Originally published July 15 2005
"Soft therapies" like massages make their way into hospitals
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Some hospitals offer "soft therapies," like massages and organic facials, to their medical patients in an effort to help them relax.
"Reading that (Hein) was a licensed nurse as well as a licensed aesthetician, I felt very comfortable going there," says Lytle, 53.
Such therapies have been popular for more than three years at the women's center at Scottsdale Healthcare Shea hospital, and at Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn those same therapies, as well as facials and therapeutic baths, are offered in the birthing suites.
"What we do complements what hospitals do," says Lindsay Kemp, manager of Scottsdale Healthcare's spas.
At the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center, soft therapies help patients deal with depression.
Sherry Zum- brunnen, supervisor of the center's complementary therapies program, says 80 percent of cancer patients are depressed when they receive their diagnosis, and these therapies "absolutely" help.
Banner Desert is the first Mesa hospital to offer the therapies; the Oasis Spa is not in the hospital itself, but in six former hospice rooms near the main facility.
"I believe these therapies belong in a hospital setting because of the importance of touch," says Hein.
At one time, nurses could give more handson care --- in fact, a daily sponge bath was an important assessment tool.
But because of patient load, today's nurses are more administrators of medication, Hein says, and soft therapies allow for a return to "hands-on" care.
"I think as we get more evidence on the efficacy of these therapies, we will see more and more of them in hospital settings," says Randy Horwitz, director of the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.
"Anything that has a low risk and can improve outcomes is a boon for patients."
But right now, such treatments are not covered by most insurance plans.
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