Sustaining the cocoon: the emotional inoculation produced by complementary therapies in palliative care

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore, from a medical sociological perspective, the use of complementary therapies by palliative care nurses. This paper shows how the conceptual vocabulary developed by Giddens [Giddens A. (1990) The Consequences of Modernity. Polity Press, Cambridge; Giddens A. (1991) Modernity and Self-Identity. Polity Press, Cambridge] relating to trust, ontological security, existential anxiety and the importance of protective cocoons, facilitates understanding of the use of complementary therapies in palliative care. This is a qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews. During analysis both thematic content and narrative form of the interviews are scrutinized. Analysis shows that the concepts Giddens developed enable the use of complementary therapies to be seen in new ways. In particular, they facilitate the application of a complementary therapy being seen as an emotional inoculation. Similar to the emotional inoculation Giddens speaks about, an infant receiving from its caretaker in childhood which enables a child to have a protective cocoon which it carries round with it throughout life and can draw on when faced with difficulties, the application of a complementary therapy in palliative care can be seen in terms of a booster injection being received by an adult, from their professional caretaker, in time of particular need. This injection sustains a person's protective cocoon at a time of vulnerability.

The existential experiences of receiving soft tissue massage in palliative home care—an intervention

“…Such experiences have been described as creating feelings of isolation [34]. Complementary therapies such as massage are claimed to constitute an important emotional support, a protective "cocoon" during such a time of vulnerability [13].…”

The Interaction of Class and Gender in Illness Narratives

“…The professional accomplishment of being 'nice' and 'friendly' by nurses has been identified as an important component of the care of people with serious illness in several studies (Hunt, 1991;Li, 2004) and the association of this with the practice of complementary therapies by nurses -particularly those that involve massage and aromatherapy -has been established by Garnett (2003). Other evidence (Doel and Segrott, 2003;Seale et al, 2007)) has shown that complementary therapies of this sort, which provide intimate, soothing physical contact, are an important element of women's health culture, promoted particularly through magazines and newspapers (such as the UK's Daily Mail) that serve a middle aged and working or lower middle class readership.…”

A one-day education in soft tissue massage: Experiences and opinions as evaluated by nursing staff in palliative care

“…Previous studies in the field of research concerning soft tissue massage have predominantly focused on studies with a quantitative approach describing the effects on symptoms (11,17,18,23,38,81) rather than the personal experiences of receiving the massage (12,42). We also performed a litterateur search concerning relatives in palliative care (II-III) and found sparsely any literature that focused on forms of massage (48,92) as support to this group of individuals.…”

“…According to Garnett (42) the behavioural aspect of nurses should be viewed as a combination between a sense of integrity, confidence and appropriate manner. Garnett (42) argues that in order to reach a good relationship between individuals their behavioural attitude is of special importance.…”