LifeCare explores integrative medicine as part of healing

In keeping with its tradition of staying the forefront of new medical practices, LifeCare Medical Center is currently utilizing the benefits of integrative medicine for the people it serves.
  Integrative medicine is a collection of additional and alternative healing options such as aromatherapy, light therapy, music therapy, massage therapy, and guided imagery.
  Though stepped in ancient traditions, some of these approaches to healing are considered to be in their infancy when related to their place in modern medicine.
  "The human body has amazing natural ways of healing itself that only now are being studied," says LifeCare Hospice Coordinator Shawny Elyk-Prevost, RN/BSN.  "Imagine needing less pain medication after an operation.  Or having music help soothe an ailing hospice patient.  That's what integrative medicine is all about."
  LifeCare's exploration into integrative medicine stems from a grant received in 2008.  As part of the grant implementation, care providers within the LifeCare organization were invited to participate in training sessions on specific integrative medicines.
  "Probably one of the easier concepts to grasp is music therapy," says Shawny.  "We've all heard the old adage about music having powers to soothe the savage beast.  As it turns out, it may have healing effects on the human body as well."
  Shawny describes music therapy as the reaction most people have when they hear a favorite song.
  "Music can lift us from a current situation and takes us to a soothing and nurturing place when actual physical healing can occur," Shawny says.
  And the data proves it, she says, pointing to the growing number of research studies on music therapy.
  As part of her own training in music therapy, Shawny and her colleagues took blood pressure readings from a group of volunteers, recorded their findings, and then had them listen to music therapy CDs.
  "We then retested, and the new blood pressure readings were measurably lower after music therapy was introduced," she says.  "Music clearly has an effect on the human body."
  She says music therapy has received international race reviews especially from nursing

homes and hospitals that have explored its potential.
  A common finding was music soothed and relaxed patients, often resulting in the need for less pain medication, she says.
  One of her favorite stories involves a hospice patient who was able to go with less pain medication during her final days by focusing on her deep faith and Christian music therapy.
  "As a result, the patient was able to remain alert and share remaining precious family time rather than be sedated with pain medication," she says.
  Music therapy also has shown success in children with attention deficit disorder, she says.
  "Rather than increase the dosage of medication, calm soothing music was played in the background while they worked," says Shawny, "and the difference in behavior was noticeable."

Massage and Reflexology
  Also offered at LifeCare are the healing properties of massage and its counterpart Reflexology, which uses static pressure from the thumbs, hand, and palm to concentrate energy on specific pressure points on the body.
  "I believe in medication and doctors, but also believe in natural healing," says Bridget Brannan, who performs therapeutic massage and reflexology at LifeCare.  "In some cases the body needs to heal naturally."
  Massage is shown to improve curculation, boost the immune system, improve digestion, and decrease tension and stress.

Certified Massage Therapist Bridget Brannan uses a hot stone to apply deep healing massage in a treatment room at LifeCare Rehabilitation Services in Roseau.

 In reflexology, the soles of the feet are considered mirror images of the body with pressure points and nerve endings.  In principle, a person ailing from a digestion issue, for example, may receive relief from pressure applied to the center of the foot.
  "This type of healing dates back to ancient times," she says, "yet it can potentially help heal patients right here today."
  LifeCare also offers hot stone massage, a technique where hot stones are places on tension areas of the body.
  "This approach can be a good alternative for people who are sensitive to pressure since heat melts tension in the muscles and warms up the whole body," explains Brannan, who says heat allows her to work deeper into muscles and relieve more tension.
  Brannan's services are available through LifeCare Rehabilitation Services in Roseau, Wednesdays in Greenbush, and by appointment in Warroad.
  "You don't have to physically hurt to come in for a massage," Brannan says.  "We all need Vitamin T (meaning touch).  As babies we thrive on it and it remains important throughout our lives."

Hopeful Future
  LifeCare is hopefuly many of the integrative medicine methods currently being studied will find a permanent place in its approach to healing.
  A simple online search demonstrates the growing demand for guided imagery, aromatherapy, and the other forms of healing all over the world.
  "We are really seeing these therapies being put to use and assisting in areas of acute care, labor and delivery, nursing homes and home care and hospice," says Shawny.
  "But it requires buy-in from the patient," she says.  "Believing in the potential of the treatment received is key."