Holistic Wellness for Women

Encourage, Inspire, Empower!

Holistic Wellness for Women

A Brief Introduction to Complementary and Alternative Therapies

Shannon Felmey, RN (Women’s Health Concentration; Labor and

Delivery, Postpartum, Pregnancy and Lactation Focus)

Instructor and Class Information

Instructor Name and Credentials: Shannon Felmey, RN

(Women’s Health Concentration; Labor and Delivery, Postpartum, Pregnancy and Lactation Focus)

Email Address: sfelmey517@gmail.com

Intended Audience:

General Public Interested in Women’s Health and Wellness

Class Dates and Times: March 14, 21, 28, 2015 10am-11:30am

Location: TBA

Course Prerequisites: NONE

Week 1: March 14, 2015

*Intro-Instructor, CAM overview

*Is CAM right for me?

*Common CAM practices

*Ethics of CAM

*CAM during pregnancy/lactation/postpartum

What is Complementary and Alternative Medicine?

*Complementary = In addition to conventional medicine

*Alternative = In place of conventional medicine

*Holistic perspective = incorporating mind, body, spirit

(Mayo Clinic Staff 2014)Photo courtesy of acupuncturecamtherapyinstitute.com

CAM Overview

Common CAM Practices:

*Mind-Body Therapies

*Manipulative and Body-Based Practices

*Natural Products(Mayo Clinic Staff 2014)

Photo courtesy of mychildwithoutlimits.org

(Graphic courtesy of https://nccih.nih.gov/health/whatiscam)

Is CAM Right For Me?

*Personal decision

*Evidence-based practices

*Use of conventional medicine

*Ethics of CAM

*Always check with physician!

?

Ethical Considerations of CAM

*Are these therapies safe?

*Do these therapies work for the intended purpose?

*Are medical providers aware of patient’s use?

*Does the potential benefit exceed the potential harm?

(Cady 2009)

CAM During Pregnancy, Lactation, & Postpartum*Correcting malpresentation

*Inducing labor

*Managing pregnancy and labor pain

*Pregnancy-induced nausea(Cady 2009)

*Increasing supply of breastmilk(Marasco 2007)

Photo courtesy of National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

Ginger

Photo courtesy of living-organic.org

Week 2: March 21, 2015

*Brief Recall of Last Week’s Session/Q&A

*Overview of Stress

*Common Stress-Related Problems

*Stress Management Techniques

*Practicing Yoga in Only a Few Minutes Every Day

*How to Engage in Deep Breathing for Relaxation

*Benefits of Stress Management

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STRESS

Overview of Stress

*What is stress?

*Do you feel stressed?

*What causes stress?

*How do you manage stress?

*Do you know what works for you in terms of managing stress?

*Why is managing stress important in terms of overall health and wellness?

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Common Stress-Related Problems

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Stress Management

Techniques*Meditation

*Mindfulness, Mantra, Qi Gong, Tai chi, Transcendental (Mayo Clinic Staff 2014)

*Physical Exercise

*Yoga

*Deep Breathing Exercises

*Massage

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Practicing Yoga in Only a Few Minutes Every Day

*Breathe Deeply

*Focus Attention

*Repeat a Mantra if Desired

*Meditate While Walking

*Engage in Prayer

*Read and Reflect

*Focus Love and Gratitude(Mayo Clinic 2014)

Photo courtesy of Microsoft ClipArt

How to Engage in Deep Breathing for

Relaxation*Sit comfortably with your back straight.

*Breathe deeply from the abdomen, and fill the lungs with as much fresh air as possible.

*Breathe in through your nose.

*Exhale through your mouth, pushing out as much air as you can while contracting your abdominal muscles.

*Continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to inhale enough so that your lower abdomen rises and falls. Count slowly as you exhale.

(Help Guide n.d.)

Benefits of Stress Management

*Lower heart rate

*Lower blood pressure

*Lower breathing rate

*Reducing stress hormones

*Increasing blood flow to major muscles

*Reducing muscle tension and chronic pain

*Improving concentration and mood

*Lowering fatigue

*Reducing anger and frustration

*Boosting confidence to handle problems(Mayo Clinic Staff 2014)

Week 3: March 28, 2015

*Integrating diet/exercise/using supplements

*Common Dietary Supplements Among Women

*Importance of mind/body/spirit

*CAM practitioners in this immediate area/additional CAM resources for more information

*Q&A

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Diet, Exercise, & Supplements

*Healthy Diet and Regular Exercise

* If Using Dietary Supplements, Be Informed

*Always Check With Physician Before Beginning Any Diet,

Exercise, or Supplement

*50%-75% of American adults

*Use tends to be more prevalent among women than among

men

*Usually used to enhance health and wellness

(Dickinson & MacKay 2014)

Common Dietary Supplements Among

Women*Ginger

* St John’s Wort

*Green Tea

* Fenugreek

*Common Dietary Supplements among women

include Calcium and Vitamin D (Dickinson & MacKay 2014)

Photo courtesy of www.greenteapedia.org

Green Tea

Mind + Body + Spirit = Holistic Wellness &

Balance

Photo courtesy of depositphotos.com

Local CAM Practitioners

*Integral Yoga Center

*Multiple Chiropractors

*Massage Therapists/Spas

*Acupuncture

Additional Resources for More Information

*National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health https://nccih.nih.gov/

*Mayo Clinic www.mayoclinic.org

*Women’s Health www.womenshealth.gov

*National Institutes of Health Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/list-all/

References*Cady, R. (2009). Legal Issues Related to Complementary

and Alternative Medicine. JONA’S Healthcare Law, Ethics, and Regulation, 11(2). Retrieved March 9, 2015, from http://www.nursingcenter.com/lnc/pdf?AID=870753&an=00152258-201301000-00010&Journal_ID=&Issue_ID

*Dickinson, A., & MacKay, D. (2014). Health habits and other characteristics of dietary supplement users: A

review. Nutrition Journal, 13(14). Retrieved March 3, 2015, from http://www.nutritionj.com/content/13/1/14

*Help Guide. (n.d.). Relaxation techniques for stress management. Retrieved March 9, 2015 from http://

www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/relaxation-techniques-for-stress-relief.htm

References

*Marasco, L. (2007). Increasing your milk supply with galactogogues. Journal of Human Lactation

(24)2008: 455-56.

*Mayo Clinic Staff. (2014, January 24). Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Retrieved March 9, 2015 from http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/complementary-alternative-medicine/basics/definition/prc-20021745

*Mayo Clinic Staff. (2014, July 19). Meditation. Retrieved March 9, 2015 from http://

www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858?pg=1

*National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (2014, July). Complementary, Integrative, or Alternative Health: What’s in a name? Retrieved March 9, 2015 from https://nccih.nih.gov/health/whatiscam

References

*National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (2006 May). Ginger. Retrieved March 3, 2015 from https://nccih.nih.gov/health/ginger

*National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (n.d.). Stress. Retrieved March 9, 2015 from https://nccih.nih.gov/health/stress

*Straub, J. (n.d.). Herbal alternative medicine: The benefits of being informed. Retrieved February 28, 2015 from http://www.healthandwellness.kaplan.edu/articles/cam/Herbal%20Alternative%20Medicine.html