Further resources for alternative pain treatment
Alternative pain treatments are becoming more popular nationwide, and a number of new and old organizations offer seminars, books, and other information about these treatments.
Here are a few organizations with resources on pain treatment and alternative medicine:
• American Holistic Nurses Association, P.O. Box 2130, Flagstaff, AZ 86003. Telephone: (800) 278-AHNA. The association gives nurses a philosophical base that promotes treating the whole person and recognizing that disease is not an isolated event, but a part of how a person responds to life. The association provides a framework that introduces nurses to complementary therapies, including the modalities of healing touch, massage techniques, aromatherapy, and other pain treatments. The 17-year-old organization holds numerous regional workshops and an annual conference in June. Call the association for information about workshops in your area.
• American Society of Pain Management Nurses, 7794 Grow Drive, Pensacola, FL 32514. Telephone: (888) 342-7766. The society holds various workshops and seminars on pain management. More information about dates and places may be obtained from the society. The society will hold its national conference on April 25-28 in Orlando, FL, at the Caribe Royale Resort Suites, 14300 International Drive, Orlando, FL. Call the society for information on the conference; for hotel reservations, call (800) 823-8300.
• Nurse Healers Professional Associates Inc., 1211 Locust St., Philadelphia, PA 19107. Telephone: (215) 545-8079. Fax: (215) 545-8107. E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]. Nurse Healers, with 1,400 members, is an organization that was founded in 1977 by Dolores Krieger, PHD, RN. Krieger was the co-founder of the technique called therapeutic touch, which is a contemporary interpretation of several ancient healing practices. The organization has information and referral resources about therapeutic touch.
• Office of Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health, P.O. Box 8218, Silver Spring, MD 20907. Telephone: (888) 644-6226, or (301) 402-2466. Fax: (301) 402-4741. Web site: http://altmed.od.nih.gov. The OAM has nine specialty research centers that are conducting ongoing scientific research on complementary and alternative medicine on the topics of HIV/AIDS, cancer, addictions, asthma, immunologic disorders, women’s health, general medical conditions, stroke, neurological conditions, and pain. Information can be obtained from the OAM Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 8218, Silver Spring, MD 20907-8218. Telephone: (888) 644-6226. Fax: (301) 495-4957.
• Touch for Health Kinesiology Association, 11262 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90230-4616. Telephone: (800) 466-8342 or (310) 313-5580. Fax: (310) 313-9319. E-mail: [email protected]. Touch for Health is a registered trademarked system of muscle testing and balancing that uses principles of Chinese medicine, massage, energy work, and postural alignment to relieve stress and pain, as well as enhance strength. The Touch for Health organization offers continuing education courses, approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing and by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. The courses cost an average of $200 and include instruction on maximum athletic performance system, stress release made easy, Tibetan energy, top 10 techniques for relieving pain and stress, and advanced workshops on professional kinesiology practice and applied physiology training. The organization also sells a variety of books on Touch for Health, alternative medicine, business, and other topics.
• Wisconsin Cancer Pain Initiative and the project on Institutionalizing Effective Pain Management Practices in Home Health, 1300 University Ave., Room 4720 MSC, Madison, WI 53715. Telephone: (608) 262-0978. Fax: (608) 265-4014. Web site: www.wisc.edu/wcpi. WCPI has been conducting research into pain management for 10 years. The initiative is a grassroots organization that has promoted education about pain for health care professionals. The new home care effort will involve a pilot project to support improved pain management practices in the home care industry. WCPI produces a newsletter and has information about pain management on its Web site.
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