Recently, a colleague asked my assessment of a deep breathing intervention that she had used faithfully for 2 years. She described seeing a "breath therapist" every 2 weeks for a 1-hour session at a substantial cost. As the long-standing editor of a holistic nursing journal, I am often asked about the efficacy of particular holistic modalities and interventions. I was familiar with the modality and remarked on the paucity of research conducted on the outcomes either pro or con. Before I could offer a positive comment on her self-care persistence, she angrily retorted,
How about your difficulty weaning from that proton pump inhibitor that you took for so many years? Even after all the research and clinical trials before its approval, the unpredicted, long-term side effects far outweighed any benefit. So much for research, I will stick with my breath therapist!
My colleague was quick to defend her choice. She starkly contrasted her positive experience with a noninvasive, holistic modality rooted in an ancient cultural system with my negative experience using a medication subjected to all of the processes of Western science. As I fumbled for a proper response, one of my favorite publications came to mind, Worst Pills, Best Pills News,1 a monthly newsletter edited by Michael Carome, MD. Each month I read of the dangers, negative side effects, and failed efficacy of approved drugs, on which extensive trials and research have been conducted. I also learned about the enormous benefits of many medications that have stood the test of time. Even with trials and research, negative effects often turn up with long-term use.
I learned an important lesson from my colleague-to listen first, to reflect on the rationale for seeking such interventions, and not to be too quick to offer information that might be construed as judgmental. In 2012, the National Center for Health Statistics reported that Americans spend, out of pocket, more than $30 billion annually on complementary/alternative therapies (CATs) such as nutritional supplements, yoga, massage, and energy therapies.2 Furthermore, a study conducted by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health in partnership with the American Association of Retired Persons found that more than half of patients older than 50 years do not discuss their use of CATs, many untested in the scientific sense, with their regular physicians/providers.3 This finding is a startling reminder of the power and importance of self-efficacy and independent choice in self-care efforts. In the future, I will think twice before offering my "scholarly opinion."
-Gloria F. Donnelly, PhD, RN, FAAN, FCPP
Editor-in-Chief
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