Lee, Xu & Zhang, 2015). The government must solve the issues surrounding healthcare, beginning with the transformation of the disease management system to a reliable network by offering insurance for CAM (Weeks, 2016). By the fiscal year of 2019, the federal government had spent an estimated 1.2 trillion dollars on healthcare across the United States of America (“US Healthcare Spending as of 2019 | Visualized Health”, 2021). It was also recorded that the income tax expenditure that was spent on healthcare hit an all-time high figure of 234 billion dollars (“US Healthcare Spending as of 2019 | Visualized Health”, 2021). The rising figures reflect a failure in the United States healthcare system. This is indicated by the sheer fact that the spending on healthcare surpassed the entire federal budget on defense spending (Boersma et al., 2020). Research has proven that a third of the adult American population uses Complementary and Alternative Medicine therapy. 30.7% of the American adult population suffers from chronic pain, and statistical data points out that the number is likely to escalate in the coming years (Boersma et al., 2020).

The increasing number of chronic pain victims can be attributed to the lifestyle that the majority of the working-class American population subscribe to, which is characterized by strict daily schedules, limited movements, and depression (Boersma et al., 2020). The existing conventional medications had to adapt to meet the rising need, hence the incorporation of Complementary plus Alternative Medicine, which has proven to be a better option as evidenced by the swelling numbers. of patients attracted to their therapy sessions. CAM therapy comprises diverse health and natural practices that incorporate herbal and traditional products (Boersma et al., 2020). CAM therapy will undoubtedly become a cardinal and integral part of healthcare in the years to come. Therefore, further research should be done on it. The statistics point to its popularity as well as its health benefits.

An estimated 9 billion dollars is spent on CAM services and therapy per year; this accounts for 3% of the annual gross healthcare expenditure (Boersma et al., 2020). The final deliberation would be to advocate for funding from the Health Care Financing Administration and the federal Medicare program for beneficiaries who meet the required clinical worthiness standards (Jiratchariyakul & Mahady, 2013). The National Center for CAM has divided it into four main categories: Mind-body medicine, manipulative plus Body-based therapies, biological-based practices, plus Energy medicine. Mind-body medicine is the kind of CAM therapy that is done for the mind (Kaufman). The statistical data obtained from the 2002 survey that was conducted shows that a significant number of patients who use CAM in the United States use mind-body medicine. Majority of the Neurological patients prefer the use of CAM therapies (Boersma et al., 2020). Mind-body therapies exist in many forms, including visual imagery, biofeedback, hypnosis, and mediation. These therapies focus mainly on the relationship between the mind, brain, body, behavior, and their effects on the body’s health (Boersma et al., 2020). These therapies are very crucial when it comes to suppressing the specific mental ailments that cause psychological stress. Patients prefer these forms of therapies because they are more. actively involved; the therapies have low emotional and physical risks. Manipulative and body-based practice is the part(s) of the body to target treatment. These therapies include massage, chiropractic, reflexology, Rolfing, and osteopathy (Boersma et al., 2020).

Biological-based practices are another form of CAM that NCCAM has demonstrated as natural products like herbs and food products to treat certain diseases (Boersma et al., 2020). On the other hand, energy medicine is the act of using body parts that are believed to possess a lot of energy that can be used to treat some other parts. CAM has been integrated into many hospitals, and even clinical centers for this medication have been developed. These centers work in liaison with Hospitals and Medical schools to achieve CAM effectiveness. (Shorofi, and Arbon) The use of CAM therapies in standard cancer treatment has been effective and made patients stabilize after surgery (Boersma et al., 2020). An assessment was conducted in Northeast Cancer Center NECC in Ontario to determine patients’ reactions to CAM therapies. The statistics obtained were, more than 50 percent of patients use biological-based therapists after being diagnosed with cancer, and around 15 percent of them used these therapies before diagnosis.

However, cancer remains almost the most cause of death in the world patients have tried the use of CAM therapies like massage, dietary, or even prayer (Steyer, 2012). The use of these therapies by cancer patients is to reduce the effects of chemotherapies and radiation. Patients have always considered CAM therapies as natural, spiritual, and cultural, and they try to connect the use of CAM and their beliefs. (“Reducing the Side-Effects of Cisplatin to Improve the Social Acceptance of Chemotherapy as CAM Adjunct in Cancer Treatment”) Breast cancer patients have been noticed to have been affected by the use of CAM. When their use CAM therapies, these patients delay for presentation and treatment of this type of cancer, thus making the cancer cells grow (Steyer, 2012). Thorough research was conducted in Malaysia, and a sample of six public hospitals was taken to trace follow-up breast, cancer patients. (Ng et al.). A sample of over 300 patients was considered for the research, and it was discovered that when these patients find the first symptoms of their illness, they when for CAM therapies. Statistics indicated that over 45 percent of 300 patients delayed the diagnosis, having relied on CAM therapies at their first symptoms. The time between early signs to the time of presentations allows cancer cells’ growth to the point of making treatment impossible. (Mohd Mujar et al.)

According to research, most Americans have recently used alternative or complementary health approaches in their efforts to find the cure to their various medical conditions or to find better health for themselves or their loved ones (Steyer, 2012). However, their access to alternative or complementary healthcare has been greatly impacted by the type of medical insurance that they are subscribed to or the type of medical insurance coverage accessible to them.  The decision by Medicare to provide coverage for the use of alternative or complementary medications in most of the states in the United States of America have therefore facilitated this kind of medical service access to the patients and hence facilitating the need for attaining better health by most of the low-income earning families in the United States of America (Steyer, 2012). Most of the complementary medications or alternative methods of medications chosen by most of the American citizens are chosen because of some articulated reasons or believes that they can either bring the cure to them or they can reduce their suffering for instance in cancer patients, which is one of the major causes of the rising mortality rates in the United States of America (Steyer, 2012).

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a form of complementary medicine of Asian origin, specifically China, and includes the use of small needles to penetrate or puncture the specific parts of the body which according to the Chinese culture are considered to be regions of high energy concentration (Steyer, 2012). This alternative form of medication is primarily used in the management of mental conditions and physical illnesses (Steyer, 2012). According to research, this form of complementary medication has been proved to have led to pain relief in most of its participants both in the United States and in the rest parts of the globe. In most states in the United States of America, this kind of alternative medicine has been famous for the management of lower back pain management (Steyer, 2012).

This form of complementary medication has also been used as alternative management of the effects of chemotherapy in most cancer patients (Steyer, 2012). One of the famous side effects in which acupuncture has been used is the management of chemotherapy-induced emesis and nausea.  These are some of the side effects that may lead to impaired quality of life in most cancer patients as nausea might lead to anorexia while vomiting may lead to malnutrition as most of the nutrients that have been taken by the victims may be vomited even before absorption and digestion take place (Steyer, 2012).  This method was however found to have minimal or no side effects and hence the reason for its growing preference in the United States of America when compared to most of many other medications found in the United States of America and even in most parts of the entire globe (Steyer, 2012).

Due to this increased fame specifically of this kind of complementary medication in most parts of the United States, Medicaid in conjunction with the federal government finalized a decision to include this medical alternative methods in the insurance coverage of all of its citizens which bare covered by Medicaid services in the United States of America (Steyer, 2012). These services are however available to victims of lower back pain and effects of chemotherapy and they are therefore legible to at least 12 acupuncture sessions within a timeline of 90 days for these two classifications of patients. (Steyer, 2012). This step has decreased the use of opioid medications for patients with chronic pain, for example, lower back pain, and enhanced improvement in the quality of life of most cancer patients.

Massage as an Alternative Therapy

This type of alternative medication works through the application of pressure by a professional therapist to the muscles or region of the body which is injured to facilitate or cause healing of this region of the body (Elmer,2017).  This form of alternative medication helps in easing pain, management of muscle spasms, and stress of most parts of the musculoskeletal system. In the management of pain, this mode of treatment works by altering the physiology of pain causation, facilitating the release of serotonin which is one of the major factors in the physiology of pain, and hence either decreasing the severity of pain or entirely eradicating pain in most of the participants of this form of treatment (Elmer,2017).

According to research, this method has also been proved to have the ability to improve the intensity of mental health in most patients as it improves oxygen circulation in most cranial muscles and the brain and hence physiologically and psychologically improving the health status of the brain and the mind. Its increased fame has however been boosted by the fact that there are no additional medications or chemicals needed for this process to take place and therefore, there are either no or minimal side effects attached to this particular form of differential medical conditions management.

Due to its ability to impact the state of mental health, this method has also been used in some instances for the management of pain in cancer patients (Elmer,2017). Studies show that good mental health which can be a result of massage therapy for cancer patients can help improve the mood of the patients and hence reduce their pain intensity and hence improve the quality of life of these patients. (Pauly,2014).) Instead of the administration of pain medications for pain management in patients who are in palliative care, massage therapy can be used instead for patients to whom this method can improve their quality of life, reducing the intake of the medication and their possible side effects (Elmer,2017).

Due to the increased causes of pain and the increase in population which in turn increases the chances of occurrence of pain-causing factors and physical disabilities, Medicaid approved this form of alternative treatment to be covered in their medical insurance services as it has contributed to the general well-being of the health of most of its participants. (Elmer,2017). According to clinical documentation on this method of alternative medication, this method proved to have minimal impact on the pain management process after it has been used for a year and above (Elmer,2017).

References

Steyer, T. E., Freed, G. L., & Lantz, P. M. (2012). Medicaid reimbursement for alternative therapies. Alternative therapies in health and medicine, 8(6), 84.

Pauly, M. V. (2014). Medicare drug coverage and moral hazard. Health Affairs, 23(1), 113-122.

Elmer, G. W., Lafferty, W. E., Tyree, P. T., & Lind, B. K. (2017). Potential interactions between complementary/alternative products and conventional medicines in a Medicare population. Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 41(10), 1617-1624.