Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Occupational Therapy & Physical Therapy

Lecture Notes
Jeremy R Hall
Day 1: Intro to Integrative, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine
(ICAM)
 An ICAM Professional uses non-mainstream medicine, which is the use of medical
treatments such as massage therapy, physical therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic, and
occupational therapy instead of mainstream medicine such as, pharmaceuticals and
surgery.
 Types:
o Integrative medicine is where health care providers offer both types of care, such as
the decision to either see a chiropractor or an orthopedic surgeon.
o Complementary medicine is when the use of these other medical treatments is used
alongside the mainstream medical care. An example of this situation is us physical
therapy for a shoulder injury after giving a steroid injection as part of the recovery
process.
o Alternative medicine is using one of these instead of mainstream medicine. An
example of this type of medicine is when an individual decides to seek massage
therapy rather than be seen for a back injury.
 Practices
o Traditional alternative medicine. This field includes the more mainstream and
accepted forms of therapy, such as acupuncture, homeopathy, and Oriental
practices. These therapies have been practiced for centuries worldwide. Traditional
alternative medicine may include:

 Acupuncture
 Ayurveda
 Homeopathy
 Naturopathy
 Chinese or Oriental medicine

o Body. Touch has been used in medicine since the early days of medical care.
Healing by touch is based on the idea that illness or injury in one area of the body
 can affect all parts of the body. If, with manual manipulation, the other parts can be
brought back to optimum health, the body can fully focus on healing at the site of
injury or illness. Body techniques are often combined with those of the mind.
Examples of body therapies include:

 Chiropractic and osteopathic medicine

 Massage
 Body movement therapies
 Tai chi
 Yoga

o Diet and herbs. Over the centuries, man has gone from a simple diet consisting of
meats, fruits, vegetables, and grains, to a diet that often consists of foods rich in
fats, oils, and complex carbohydrates. Nutritional excess and deficiency have
become problems today, both leading to certain chronic diseases. Many dietary and
herbal approaches attempt to balance the body's nutritional well-being. Dietary and
herbal approaches may include:

 Dietary supplements
 Herbal medicine
 Nutrition/diet

o External energy. Some people believe external energies from objects or other
sources directly affect a person's health. An example of external energy therapy is:

 Electromagnetic therapy
 Reiki
 Qigong

o Mind. Even standard or conventional medicine recognizes the power of the

connection between mind and body. Studies have found that people heal better if
they have good emotional and mental health. Therapies using the mind may include:

 Meditation
 Biofeedback
 Hypnosis

o Senses. Some people believe the senses, touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste, can
affect overall health. Examples of therapies incorporating the senses include:
  Art, dance, and music
 Visualization and guided imagery

 French Healthcare system utilization of CAM as treatment.

o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-56hZxOKpI0
o Open discussion
Day 2: Occupational Therapy
 What Do They Do?
o An occupational therapist (OT) treats a patient, as a whole. They do not only
work with those suffering from an injury, they work with an individual who may
be having developmental or cognitive disabilities that interfere with everyday
tasks. These disabilities can be affecting their motor skills, emotions, and their
behavior, which in fact affect their day to day lives.
o OT’s are not set out to just fix the problem, but rather incorporate the lifestyles
of the patient, into the process of healing. OT’s help people engage in daily life
such as getting dressed, cooking , and driving. They utilize the role’s their
patients have and figure out a treatment that is unique to that individual and
their job.

 Who Do They Treat?

o All ages that are suffering from an injury, illness, or disability.

 What to Look For.

o Fine Motor – Difficulties with holding pencils, tying shoes, using fasteners, or
stringing beads.
o Gross Motor – inability to catch or throw a ball, trips easily, difficulty with
balance, or coordination
o Sensory Processing –sensitive to stimuli. Sensory Processing Disorders which may
look like overwhelmed to loud environments, irrational fear to heights,
constantly avoiding or touching objects,
o Behavioral skills – Difficulty taking turns in games or with toys. Emotional
outbursts, hitting, kicking or biting.
o Activities of daily living – difficulty with tasks such as getting dressed, bathing,
using the restroom, or eating.
o Cognition –problems with functioning including organization, planning, or
attention.

 How Do They Treat?

o Fine Motor – using tweezer to pick up small objects, cutting out paper with
scissors
o Gross Motor – run obstacles, jumping jacks, or catching balls of different sizes.
o Sensory Processing – conducting a series of physical activities to give sensory
input needed.
o Behavioral skills – assisting with new ways to destress, such as writing out
feelings or conducting physical exercise
 o Activities of daily living – Assist with repetition, continuously helping the
individual with the struggled task such as brushing teeth and getting dressed in
order to boost confidence in one's self.
o Cognition – If struggling with attentiveness, OT may conduct full body exercise in
order to calm individual before sitting down to do task.

 Discover the utilization of occupational therapy:

o Cincinnati Children’s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rkpf5AamuGU
o Open discussion
Day 3: Physical Therapy
 What Do They Do?
o Physical therapists help injured, or ill people improve movement and manage
pain. They are often an important part of preventive care, rehabilitation, and
treatment for patients with chronic conditions, illnesses, or injuries.
 Who Do They Treat?
o Physical therapists, sometimes called PTs, care for people of all ages who have
functional problems resulting from back and neck injuries; sprains, strains, and
fractures; arthritis; amputations; neurological disorders, such as stroke or
cerebral palsy; injuries related to work and sports; and other conditions.
 How Do They Treat?
o Physical therapists use a variety of techniques to care for their patients. These
techniques include exercises; training in functional movement, which may
include the use of equipment such as canes, crutches, wheelchairs, and walkers;
and special movements of joints, muscles, and other soft tissue to improve
mobility and decrease pain.
o The work of physical therapists varies by type of patient. For example, a patient
working to recover mobility lost after a stroke needs care different from that of a
patient recovering from a sports injury. Some physical therapists specialize in
one type of care, such as orthopedics or geriatrics. Many physical therapists also
help patients maintain or improve mobility by developing fitness and wellness
 Leading Physical Therapy Treatments
1. Manual Therapy
o Perhaps the most convenient tool at a physical therapist's disposal? His/her own
hands. This technique comprises a number of different methods, including
massage, mobilization, manipulation and strengthening exercises.

o Manual therapy is so effective, in fact, that it's considered by many to be a

foundational part of any physical therapy treatment plan.

2. Exercise
o One oft-overlooked form of physical therapy which tops the rest in terms of
injury prevention? Exercise. Whether introduced as an alternative to today's
sedentary, desk-based lifestyles or as a strengthening tool in response to a
specific injury, exercise is used to target weak muscles, address muscular
imbalances, and keep aches and pains at bay.

o One popular form of exercise used by physical therapists to treat disease and
promote health? Water exercise, AKA hydrotherapy.
3. Hot and Cold Therapy
o While the layperson may struggle to understand how best to use hot and cold
therapies, physical therapists have the training and knowledge to use both.
Typically, ice is used to reduce inflammation and swelling in acute soft tissue
injuries because of its ability to constrict blood vessels.

o Heat, on the other hand, is more appropriate for treating tightness and muscular
spasms for pain reduction and increased mobility. Additionally, heat also
enhances tissue pliability making it a useful tool for stretching tendons,
ligaments, and muscles.

3. Ultrasound
o This common PT method uses a wand to apply high-pitched sound waves which
promote circulation while generating heat deep within connective tissues. In
addition to enhancing the effects of other treatments like exercise and manual
therapy, ultrasound is also thought to speed up the ligament healing process.

o Phonophoresis, meanwhile, is a technique which uses ultrasound to enhance the

delivery of topical medications, such as xylocaine and cortisone.

4. Traction
o While the word "traction" may bring to mind thoughts of bed-bound soap opera
characters swathed in bandages with their legs raised over their heads, this
physical therapy method is very different than popular conception.

o In simplest terms, traction is a form of decompression therapy designed to

alleviate pressure on the spine. It is used to treat a number of different back
conditions, including sciatica, pinched nerves, herniated discs and, degenerative
disc disease. In alleviating the pressure from compressed disks, this spine-
strengthening technique helps straighten the spine and accelerate healing
without surgical intervention.

5. Laser Therapy
o Physical therapists use low-level lasers to generate wavelengths of light which
stimulate healing. In addition to helping treat inflammation, pain and muscle
fatigue, laser therapy can also be used to reduce discomfort during manual joint
manipulation.
 6. Electrical Stimulation
o Also known as ESTIM, this technique involves the application of electrical
stimulation to cause otherwise-dormant muscles to contract. Following
traumatic injuries and certain types of surgery, ESTIM can help restore function
and movement. Electrical currents can also be used at low levels for pain
reduction.

7. Education
o Physical therapy also includes an educational component. From instructing
clients on daily exercises to perform at home to training them on the use of
assistive devices such as wheelchairs and crutches, physical therapists teach
clients how to play a direct role in recovery and injury prevention.

o Along with other modalities, physical therapists regularly rely on these

techniques -- alone and in combination -- to enable recovery in the patients they
treat. Looking to learn more about these the field of physical therapy, along with
how physical therapy assistant programs offer entry into this rapidly growing
field? Request information from SOCHi today.programs that encourage healthy,
active lifestyles.

 Discover the utilization of Physical therapy:

o Cincinnati Children’s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FBIypXLHXU
o Open discussion