by Columbia Surgery on June 17, 2011
Raven Keyes,
Reiki Master
Reiki master
Raven Keyes has published an article in the summer issue of Reiki News detailing her experiences working with
Sheldon Feldman, MD, Chief of the Breast Surgery Section at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia. As was recently reported in
healthpoints, Dr. Feldman has been spearheading a remarkable new program that directly involves Reiki practitioners like Keyes in the lives of patients undergoing breast surgery. Interested patients are able to receive Reiki before, after, and even during their surgical procedures. It is Dr. Feldman’s firm belief that the emotional well-being such healers provide for their patients will have a genuine impact on the outcomes of these difficult procedures.
In her article, Keyes specifically describes her experiences providing Reiki to two of Dr. Feldman’s patients. Her first-hand account helps us understand exactly how Reiki is beneficial to the patient: “When Reiki is being offered, women feel empowered,” she writes. Their families, too, are often immeasurably comforted by the presence of a loving healer in the otherwise frightening setting of the operating room. Sometimes the younger doctors are a bit surprised to come across a Reiki healer in the OR, Keyes admits; but even that may change with time, as the word spreads about the promising possibilities of combining surgery with energy healing therapies like Reiki.
Keyes repeatedly expresses her appreciation of Dr. Feldman and his program, because, like Dr. Feldman, she understands that the value of bringing healing practices into the OR cannot be overestimated. It’s a lovely, inspiring piece.
Full text of the article is available at Reiki News Articles.
Tagged as:
alternativemedicine,
breast,
cancer,
Feldman
by Columbia Surgery on April 20, 2011
Annals of Surgical Oncology
Sheldon M. Feldman, MD, FACS, authored an editorial about the use of complementary and alternative medicine in breast cancer. Published in the April 2011 edition of
Annals of Surgical Oncology, the editorial is titled “Alternative Therapy for Breast Cancer: Outcomes, Obstacles and Opportunities”.
In this editorial, Dr. Feldman comments on how breast cancer clinicians can learn from a study by Dr. E. Han. This study reported the results of 61 women with operable breast cancer who refused recommended therapy (surgical, chemotherapy, or radiation), and opted to use only complementary or alternative therapies such as herbs, vitamins, nutritional regimens, and energy therapies. While the outcomes among these women clearly suffered in comparison to women who followed traditional therapy, Dr. Feldman explains that clinicians must take note of the reasons these patients chose that path, and learn to provide what the alternative practitioners offer. In large part, he stresses, breast cancer clinicians must strive to improve their communication with patients in order to optimize patient care. When patients refuse traditional therapy in lieu of alternative courses, the results are disastrous, but when they use complementary and alternative therapies in conjunction with traditional therapies, the result is truly optimal. He advises clinicians to learn about, be open-minded about, and to incorporate effective, evidence-based alternative therapies into their care so that patients who desire a comprehensive approach will find their needs met. Dr. Feldman concludes that it is critically important that promising CAM approaches be studied to evaluate their efficacy for patient care.
Dr. Feldman is Chief, Breast Surgery Section, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. For more information, see www.breastmd.org or call 800.543.2782.
Tagged as:
alternativemedicine,
breast,
cancer,
Feldman
by Columbia Surgery on February 23, 2011
Pamela Miles
The Clinical Breast Cancer Program, a pioneer in testing the uses of complementary medicines in the treatment of cancer, will be hosting Pamela Miles, Reiki Master to speak at their Women’s Wellness Series on Thursday, February 24th. Drawing on her 25 years of reiki practice, Pamela will discuss the uses of reiki for health and well-being with a focus on how it benefits the breast cancer patient.
Pamela is an innovator in the reiki field, developing programs for prominent New York City hospitals, as well as speaking on the collaboration of reiki and traditional medicine at National Institute of Health events and at Harvard’s and Yale’s medical schools.
The Women’s Wellness Series is held every Thursday beginning at 4:00 PM in The Irving Cancer Research Center located at 1130 St. Nicholas Avenue in Washington Heights. If you are interested in attending this free event, please contact Kris Smith at 212-342-3911 or ks2666@columbia.edu.
If you cannot make this event, and would like more information about reiki, Pamela’s book, Reiki: A Comprehensive Guide, can be purchased at Amazon.com.
Related Link:
Wellness Series for Women Living with Breast Cancer Hosts Susan of Purple Shawl
Tagged as:
alternativemedicine,
breast,
cancer
