Page 114 - Encyclopedia of Nursing Research

CoMPLEMEnTARY AnD ALTERnATIvE PRACTICES AnD PRoDUCTS n 81

create a Web site in a “town hall” platform. mandates. nCCAM now has developed five
Its goal is to create an across-the-lifespan primary research training centers to support
“informed consumer” by providing the national and international research projects, C
best evidence possible and the most reliable all of which are focused on elucidating mech-
resources available that are relevant to the anisms of action of CAPPs as defined within
health of the U.S. population. Providing such each of the major modality categories (nIH/
a platform provides the U.S. populace with nCCAM, 2010b). For example, recent stud-
opportunities and access to primary, second- ies include, but are not limited to, exploring
ary, and tertiary health prevention and main- the mechanisms and effects of metabolic and
tenance measures (nIH/national Library of immunologic effects of meditation, effects
Medicine, 2010). of various CAPPs research on autoimmune
The term complementary medicine/ and inflammatory diseases, and chiroprac-
therapies was introduced during the decade tic manipulation (nIH/nCCAM, 2010b).
of the 1970s in the United Kingdom and refers State-of-the-science information on selected
to those practices and products that link CAPPs and searches of federal databases
the most appropriate therapies to meet the of scientific and medical literature may be
individual’s physical, mental, emotional, and found on nCCAM’s Clearinghouse Web site
spiritual needs. In some cultures, the term (http://nccam.nih.gov/).
“alternative” refers to those practices and Selected CAPPs have been studied suf-
products that are provided in place of con- ficiently to provide conclusive evidence of
ventional or allopathic health care, many of effectiveness. For example, there are data to
which are outside the realm of accepted health support a number of behavioral and relaxa-
care theory and practices in the United States. tion practices used to treat pain and insom-
Today CAPPs re grouped into the broad cat- nia. However, data currently available are
egories of natural products, mind–body prac- insufficient to be definitive that one practice
tices, manipulation and body-based practices, or procedure is more effective than another
and other CAM practices, which include for a given condition. Yet, because of psycho-
movement therapies (e.g., Trager psychophys- social differences among persons, cultural
ical integration, Feldenkrais method), energy diversity, and variations in personality char-
therapies (e.g., therapeutic touch, qi gong, acteristics among individuals, one procedure
electromagnetic energy fields as in magnet or product may be more suited than another
therapy), traditional healers as found in the for a given person (Cuellar, Aycock, Cahill, &
native American medicine man, and whole Ford, 2003; Mackenzie, Taylor, Bloom,
medical systems such as traditional Chinese Hufford, & Johnson, 2003; nIH Technology
medicine (nIH/nCCAM, 2010d). Assessment Panel, 1996; owens, Taylor, &
To promote research in CAPPs, the office DeGood, 1999).
of Alternative Medicine initially established A challenge for health care profession-
10 research centers across the country, one of als today is to become and remain informed
which was directed by a nurse. The Center for regarding indications and contraindications
the Study of Complementary and Alternative for use of the myriad of procedures and
Therapies at the University of virginia was products that patients are using, including
thus established in 1993 as one of the original the potential interactions of natural products
nIH-funded centers to stimulate research in with pharmaceuticals, foods, and lifestyles.
this emerging field. The movement to offer content about CAPPs
Building upon this successful initia- within the curricula of schools of nursing,
tive, nCCAM has continued to increase the medicine, and pharmacy continues to be evi-
number of research centers, aligning the dent (Stratton, Benn, Lie, Zeller, & nedrow,
focus of these with its mission and legislative 2007). Among faculty responsible for the