CAM ON IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE
The first article by Lavretsky looks at
various studies that have been conducted on how complementary alternative
therapies can be used to treat cognitive impairment and mood disorders that
come later in life. Among the modalities looked at in this article is
Acupuncture, a Chinese traditional therapy of inserting needles in one’s body
in specific places to manipulate the body to have a free flow of energy and
balance the endocrine system. The other one is Yoga and meditation, a technique
in the Indian ancient healthcare system centered in breathing exercises,
stretches, and postures that enable a balance of the body’s energy. The article
also reviews exercise, spiritual and pastoral therapies, music therapy,
Ayurvedic and many others. The summary will focus on the Ayurvedic treatment as
a complementary and alternative treatment in aging as discussed in the article.
Ayurveda is a word derived from Ayur
which means life and Veda which means science or knowledge. A combination of
the two words, therefore, means the science of life. Ayurvedic medicine is
therefore understood as the knowledge of how to live. The practice originated
from India over 5000 years ago. It is still used in the country as a primary
healthcare system but has also gained popularity to the rest of the world in
recent years. Ayurveda is useful in many ways which include memory enhancement,
immunoprotection, anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic remedies, and as a nerve tonic.
According to Lavretsky (2009), Ayurveda
incorporates individualized remedies that include but not limited to
meditation, dieting, and preparation of herbal techniques to treat various
ailments. Some of the illnesses include depression and chronic disorders that
are associated with hastening the aging process. The methods not only help in
releasing stress but also enable lifestyle changes that will allow one to stay
a stress-free life hence improving the quality of life. It includes yoga
techniques and transcendental meditation. The article further highlights that
studies on sleep disorders, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, anxiety, and
depression treatment have found Ayurveda to yield positive results. There is
however little information on the outcome of the older adult’s treatment.
Lavretsky (2009) identifies that
cognitive aging and late-life mood disorder are the primary reasons for
individuals to seek complementary and alternative treatments and therapies. The
article further observes that there is little literature on the efficacy of
complementary and alternative treatment methods on cognitive impairment and
depression is very limited hence need for more study in the area. The study
further proposes that its observations on these therapies would lead to the
development of treatments that are effective in treating the severe conditions
that come with old age.
Lavretsky (2009) observes that there
are many publications discussing properties of various Ayurvedic herbal
preparations on test subjects used in these kinds of studies. The test subjects
are mice and rats. Some of the features are memory-enhancing, neuroprotective
and antioxidants. The Ayurvedic system contains a component by the name
Rasayana. It is the part that provides an approach to treat and prevent
diseases that cause degeneration of the body. Plants used for this purpose are
classified as rejuvenators. One of the plants used in the Ayurvedic herbal
technique is Ocimum sanctum which has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and
cognition-enhancing properties. There were more studies analyzed in various
experiments done on rats investigating the Ayurveda treatment approach. All the
research supports the hypothesis that Ayurveda is useful in cognitive
impairment and mood disorders hence effective in improving the quality of life.
The second article was written and
published by Zappaterra CW, Zappaterra MW in 2014. It focuses on reviewing
complementary and alternative medicine therapies that increase the quality of
life for the aged. The article also focuses on Complementary and alternative
medicine (CAM) therapies that help improve sleep and eliminate pain for the
seniors which ultimately impacts on the quality of life. The research looked at
yoga, acupressure, acupuncture, hypnosis, meditation and many more therapies
and found that they have promising outcomes on the quality of life. The summary
focuses on acupuncture as discussed in the article.
According to Zappaterra et al., (2014)
there are very few studies done on how acupuncture affects sleep patterns for
the seniors. The article, however, presents one evidence from previous research
on the positive effect of acupuncture on insomnia. According to the study that
was done on 22 individuals with dementia and of the age group between 55 and
90, acupuncture treatment was seen to lead the subjects to increased rest and
sleep time. An increase in sleeping time allows rest for the old adults which
ultimately leads to improved quality of life. The article, however, suggests
that further studies should be done on the area.
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