NSG-300 Topic 8 CAMs Questions and
Correct Answers
Allopathic or biomedicine ✅conventional western medicine. Effective in treating
numerous physical ailments but less effective in decreasing stress-induced illnesses,
managing symptoms of chronic disease, caring for the emotional and spiritual needs of
individuals, and improving quality of life and general well-being.
Complementary therapy ✅Method of treatment used in conjunction with biomedical
therapies
Alternative therapies ✅method of treatment used in place of biomedical therapies
Holistic Nursing Care ✅A modern nursing practice that expresses the philosophy of
total patient care that considers the physical, emotional, social, economic, and spiritual
needs of the patient. Also called comprehensive care
Relaxation therapy ✅natural processes such as breathing, thinking and concentration,
presence, movement to help people feel better and cope with both acute and chronic
conditions
What is the stress response? (short-term effects) ✅increased heart and respiratory
rates; tightened muscles; increased metabolic rate; and a general sense of foreboding,
fear, nervousness, irritability, and negative mood. Elevated blood pressure; dilated
pupils; stronger cardiac contractions; and increased levels of blood glucose, serum
cholesterol, circulating free fatty acids, and triglycerides
Long-term effects of stress ✅structural damage and chronic illness such as angina,
tension headaches, cardiac arrhythmias, pain, ulcers, and atrophy of the immune
system organs.
Relaxation response (short-term effects) ✅response reduces generalized cognitive,
physiological, and/or behavioral arousal. The process of relaxation elongates the
muscle fibers, reduces the neural impulses sent to the brain, and thus decreases the
activity of the brain and other body systems. Decreased heart and respiratory rates,
blood pressure, and oxygen consumption and increased alpha brain activity and
peripheral skin temperature characterize the relaxation response
What is the goal of progressive relaxation therapy? Methods ✅reduce tension; person
learns to detect subtle localized muscle tension, one muscle group at a time. One active
progressive relaxation technique involves the use of slow, deep abdominal breathing
while tightening and relaxing an ordered succession of muscle groups, focusing on the
associated bodily sensations while letting go of extraneous thoughts.
, Goal of passive relaxation and methods ✅still the mind and body intentionally without
the need to tighten and relax any particular body part. One effective passive relaxation
technique incorporates slow abdominal breathing exercises while imagining warmth and
relaxation flowing through specific body parts such as the lungs or hands. Passive
relaxation is useful for persons for whom the effort and energy expenditure of active
muscle contracting leads to discomfort or exhaustion.
Meditation ✅limits stimulus input by directing attention to a single unchanging or
repetitive stimulus so that the person is able to become more aware of self. It is a
general term for a wide range of practices that involve relaxing the body and stilling the
mind
What do you need to meditation? ✅(1) a quiet space, (2) a comfortable position, (3) a
receptive attitude, and (4) a focus of attention
Imagery/visualization ✅mind-body therapy that uses the conscious mind to create
mental images to stimulate physical changes in the body, improve perceived well-being,
and/or enhance self-awareness.
How can imagery help? ✅evokes psychophysiological responses such as alterations
in gastric secretions, body chemistry, internal and superficial blood flow, wound healing,
and heart rate/heart rate variability. Creative visualization is one form of self-directed
imagery that is based on the principle of mind-body connectivity where every mental
image leads to physical or emotional changes
What other conditions can imagery help with? ✅helps to control or relieve pain,
reduces symptoms associated with stress, and improves sleep. It also aids in the relief
and management of symptoms associated with chronic conditions such as asthma,
cancer, sickle cell anemia, migraines, autoimmune disorders, atrial fibrillation, functional
urinary disorders, menstrual and premenstrual syndromes, gastrointestinal disorders
such as irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Biofeedback ✅mind-body technique that uses instruments to teach self-regulation and
voluntary self-control over specific physiologic responses.
How does biofeedback work? ✅Electronic or electromechanical instruments measure,
process, and provide information to clients about their muscle tension, cardiac activity,
respiratory rates, brain-wave patterns, and autonomic nervous system activity. This
information, or feedback, is given in physical, physiological, auditory, and/or visual
feedback signals that increase a person's awareness of internal processes that are
linked to illness and distress
