Hospice and traditional Chinese medicine- How do they go together?
I treat patients receiving hospice care. Most are near the end of their life. Some have six months to live; others have a few days to live.
I use acupuncture and acupressure (same points, no needles, just pressure).
Pain, discomfort, and anxiety are the main symptoms that I am asked to help with.
The top concerns often involve stress and anxiety reduction. My main goal with each patient is to bring relief and comfort. My hope for treatment is that by the end of the session, around 20-35 minutes, the patient feels like they experienced relief. Most often, that is the feedback. They say things like, “ I feel more relaxed,” “oh, that was nice,” and “when are you coming back?”
If they are close to death, my goal is to ease their transition.
If death is not imminent, my goal is to improve their quality of life.
Some people are relatively comfortable toward the end of their life. Others are not. My mission is to leave each person better off than when I arrived. Most of the time, that is accomplished, and we are both happy about that.
For hospice patients, I use acupoints that associate with the gentle support of organ function; stomach calming; mental calming; and gentle circulation.