The Wisdom of Thai Indigenous Healers for the Spiritual Healing of Fractures.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to explore the wisdom of Thai indigenous healers (IHs) for physical and spiritual healing and their treatment process for fractures. METHOD: Twelve IHs from four regions of Thailand were selected using cluster and purposive sampling. They were interviewed on their methods for treating fractures. The Colaizzi method was used for analysis, and we returned to the IHs for validity confirmation. FINDINGS: The wisdom of IHs is believed to be inherited from ancestors and from a "sixth sense," their former teacher's spirit. There are no textbooks, only one-on-one training. The annual Wai Khru ceremony, where IHs pay respect to their teachers, is believed to also impart a blessing of greater wisdom to the student healer. Their physical treatment of fractures is like that by an orthopedic physician, but their methods and materials are different because physical treatment is combined with spiritual care. CONCLUSION: Certain aspects of IH practice may have application for professional nursing. It is suggested that incorporating traditional spiritual care into nursing may improve patients' quality of life, both physically and spiritually.

Pain Treatment Practices of Community-Dwelling Black Older Adults.

Black older adults often experience disparities in pain treatment that results in unmet pain needs. The aims of this study were to assess the pain management experiences of a group of community dwelling Black older adults and identify gaps in clinical practice. A qualitative, descriptive design was employed using the methodology of ethnography. The setting was an urban, low-income, community elderly housing high-rise facility. Participants included facility residents (n = 106); of these, 20 completed structured qualitative interviews. The Brief Pain Inventory and qualitative interviews were used to determine pain prevalence, treatment practices, and barriers. Eighty-six percent of the participants had severe pain with a mean worst pain rating of 7 on a 0 to 10 scale. Pain interfered moderately with general activity (5.59), walking (5.73) and normal work (5.70), also measured on 0 to 10 scales. Participants preferred non-opioid analgesics, topical over-the-counter treatments, and nonpharmacological interventions such as prayer/meditation, and exercise for treatment. Medications most commonly used by participants for pain management included, hydrocodone with acetaminophen (28.6%), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (13.2%), acetaminophen with codeine (12%), and tramadol (9.9). Qualitative interviews revealed that pain management barriers were centered around communication concerns about side effects, fears of addiction, and provider mistrust. A communication gap exists between patients and providers. Discussing patient treatment preferences, providing balanced treatment information, and following-up with patients on treatment plan effectiveness by phone can improve how pain is managed for Black older adults.

Prayer in Clinical Practice: what does evidence support?

A Korean-born U.S. nurse educator shares a perspective on prayer in clinical settings in South Korea and asks what appropriate, ethical prayer practice should be in the United States. A review of research on prayer for health and in nursing practice is offered, concluding with evidence-based suggestions for prayer with and for patients in clinical settings.

Spiritual care: evangelism at the bedside.

News media stories about Christian nurses sharing religious beliefs with patients raise questions about ethical spiritual care and the appropriateness of sharing one's faith at the bedside. The purpose of this article is to explore the ethics of faith sharing in the context of Christian nursing and offer guidance for ethical spiritual care.

Divine intervention? A Cochrane review on intercessory prayer gone beyond science and reason.

We discuss in this commentary a recent Cochrane review of 10 randomised trials aimed at testing the religious belief that praying to a god can help those who are prayed for. The review concluded that the available studies merit additional research. However, the review presented a scientifically unsound mixture of theological and scientific arguments, and two of the included trials that had a large impact on the findings had problems that were not described in the review. The review fails to live up to the high standards required for Cochrane reviews.

Training community practitioners in a research intervention: practice examples at the intersection of cancer, Western science, and native Hawaiian healing.

This practice paper describes the preintervention training component of a feasibility study exploring the use of ho'oponopono, an indigenous Hawaiian healing practice, for enhancing psychosocial adaptation to breast cancer among Native Hawaiian women. Practitioners' adherence to research protocols and competence in intervention delivery are both regarded as essential to obtaining valid results in tests of intervention feasibility and efficacy; thus, training in this study dually focused on fortification of adherence and enhancing competence among those recruited to deliver the ho'oponopono intervention. A manual-based training, using adult pedagogical strategies infused with Native Hawaiian cultural practices, was delivered to community practitioners. Effects of the training on practitioners' knowledge and skills were evaluated through multiple methods. Knowledge significantly increased between pre- and post-intervention assessment. However, knowledge application for some practitioners was hindered by skill deficits, stylistic differences, and cultural conflict. Ongoing attention to competence and adherence is indicated. In-service training may bolster competence; however, practitioners may have difficulty in adhering to protocols for different reasons, and individualized clinical supervision and cultural consultation may be helpful in some situations.

[Distant healing and diabetes mellitus. A pilot study]. / Fernheilung und Diabetes mellitus: Eine Pilotstudie.

BACKGROUND: The Institut für Grenzgebiete der Psychologie und Psychohygiene, Freiburg (IGPP) in cooperation with the Abteilung Naturheilkunde, University Hospital, Zürich investigated whether Distant Healing has a beneficial effect on patients with diabetes mellitus regarding the state of the disease and quality of life. OBJECTIVE: The goal of the pilot study was to observe the progression of the disease with various medical and psychological measures and to explore which of them might be sensitive for measuring possible treatment effects. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 14 diabetic patients were observed for a period of 16 weeks. Within this time they underwent a treatment of 4 consecutive weeks (weeks 9-12) by 5 experienced and trustworthy healers each. Patients were informed about the duration of the treatment but not about the time point of its beginning. Patients and healers never met and there was no contact between researchers and patients during the study period. RESULTS: With regard to medical parameters, reduction in fructosamine level was observed during the healing period, increasing fructosamine level after the end of the healing period. Sensitivity, measured only at the beginning and at the end of the study period, decreased significantly. The other parameters showed some significant changes but there was no correlation to the Distant Healing intervention. Regarding the psychological data, only improvements were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate the possibility that a Distant Healing intervention could have certain effects on patients with diabetes mellitus.

Salud y salvación. El acto médico y la fiesta cristiana / Health and salvation. Medical act and the Christian feast

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