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Alternative Therapies

Case Study 134

Name______________________Class/Group_____________Date___________

Group Members_______________________________________________

Instructions All questions apply to this case study. Your responses should be brief and to the point. When asked to provide several answers, list them in order of priority or significance. Do not assume information that is not provided. Please print or write clearly. If your response is not legible, it will be marked as ? and you will need to rewrite it.

Scenario

J.B., a 45-year-old woman, is an office manager for a busy law firm and single mother of two children. While cleaning a shower stall, she experienced a sharp pain in her lower back. Over the next few hours, her lower back became increasingly more painful. By the time she picked up the children from their sporting event and drove to the nearest walk-in medical clinic, she had a sharp shooting pain into her right buttocks. Her spinal x-rays were not significant, and she was diagnosed with acute musculoskeletal strain, instructed to take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) and given a prescription for hydrocodone 5 mg/acetaminophen 500 mg (Lortab) PO q6h prn for severe pain. She was instructed to rest her back for the next 24 hours. Monday morning she called in sick to work because she couldn’t think clearly because of the pain medication. She developed stomach pain, and her back pain was only slightly improved. She called a friend who had experienced a similar episode and related a favorable outcome after being treated with acupuncture. J.B. comes to your alternative medicine clinic for her acupuncture appointment.

1. As you complete her intake interview, she asks, “What is acupuncture?” What will you tell her?

2. J.B. wants to know how acupuncture works. How will you explain acupuncture to her?

3. J.B. asks how acupuncture can help her back pain. Explain how acupuncture differs from traditional Western medicine in the treatment of back pain.

4. J.B. asks, “What does it feel like? Does it hurt?” How will you respond?

5. J.B. asks, “Does insurance cover the cost?” Provide a response.

6. List possible risks and complications of acupuncture.

7. What conditions can be treated with acupuncture?

8. J.B. asks where she could find an acupuncture practitioner.

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