Non Pharmacological Intervention
Question: What another kind of non-pharmacological interventions have you implemented in your clinical setting to decrease hypertension?
Hi Smitha,
Very good question. In my clinical setting which is acute care/outpatient cardiac rehabilitation, patient education is the key to unlocking the non-pharmacologic strategies to reduce hypertension. As Babaee Beigi et al. (2014, p. 97) acknowledge that educational teaching has noteworthy acceptable effects on lifestyle alteration and blood pressure management. I regularly ask my patients concerning the dietary modification they have made since being diagnosed with high blood pressure. For the most part, my patients will say "to limit the salt intake," Unfortunately, some of these individuals don't
understand what it meant. So I explain to them using a "Stack up." three-dimensional display. This visual aid shows the sodium content of 18 popular foods. When my patients see this chart, you can see their jaw dropped, and that is my prompt to explain it further to them.
What's more, I present them with a pamphlet of complementary therapies available at the VA including a free yoga session. These programs are part of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Health and Wellness initiative and championed by the recreational therapy department. I generally will call their VA primary care physician and recommend to write a consult to recreational therapy for yoga sessions. A research study conducted by Okonta (2012, p. 141) demonstrated the effectiveness of yoga in reducing high blood pressure by decreasing the stress level through the meditative element of yoga.
With these initiatives, I was able to help my patients to explore a non-pharmacologic alternative to address their hypertension. However, the physician must approve these actions to prevent any adverse reactions.
I hope I have answered your question.
Hi Smitha,
Very good question. In my clinical setting which is acute care/outpatient cardiac rehabilitation, patient education is the key to unlocking the non-pharmacologic strategies to reduce hypertension. As Babaee Beigi et al. (2014, p. 97) acknowledge that educational teaching has noteworthy acceptable effects on lifestyle alteration and blood pressure management. I regularly ask my patients concerning the dietary modification they have made since being diagnosed with high blood pressure. For the most part, my patients will say "to limit the salt intake," Unfortunately, some of these individuals don't
understand what it meant. So I explain to them using a "Stack up." three-dimensional display. This visual aid shows the sodium content of 18 popular foods. When my patients see this chart, you can see their jaw dropped, and that is my prompt to explain it further to them.
What's more, I present them with a pamphlet of complementary therapies available at the VA including a free yoga session. These programs are part of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Health and Wellness initiative and championed by the recreational therapy department. I generally will call their VA primary care physician and recommend to write a consult to recreational therapy for yoga sessions. A research study conducted by Okonta (2012, p. 141) demonstrated the effectiveness of yoga in reducing high blood pressure by decreasing the stress level through the meditative element of yoga.
With these initiatives, I was able to help my patients to explore a non-pharmacologic alternative to address their hypertension. However, the physician must approve these actions to prevent any adverse reactions.
I hope I have answered your question.