Researching Holistic Medicine (Pet Therapy) as a Treatment Alternative Jessica Jackson East Tennessee State University

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Researching Holistic Medicine (Pet Therapy) as
a Treatment AlternativeJessica JacksonEast
Tennessee State University
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INTRODUCTION

• Baileys workbook states that there are many
  reasons for conducting research, one of the
  reasons being to merely search in an organized
  manner for relationships between characteristics
  or entities (Bailey, xxi). That is the primary
  reason the topic of pet therapy appealed to me. I
  wanted to further investigate the potential link
  between animals and humans, especially when the
  relationship pertained to the healing process.
• When I began working in a hospital, I became
  amazed at how much traditional medicinal means
  were used, or overused, to treat patients. It was
  obvious to me that not every patient would
  respond to such treatment and that an alternative
  must exist for patients who needed other methods
  of stimulation to facilitate their recovery from
  an illness or injury. Upon my first visit to the
  floor in the pediatric unit of the Johnson City
  Medical Center, I passed by a number of rooms
  labeled Pet Therapy. This intrigued my
  curiosities so I questioned a nurse in the unit
  regarding her knowledge of the rooms. She them
  proceeded to inform me of the hospitals policy
  allowing various animals or pets to visit the
  patients. The animals can visit the entire unit
  or if a specific patient is in need of emotional
  stimulation, the patient can play with the animal
  in one of the individual pet therapy rooms.

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INTRODUCTION, CONT

• Upon further investigation, it is apparent that
  pet therapy is a popular type of rehabilitation
  and is used commonly in a variety of medical
  facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, and
  other arenas for treatment. Though animals
  cannot speak English back to us, they still
  communicate through touch and expressions.
  Animals can be utilized in a number of ways
  including occupational and physical therapy,
  speech therapy, improving cognitive skills,
  patient counseling, and perhaps most importantly,
  socialization.
• Through the bond created between animals and
  humans, animals can help patients increase their
  quality of life. Research has proven that animals
  can ease feelings of fear, despair, loneliness,
  and isolation among hospital-bound patients.
  Studies have also shown that through touch or
  simply being in the same room as an animal
  companion, can have a calming effect.
  Physiologically, a decrease in heart rate and
  blood pressure, as well as, reduction in pain has
  often been observed in persons provided with
  animal assisted therapy. Emotionally, animals can
  distract patients from their pain and stress and
  provide something for the patients to look
  forward to. I anticipate proving that, in many
  cases, this interaction could alleviate the need
  for medicinal treatments, thus resulting in an
  overall sense of healing in the direct care of
  patients.

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INTRODUCTION, CONT

• While there may exist no answer to the question
  of therapy or pharmaceutical treatment, at the
  very least, I expect to provide more
  documentation of the efficacy of pet therapy in
  the healing process.

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PROBLEM STATEMENT

• Research Question 1
• There were many research questions contained in
  investigating my topic, one being what are
  treatment alternatives to drug therapy?
  Surprisingly, there are numerous supplementary
  options and pet therapy is just one of many. For
  example, psychiatrists have long studied the
  effects of mood enhancing drugs in patients with
  generalized depression or anxiety and many
  researchers still don't understand why
  medications, which boost the production of the
  brain chemical serotonin, aren't effective for
  everyone. Fortunately, the researchers have found
  links to other activities that produce the same
  chemical reactions in the brain and a few of
  these include physical activity, acupuncture,
  psychotherapy and such holistic approaches as
  art, music and pet therapies.

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PROBLEM STATEMENT

• Research Question 2
• Another question my research sought to answer
  concerned the utilization of pet therapy and its
  efficacy in treating patients as an alternative
  to drugs that can cause dependencies. To my
  dismay, there has been little research done on
  this topic. It has been proven that pet therapy
  can have the same effects without the use of mood
  altering substances, but my research did reveal
  that many healthcare practitioners are reluctant
  to substitute this therapy for a treatment they
  can see immediate results with. For so long, pet
  therapy has been viewed in the healthcare
  community as a recreational treatment and it has
  not been until recently that it has been seen as
  a legitimate alternative to medications.

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PROBLEM STATEMENT

• Research Question 3
• My primary question was how much is medication
  overused or misused because there is not enough
  "time" for direct patient care? Through my
  personal research and after analyzing the
  research of others, it is obvious that holistic
  medicine has the potential be just as effective
  as a traditional approach to healing. There is
  little research showing the long-term effects of
  mood altering or mood enhancing drugs, but one
  advantage of pet therapy it that it is clear that
  there can be no harmful long-term consequences.
  Pet therapy may produce no response in some
  patients, but it most definitely will not prove
  to be detrimental to patients in any way.

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PROBLEM STATEMENT

• While there has been a growing emphasis on
  holistic medicine including pet therapy as a
  treatment modality, little research demonstrates
  the efficacy of pet therapy as a treatment
  alternative. This study is most concerned with
  this type of treatment versus drug therapy. This
  is a very controversial topic among healthcare
  providers who believe that drug treatments are
  often the default reflex of the healthcare
  community and that these reflexes are, many
  times, unwarranted.

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PROBLEM STATEMENT

• Purpose
• The purpose of this study is to examine the rate
  at which medicinal treatments are used and to
  understand why that is the reflex of most
  healthcare practitioners. It is evident through
  research that drug treatments have become the
  easiest thing to do and requires less amounts of
  time and effort than therapy and rehabilitation,
  so much so that drugs are considered the only
  option.

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PROBLEM STATMENT

• Significance
• The significance of the study seeks to change the
  way medication is used, and misused, in the
  treatment of children with illnesses, injuries,
  and disabilities while focusing on relationships
  as a coping mechanism. Many patients, especially
  children, have problems that are treated by drugs
  when no other alternative is seen. The use of pet
  therapy could significantly alleviate the
  drug-dependency in the patient population.
  Therapy is highly underestimated, as emotional
  healing is essential for an overall sense of
  well-being.

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PROBLEM STATEMENT

• Validity of Research
• The research of pet therapy is important and
  valid to both me and to society for a number of
  reasons. The use of this particular therapy is
  proven to heal illnesses through touch,
  communication, and companionship. Holistic
  medicine is a valuable tool, and great advances
  could be made if more of society were made aware
  of its effectiveness.

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LITERATURE REVIEW

• Upon evaluating a number of peer-reviewed
  journals and case studies concerning the effects
  of pet therapy, my opinion is that, although
  there is a need for further research, the
  benefits of such a therapy cannot be denied. It
  is imperative that the medical field seeks to cut
  down on drug addictions and the spending that is
  associated with medicinal treatment the only way
  to do this is to seek alternatives to managing
  pain and illnesses.

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LITERATURE REVIEW, CONT

• My ideas and opinions remain firmly grounded,
  even more so following my review of the
  literature. It appears that the healthcare
  community is making notable strides to integrate
  these newfound types of therapy into the
  treatment regimen. These advancements could only
  mean that healthcare practitioners across the
  country have realized the importance of pet
  therapy and the changes it can produce in the
  healing of their patients.

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METHOD

• In my research of medicine versus therapy, the
  project offered itself more towards a
  quantitative method of research. Going by what
  Bailey's suggests, the reasons for using a
  quantitative method are if you want to prove a
  hypothesis, look for the effect of one variable
  on another, look for a relationship between 2 or
  more variables, find out specific facts about a
  large group of people, and if there is access to
  a large group of subjects who meet the needed
  criteria. These were all ultimate goals of my
  research, most importantly to find a relationship
  between medicine/therapy and drug
  dependency/healing rate. I did not intend to
  generate a new therapy or offer treatment itself,
  but only to study what had already been done.
  This method was beneficial to my project by
  allowing me to build upon research that has
  already been done regarding this topic and issues
  peripheral to the topic itself.

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DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

• Upon analyzing the research done by others, it
  appears difficult to find a direct link between
  animal-human interactions and progressive healing
  of patients with either acute or chronic
  illnesses or injuries. Baileys states that human
  behavior is extremely complex and, therefore,
  difficult to isolate and to measure thus
  resulting in variations in research, or an
  indefinite conclusion (Bailey xxi). While there
  is an obvious impact of an animal-human bond on
  those being treated, it is difficult to say if
  pet therapy could be used as a full-fledged
  replacement for medicinal treatments. There is
  seemingly a key significance of using pet therapy
  as a treatment alternative, however much more
  research should be conducted before conclusions
  are drawn.

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CONCLUSION

• While there has been a growing emphasis on
  holistic medicine including pet therapy as a
  treatment modality, little research demonstrates
  the efficacy of pet therapy as a treatment
  alternative. This study is most concerned with
  this type of treatment versus drug therapy. This
  is a very controversial topic among healthcare
  providers who believe that drug treatments are
  often the default reflex of the healthcare
  community and that these reflexes are, many
  times, unwarranted.
• This research proves there is a positive
  correlation between the use of animals in the
  healing process and the reduction in the use of
  medication to treat certain illnesses and
  psychological disorders. Most of the studies I
  examined contained exceptional information to
  support my theories, but they lacked the depth
  needed to make a factual connection. For the
  future, I can only hope that more information can
  be gathered and provided to the public about the
  importance of integrating pet therapy into the
  idyllic patient care philosophy.

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Bibliography

• American Psychological Association (2001). APA
  Publications Manual (Black book, 5th Edition).
• Bailey, D. M. (1997). Research for the Health
  Professional A Practical Guide (2nd Edition).
• Philadelphia F. A. Davis. ISBN 0-8036-0151-4
  (pbk.)
• Barker S, Dawson K. The effects of
  animal-assisted therapy on anxiety ratings of
  hospitalized
• psychiatric patients. Psychiatric Serv. 1998
  39797-801.

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Bibliography, cont...

• Benefits of pet ownership on seniors explored in
  detail study shows fewer physician visits,lower
  blood pressure. (2004, April) DVM Newsmagazine,
  pp. 38.
• Benda, W. (2004). The therapeutic nature of the
  human/animal bond implications for integrative
  public health. Integrative Medicine A
  Clinicians Journal, pp. 26-30
• Bruck, Laura. Rabalais, A. (1996). Art, Music and
  pet therapy. (Todays Ancillaries, part 2).
  Nursing Homes Journal, v45, pp. 36-38

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Bibliography, cont

• Geisler, A.M. (2004). Companion animals in
  palliative care stories from the bedside.
  American Journal of Hospice Palliative
  Medicine, pp. 285-320.
• Guest. (2002). Pet therapy does more than break
  routine visits help with psychiatric and
• therapeutic issues. Patient Education
  Management, pp. 46.
• Lynch, James J., (2004). Developing a Physiology
  of Inclusion Recognizing the Health Benefits of
  Animal Companions. Delta Society. Retrieved
  September 30, 2004, from http//www.deltasociety.o
  rg/dsx109.html.

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Bibliography, cont

• Montague. Healthy Reasons to Have a Pet. Pet
  Therapy Holistic Treatment Online. Retrieved 3
  October, 2004 from http//www.holistic-online.com/
  Pets/pets_pet-therapyhealthbenefits.htm.

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• THE END!