Since illness or injury may result in pain, your health care team strives to effectively manage your pain and when possible, prevent pain. You are the expert on your own pain. In order to determine the best plan to treat your pain, your healthcare team will rely on you to provide complete and accurate information about your pain. Answering questions like the following can help describe your pain:
- Where is the pain?
- What does the pain feel like?
- How bad is the pain?
- What makes the pain better or worse?
Studies have shown that after an operation, good pain control results in fewer complications, faster healing and shorter hospital stays.
Massage Therapy for Inpatients
Chester County Hospital is pleased to offer Massage Therapy as a supplement to traditional medicine to our inpatients. Massage Therapy has been credited with helping relieve stress and tension, calming the nervous system, easing aches and pains, increasing flexibility and energy, stimulating the endorphins and inducing better sleep patterns.
The experienced professionals of Healing Hands Massage have partnered with the hospital to provide this service to you for your comfort and care. A certified massage therapist will discuss the goals of the session and speak with you about your health. An individualized session will be planned taking into consideration your medical history and personal needs. Upon the patient's request and the clinical staff's approval, half-hour massage sessions are available.
The therapeutic massage may include one or more of these techniques:
- Relaxation Massage - very light touch
- Reflexology - pressure point massage on the feet and/or hands
- Swedish Massage - long, smooth strokes that knead and compress the upper layers of the muscles
- Reiki - a touchless approach
Pricing:
- ½ hour session - $35
- 1 hour session - $70
- (Cash or credit card payment accepted at bedside.)
Details:
Ask your nurse if Massage Therapy is an option.
Reiki Therapy
Reiki is a non-invasive, restorative technique, promoting healing of the body, mind, and spirit, performed by a trained Reiki practitioner. Reiki complements the patient's medical treatment and does not serve as its replacement.
Commonly reported benefits of Reiki, supported by research, are reduced anxiety, reduced and/or controlled pain and improved feeling of well being and enhanced quality of life. There are examples in the medical and nursing literature demonstrating that Reiki helps speed up recovery from a traumatic event. Reiki is particularly effective in the relief of stress and tension. Reiki helps calm the emotions, and promotes relaxation.
Who would benefit from Reiki?
Almost anyone would benefit from receiving Reiki. The health care literature focuses on pre-op and post-op patients, patients who need relief from pain or anxiety, women in labor and/or the postpartum period, patients who are receiving cancer treatments and drug addicted infants.
Who will perform the therapy?
A group of volunteer staff made up of Nurses, LPNs, Unit Coordinators, and CRNPs have been certified as Reiki practitioners to provide Reiki treatments to inpatients. This intervention does not require a doctor's order, although it is recommended that patients inform their physician of the therapy.
How/where will the Reiki be performed?
Reiki treatments are done in the patient's room with the patient lying in bed or sitting in a chair. The therapy takes approximately 30 minutes.
How do I request a Reiki therapy session?
Patients may simply request a Reiki treatment from their assigned nurse, or, alternatively, a nursing staff member may recommend Reiki therapy to you. The Reiki treatment will be provided by one of the certified volunteer Reiki therapy practitioners, who will document the therapy in the patient's medical record.