Integrative Therapies Promote Health And Well-being

By Jan Howard

“Healing Pathways,” a program of integrative therapies, was presented recently during a Women’s Health Awareness Fair sponsored by Lockwood Lodge at Ashlar of Newtown and Connecticut VNA.

Integrative therapies are the use of conventional and complementary therapies in combination to support a person in the physical, emotional, spiritual, and psychosocial domains of life.

The VNA staff includes registered nurses and nonnurses who are massage therapists; Reiki, therapeutic touch, and integrated energy therapy practitioners; acupressure therapists; hypnotherapists; and aromatherapists.

Shirley Gamble-Cordes, RN, and Judy D’Addona, RN, of the Connecticut VNA office in West Hartford presented the program and provided demonstrations of some of the therapies during the event.

Therapies available through the integrative therapies program include acupressure, integrated energy therapy, massage, reflexology, Reiki, therapeutic touch, and aromatherapy.

Ms D’Addona explained that Reike, an ancient Japanese technique, is a form of energy work.

“It is a type of hands-on therapy, in which the person giving the treatment serves as a conductor and the person obtaining the treatment pulls the energy needed,” she said. There are seven major energy centers, and the energy field varies.

“It is a very ancient technique, and was rediscovered in the early 1920s,” Ms D’Addona said. She noted that Reike could correct emotional problems as well as physical.

“With Reike, you pull the energy you need,” she said. Traditionally, it involves a series of light hand placements on the body. It is not massage.

This is done while fully clothed, on a massage table, or sitting in a chair or wheelchair, Ms Gamble-Cordes said. “The intent is for energy to go where it is needed in the body.”

It is possible for an individual to learn the technique and to perform daily self-healing.

“There are specific places to put the hands on the body,” she explained.

Expected results can include increased relaxation, stress reduction, lessening of anxiety, reduction of pain, and a sense of general well being.

“Therapeutic touch is also a form of energy work. It helps to rebalance energy levels,” Ms D’Addona said.

Traditionally, it is a “hands off” therapy as the practitioner works in the energy field two to four inches from the surface of the body, rebalancing the field to promote a sense of well being. It is done while fully clothed.

Through the process, the therapist is assessing, “unruffling,” and reassessing energy, Ms D’Addona said. It promotes healing faster and boosts the immune system, she added.

Therapeutic touch also increases relaxation and reduces stress/anxiety.

During the treatment, the therapist is very focused, but is also benefiting from the treatment. “When you give a treatment, you get a treatment,” Ms D’Addona said.

 “Energy work is terrific with acute disorders,” Ms Gamble-Cordes said.

Integrated energy therapy is similar to Reiki in some ways. It is a “hands on” form of energy work. It works on a cellular level, clears blocks, and infuses energy into energy points. Results can include feeling relaxed, rejuvenated, reduction of stress/anxiety, reduction of pain, and a sense of calm and well being.

Aromatherapy uses naturally extracted aromatic essences from plants to balance, harmonize, and promote the health of body, mind, and spirit. As a holistic medicine, it is used both as a preventative approach as well as an active treatment during chronic and acute stages of illness or disease.

According to the VNA, integrative therapies promote relaxation; decrease stress, anxiety and tension; provide pain relief; support the immune system; accelerate wound/fracture healing; integrate the balance of body-mind-spirit; aid in the preparation for and follow up after medical/surgical treatments and procedures; enhance spiritual well being; and promote personal enrichment and personal satisfaction in the workplace.

The therapies are available through clinics, individual treatments, classes, and workshops in corporate, skilled nursing, assisted living, and community settings. VNA also offers certificate programs in Reiki, therapeutic touch, integrated energy therapy, and aromatherapy.

Pain management consultations are also offered by skilled registered nurses, which include the use of integrative therapies. VNA also offers specialized retreats, employee appreciation/wellness days, corporate consultation, and a variety of holistic classes.

Sessions are uniquely tailored to meet individual needs. Gift certificates are available.

For additional information about classes on integrative therapies or treatments, contact the VNA at 860-952-1582 or 860-952-1578, or find out about them on the Internet at www.Connecticutvna.org by clicking on “Integrative Therapies.”