Ellen's Choice:
|
PART TWOA year later Ellen had found that she was really enjoying her yoga class. In class she felt strong and was able to do most of the poses. With an adjustment here or there, some of the poses even felt good. She was beginning to feel parts of her body move in places she has never moved before. After class, she felt straighter, stronger, lighter. At first the relaxation at the end of class felt awkward and uncomfortable, but sometimes she found herself quiet, still, a little more at peace with herself. Lately she had been thinking about doing yoga more than once a week. Maybe she should also consider doing some of the things the other people in the class chatted about. They seemed to really be excited by a certain chiropractor. But her surgeon had told her never to see a chiropractor. He felt they could be of no help. Massage sounded nice, but could it really help her scoliosis? She had heard them talking about acupuncture, t'ai chi, and qi gong. One of the women in the class was a shiatsu practitioner and someone else did Reiki. And lately her teacher had been talking about other kinds of therapeutic movement, like Feldenkrais and Pilates. Ellen wasn't really sure what they were talking about, but it sounded kind of interesting. She couldn't imagine that anything could really be of much help, but she was sick of her doctor and husband pushing her to go through a second surgery. The first had been so horrible! Maybe she should check out some of these alternative/complementary therapies. If she knew more about how they could help her, she could be the one to make her own decision. If only she knew where to start. AssignmentHere is your chance to help Ellen make some decisions about her health. With the information you gather here, you will give her a chance to determine if alternative/complementary medicine is for her. You will be placed into one of several groups. Each group will be assigned a specific "alternative/complementary modality" to explore. You will need to find out as much as you can about the modality and determine how valuable it might be in helping Ellen with her physical and psychological struggles. You will need to use a variety of resources, including library searches, Internet sources, the Yellow Pages, and an interview with at least one practitioner in your area. All resources should be listed and presented with your group consensus. When we reconvene, each group will educate the rest of the class about the modality they explored. Your group must come to a conclusion about the strengths and weaknesses of the modality you explored, and to what extent it might be helpful to Ellen. Once all groups have presented their conclusion, we will discuss Ellen's choices and come to a consensus as to the best options for her. Some Things to Think About:
Scoliosis Resources:• Keim, H.A., and R.N. Hensinger. 1989. Spinal deformities: scoliosis and kyphosis. Clinical Symposia 41(4) • Web search term - scoliosis Some Web Sites for Alt/Comp Medicine:
|