Dr. Theroux-Jette recently earned the distinction of becoming the first and only licensed acupuncturist in the state of New Hampshire to obtain specialty certification as a Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Acupuncturist, offered through the National Association for Hospice and Palliative Care Acupuncturists (NAHPCA).
As a Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Acupuncturist, Dr. Theroux-Jette offers a specialized protocol when treating people at the end of life. Acupuncture is customized to address the stages of grief and to promote the patient’s emotional well-being, which facilitate a more peaceful death. This standard of care is promoted through education of, and communication with, hospice and palliative care providers and organizations, and their patients, families, and circles of support.
Members of the National Association of Hospice and Palliative Care Acupuncturists are dedicated, compassionate health care professionals who have completed additional specialty training to become a Certified Provider of Hospice and Palliative Care Acupuncture. These licensed acupuncturists support the ideals of Dr. Cicely Saunders, founder of the modern hospice movement. Her vision was that everyone should be able to die in a safe, peaceful and pain-free environment.
The NAHPCA is an organization dedicated to enriching the quality of end-of-life of patients with the use of acupuncture and Oriental medicine (AOM), also called Asian medicine or traditional Chinese medicine. This is an empirical system of medicine which includes Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage (Tui Na), exercise (Qi Gong), and dietary therapy.
Research has demonstrated that combining acupuncture and Oriental medicine with hospice and/or palliative care modalities leads to significant improvement of patient comfort levels. Safe and effective treatments may be used with all types of terminal illnesses, and to ease the wide variety of emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual distress patterns associated with death and dying. In addition, acupuncture can be helpful for family or loved ones who are suffering with loss and grief.
Source: http://www.nahpca.com/