People living with HIV often utilize complementary and alternative therapies in order to ease symptoms and mitigate side effects from medications, and may draw strength from incorporating practices from their spiritual or cultural background into therapy sessions.
Health care providers must discuss and disclose complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use with their patients and should be knowledgeable of its potential side effects and interactions with antiretroviral therapies (ARTs).
Meditation
Mind-body therapies may provide relief for symptoms associated with HIV or AIDS, including stress and depression. But these should only be used with caution, not as replacement therapy; alternative and natural therapies could interact negatively with medication used to treat HIV so it’s essential that any person considering trying such remedies first consult their healthcare provider prior to beginning.
Studies involving yoga, tai chi, qigong and mindfulness meditation show promising results for improving quality of life and mood in people living with HIV. Mind-body practices are relatively inexpensive and readily available – however more rigorous studies must be conducted on their effects on physical health, psychological wellbeing and adherence to treatment regimens for this illness.
Transcendental Meditation (TM) has been proven to alleviate stress, anxiety and high blood pressure for people living with HIV. Furthermore, practicing this evidence-based technique improves sleep quality, mood stability and resilience as well as strengthening immune responses – which all help a person remain on antiretroviral drugs for longer.
Researchers from UCLA recently published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity found that practicing mindfulness meditation helped prevent HIV-positive patients from losing CD4+ T cells as part of a strategy to combat infections that arise as they grow stronger over time. HIV attacks these T-cells, reducing immunity while speeding the path toward full-blown AIDS.
UCLA researchers randomly assigned participants to either an 8-week mindfulness meditation class (MBSR) or 1-day control seminar and then measured CD4+ T cell levels before and after attending either option; those attending an 8-week mindfulness class didn’t experience a decrease in their CD4+ T cells while those in attendance of a control seminar saw their numbers decline by an average of 33% over time.
Yoga
Yoga is a mind-body practice consisting of poses and meditation that may help reduce blood pressure, alleviate pain and fatigue, as well as alleviate depression and anxiety symptoms. Yoga also boosts immunity and increases energy levels. Studies indicate it prevents stress hormone release while simultaneously slowing breathing and heart rate and producing feel-good chemicals like serotonin; often combined with other alternative therapies like acupuncture for optimal results; several sessions may be needed before significant change can be seen.
Some individuals living with HIV utilize complementary and alternative medicine (CHAM) as part of their medical regimen, yet it’s crucial that any CHAM they try be disclosed to their doctors, particularly if any supplements can interfere with antiretroviral medicines they’re already taking.
Yoga, Tai Chi and Qigong are three popular CHAM therapies that combine physical and meditative elements. Studies show they can reduce psychological distress while increasing quality of life for people living with HIV; furthermore they may help improve sleep, balance and concentration ability – plus they’re good for arthritis sufferers by helping lower cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure levels.
Although yoga research evidence is limited, it suggests it as an effective stress management intervention for PLWHA. Unfortunately, due to limited number of studies it cannot be fully assessed or confirmed as accurate findings; therefore future trials must use more stringent methodologies, including randomized controlled designs with objective measures of psychological outcomes.
Chiropractic
Chiropractors are health care practitioners that utilize hands-on spinal manipulation techniques to stimulate the body’s natural ability to heal itself without medication or surgery. According to chiropractic theory of disease, issues with the musculoskeletal system – specifically spine misalignments and irritation that affect nervous systems can lead to pain in muscles and joints that is then transmitted throughout the body by misalignments and misalignment, creating misalignments which then affect other systems such as massage or acupuncture treatments.
People living with HIV often turn to alternative therapies like acupuncture, meditation, yoga and chiropractic to manage symptoms associated with the virus and reduce side effects from medication while improving overall health and well being. Unfortunately, no scientific evidence supports their benefits; therefore they must be used alongside traditional HIV medical treatment options.
Some individuals living with HIV turn to alternative therapies in order to reduce stress, anxiety and depression that can impair their mental health. By managing stress and depression effectively, people living with HIV often have higher rates of anxiety and stress – potentially having negative impacts on both mental health as well as physical wellbeing.
Alternative therapies like acupuncture, massage and meditation can provide people with ways to unwind and relieve their tension. Furthermore, these methods may improve sleep quality and overall well-being – all of which will contribute to building up one’s immune system.
Studies have proven the effectiveness of chiropractic in relieving back pain. Before turning to this form of pain relief, however, you should consult your healthcare provider and avoid chiropractic treatments if you have osteoporosis, herniated disks or cancer. You should also seek medical advice prior to having spinal manipulation for blood thinners or have history of inflammation arthritis.
Acupuncture
antiretroviral therapy advances have allowed those living with HIV to live longer while keeping their viral load undetectable and untransmittable, as well as maintaining undetectability through use of prophylactic medicines (prophylaxis). Unfortunately, taking this many pills daily may become overwhelming; alternative therapies may offer relief for side effects and stress related side effects.
Acupuncture is an ancient medical technique that involves inserting needles at specific points on the body to relieve pain and tension, part of traditional Chinese medicine’s goal to balance energy within and improve overall health and wellness. Acupuncture may also help treat anxiety, depression and fatigue in those living with HIV.
When patients come in for acupuncture treatments, practitioners will typically puncture trigger points – knotted areas in muscles – with needles. Dry needling (using needles without manipulation), or electroacupuncture (which uses low levels of electricity to stimulate needles), are both ways of performing acupuncture treatments.
Studies have demonstrated the therapeutic potential of acupuncture on specific regions of the brain. One such experiment in mice revealed that electroacupuncture caused hindlimb sensory neurons to fire more quickly compared to control animals treated without needles at all, raising questions as to why these cells may respond differently and possibly playing an integral part in pain and anxiety regulation.
People living with HIV should consult their doctors before beginning complementary and alternative therapies, including supplements that might interact with HIV medication. It is wise to have a specialist direct one’s care as new treatments might have unintended side effects; nor should anyone stop taking prescribed HIV medicines to try alternative remedies.
Reiki
Reiki is an alternative therapy that involves channeling energy through touch. Practitioners believe healing energy can be found through tapping into one’s biofield – an electromagnetic field surrounding and pervading living things – such as hearts and brains producing electrocardiogram-measurable biofields. Energy healing dates back millennia with records in ancient texts from China, India and Egypt of this form of therapy being utilized. Shamans as well as religious practitioners also employ various forms of energy healing techniques.
However, one study that explored Reiki’s impact on HIV/AIDS patients concluded that it had no discernible impact. Complementary therapies may interact with medication or cause unwanted side effects – it’s best to check with your healthcare provider first before trying any alternative therapies.
Studies demonstrate the physical benefits of Reiki are numerous. One recent research paper concluded that Reiki therapy could reduce stress while increasing production of parasympathetic nervous system chemicals that stimulate rest and digestion functions, lower blood pressure and strengthen immunity systems.
Studies suggest that Reiki therapy could reduce bacterial and viral strains in the body while simultaneously improving quality of life for those living with HIV. Although these findings have only been supported by limited research so far, further investigation should be undertaken before reaching definitive conclusions.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has adopted a policy against hospitals offering Reiki treatments due to spiritual practices that contradict Christian beliefs (). Many healthcare facilities may be familiar with NCCAM guidelines but fail to disclose potential spiritual conflicts related to complementary and alternative medicine therapies when offering them to patients – spiritual consent forms would help ensure all necessary details are disclosed at once.
