Complementary Therapies

What is Complementary Therapy?
Complementary therapies take a holistic approach to care. This means that you are supported as a whole person, incorporating physical, emotional and spiritual needs. The therapies we offer are designed to work alongside and not intended in any way to replace any medical treatment you may be receiving for your CF. The Leanne Fund have partnered with a number of registered Complementary Therapy Practitioners to offer a range of therapies, free of charge, for those with CF and parents/carers alike.

Why use Complementary Therapy?
People often use complementary therapies to help them feel better and cope with having CF and treatment. How you feel plays a key role in determining how you cope. Many complementary therapies concentrate on boosting relaxation and reducing stress. They may help to calm your emotions, relieve anxiety, and increase your general sense of health and well being. Many doctors, nurses and researchers are interested in the idea that positive emotions can improve your health.

Are Complementary Therapies safe?
Complementary therapies are viewed as safe, gentle or natural. However, this does not mean that they may not have their own side effects and this is why we only use experienced and qualified therapists. Your therapist will ask you questions about your health and lifestyle prior to commencing any treatment and they will also monitor your response to your chosen therapy.

Complementary therapies available -

Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is the practice of using essential oils for therapeutic effect and is most often used as part of a gentle massage treatment. Each essential oil will be selected by its distinctive therapeutic property. Several oils may be blended to suit each person's needs.

Massage
Therapeutic massage involves the manipulation of the soft tissue structures of the body to prevent and alleviate pain, discomfort, muscle spasm, and stress; and, to promote health and wellbeing. Massage therapy improves functioning of the circulatory, lymphatic, muscular, skeletal, and nervous systems and may improve the rate at which the body recovers from injury and illness.

Reflexology
Reflexology is a non-intrusive complementary health therapy, based on the theory that different points on the feet, lower leg, hands, face or ears correspond with different areas of the body. Reflexologists work holistically with their clients and aim to work alongside allopathic healthcare to promote better health for their clients.

Reiki
Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that uses simple hands-on, no-touch, and visualisation techniques, with the goal of improving the flow of life energy in a person. Often described as palm healing or hands-on-body healing, the practitioner places hands lightly on or over a patient's body to facilitate the patient's process of healing.

Other therapies may also be available - please ask your therapist.

How do I access complementary therapies?
If you are considering complementary therapy please discuss with your CF Nurse Specialist who will issue you with an application form. Complementary therapies are then arranged with your chosen practitioner.

Usually up to six therapy sessions can be offered and then reviewed. This ensures that we offer you the most appropriate type of therapy and can monitor its effect.

What about parents/carers?
Looking after someone with a life-limiting condition has it own set of stresses. That's why we also offer complementary therapies to parents and carers.

These are offered on a similar basis with application forms available from the CF Team.