Currently, there is increased diversity globally because of the different cultures and practices among different people. Further, there is a disproportionate level of stress-related health conditions among different groups of people. As a result, it is essential to understand how a person’s cultural background, genetic information, and lifestyle preferences impact their ability to achieve relaxation at any point in time. Such information is essential for creating a conducive environment for alternative therapies in nursing. Cultural beliefs and symbols can impact the ability of an individual to get well. In Asian culture, red is associated with good fortune, while white represents the funeral. The genetic information of a patient, family details, and lifestyle influence the ability to achieve relaxation. For some people, such as in Liberia, the healing environment should be associated with the family presence, spirituality, particular type of food, and alternative therapies (Lindquist et al., 2018). Having kin or a close acquaintance is essential in achieving relaxation in specific cultures.
Cultural and spiritual congruence has potential benefits of reducing stress, improving self-awareness, and ensuring general wellbeing. Every culture has its models of relaxation techniques such as Tai-chi and yoga. In both primal and current cultures, there is a touch therapy as it treats people as they care for each other, such as in Asia. Therefore, culture is an identity that will make a person relax. The effect of lifestyle preferences on achieving relaxation was demonstrated in an experiment by exposing a patient to a natural scene using virtual reality. Virtual technologies are rapidly advancing and helpful in psychology and healthcare, such as exposure to natural settings since exposure to preferred settings can reduce stress and improve mood (Anderson et al., 2017). When a person is exposed to a particular setting which they prefer, their relaxation will significantly improve. Therefore, exposure to lifestyle preferences can help a patient achieve relaxation. Since healthcare is becoming individualized, it is essential to identify relaxation techniques that will be essential for individuals relying on gene details, culture, and the nature of their lifestyles. It is essential to study phenotype and genotype to understand genetic information (Lindquist et al., 2018). Genotypes are the heritable variations in organisms, while phenotype is the observable features.
From Exhibit 17.4, I selected the study by Meyer et al. (2016) in Germany on migraine headaches. The research shows how progressive muscle relaxation techniques can reduce migraine frequency and normalize and normalize amplitudes of CNV. The study used 35 migraine patients as its population. The relaxation techniques that can reduce migraine overall health benefits are Mental Imagery relaxation which creates harmony between the mind and the body. It involves finding out negative-self talk and replacing it with positive health talk. Additionally, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is also a technique that alters patterns and behaviors that causes tension hence reducing migraine risks (Ng et al., 2017). These techniques will ensure general wellbeing.
References
Anderson, A. P., Mayer, M. D., Fellows, A. M., Cowan, D. R., Hegel, M. T., & Buckey, J. C. (2017). Relaxation with immersive natural scenes presented using virtual reality. Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance, 88(6), 520-526.
Lindquist, R., Tracy, M. F., & Snyder, M. (Eds.). (2018). Complementary and alternative therapies in nursing. Springer Publishing Company.
Meyer, B., Keller, A., Wöhlbier, H. G., Overath, C. H., Müller, B., & Kropp, P. (2016). Progressive muscle relaxation reduces migraine frequency and normalizes amplitudes of contingent negative variation (CNV). The Journal of Headache and Pain, 17(1), 1-9.
Ng, Q. X., Venkatanarayanan, N., & Kumar, L. (2017). A systematic review and meta‐analysis of the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy for the management of pediatric migraine. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 57(3), 349-362.
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