Relaxation in Cancer
Cancer is encroaching upon heart disease's status as the number one killer of Americans. Nearly one million people are diagnosed each year with some type of cancer (Heimlich, 1990) and will undergo chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or a combination as an adjunct to surgery. Many of these patients report experiencing debilitating side effects to these treatments. Not only can the physical effects from the illness and the treatment be quite intense, the emotional and psychological impact of fighting cancer can be equally as stressful. Penfold (1996) states that many patients, families, and/or caregivers may experience a degree of difficulty in accepting the diagnosis of cancer. As a result, unrealistic expectations about the patient's functional abilities develop. This situation creates the need for an occupational therapist to address problems relating to their social roles, level of activity, and coping skills. Approximately one million people report pain, both post operative and secondary to their medical condition (McCormack, 1988). Along with nausea and vomiting, pain and fatigue impact patients' quality of life and ability to cope with their illness. Alleviation of the severity
It is further assumed that occupational therapists can help improve quality of life by using noninvasive modalities to trigger natural physiological mechanisms that can reduce the patient's pain perception (McCormack, 1988). Kulich and Warfield (1985) and Sims (1987) state the theoretical bases of relaxation and imagery are that deep muscle relaxation and anxiety produce diametrically opposed physiological states and cannot coexist. Some techniques for achieving relaxation include progressive tension and release of muscle groups, deep breathing, guided imagery, and auditory distraction (Bayuk, 1985). Romsaas, E.P., & Rosa, S.A. (1985). Occupational therapy intervention for cancer patients with metastatic disease. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 39, 79-83. In exploring the role of occupational therapy in oncology, we have chosen the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) as our frame of reference. According to Kielhofner and Barrett, the MOHO is composed of two central points. In the first point, the model proposes that human behavior is constantly changing, depending on the environment. It is the conditions in the persons' environment that can influence such things as how that person performs, what they do, and their level of motivation. The second point of the MOHO states that the organization of human behavior is largely due to occupation. Building on these two key points, the ideas of MOHO emphasize the importance of the persons' environment and occupations in shaping abilities, self-concepts, and identities (1998). activities, family relationships, work needs, social activities, and self-care
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Approximate Word count = 3871
Approximate Pages = 15 (250 words per page double spaced)
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