Summary of Ryan White Title I Grant for HIV/AIDS

NHO Tri-Therapy: An Overview

During 2005-2006, the Belleville, NJ-based Northeast Holistic Center (NHC) presented   Natural Healthcare Options (NHO) Tri-Therapy to the HIV/AIDS community of the Newark Eligible Metropolitan Area, Union County, New Jersey. The goal: to introduce NHO Tri-Therapy -- a 5-week cycle of aromatherapy, reflexology and massage treatments -- to people living with HIV/AIDS (PWLHA) as a means to improve their stress levels and assist them in dealing with the myriad side effects of medications used to treat HIV/AIDs.

The NHC was allotted 300 units to work with throughout FY 2005-2006. We are happy to announce that we not only achieved this goal for a first year grant, but surpassed it with a total of 306 units. NHO Tri-Therapy is funded by a Ryan White Title 1 Grant, which allotted the NHC 300 units during fiscal year 2005-2006. The program's success was such that this amount was surpassed by 6 units, for a total of 306 units. Considering that the actual work with sessions did not start until April 12, 2005 (due to paperwork/technical difficulties) instead of March 1, 2006, this was an excellent accomplishment.  

Beginning in April 2005 and ending in February 2006, 76 clients received treatments in massage, reflexology and aromatherapy in a cycle consisting of 5 hour-long sessions, one per week, administered by trained therapists at the NHC. Each week, NHC therapists carefully documented client responses to the NHO-based therapies, as well as clients' overall health and well-being. Clients who wished to complete additional cycles could do so with a doctor's written approval.

Each NHO Tri-Therapy session consisted of a combination of the following treatments:

Upper body back massage : Massaging the back from the waist up to aid respiratory and digestive function, as well as ease muscle tension and stress.

Reflexology: Sessions primarily utilized foot reflexology to ease pain in clients'   lower extremeties, reduce stress, and promote circulation, digestion and elimination.   A few clients also found hand-based reflexology highly beneficial in reducing stiffness in hand and finger joints.

Aromatherapy:   Clients receive a blend of essential oils tailored to specific symptom for personal use. For example, a depressed client might be treated with a lavender, sandalwood and sweet orange blend that is proven to be most effective in countering depression. Clients also received a special "Immune Support Blend" of aromatherapeutic oils for daily use at home, a treatment based on French studies that has proven effective in treating respiratory-, digestive- and immune-system challenges.

In the end, seventy-four percent of the clients completed the NHO Tri-Therapy program, most of whom had never experienced NHO as a means of maintaining health and well-being. (26 percent of clients did not complete the program for reasons including family or career obligations, the absence of a required case manager, or incapacitation or death resulting from HIV/AIDs-related complications).

A follow-up study conducted by the NHC in 2006 showed that clients who regularly attended appointments, used essential oils as directed and in some cases, practiced reflexology at home reported a tremendous enhancement in their quality of life and their ability to function in society. Often, clients reported their most dramatic improvements as taking place after the 5-week treatment cycle had ended.

As reported by the 2006 survey, benefits of NHO Tri-Therapy are as follows:

Of the total number of clients seen, 75 percent requested assistance with mental and emotional issues. All of them reported a marked improvement.

72 percent of total clients reported experiencing pain. 100 percent of participants in the NHO Tri -Therapy program who experienced pain reported a MARKED reduction of pain and stress levels.  

30 percent of total clients said their mobility was restricted as a result of their illness. 100% of those clients with restricted mobility reported increased flexibility and mobility following completion of the NHO cycle.

24 percent of total respondents complained of insomnia. 100 percent of them reported improved sleeping patterns following completion of the NHO session.

Approximately ten percent of total clients experienced an increase in CD4 cell counts. The remaining clients reported stable counts or counts in which no increase or decrease in cells could be detected.

Ten percent of total clients also saw a reduction in their viral load, the amount of HIV circulating in the blood.

TESTIMONIALS

Following are testimonials from participants in the Holistic Center's 2005 NHO Tri-Therapy Program regarding its efficacy.

"It was suggested to me by a friend to try the massage, but I was hesitant at first because I did not believe it would make a difference in my condition. My first experience changed my mind. I have made some adjustments in my lifestyle with direction from the Holistic Center and I'm seeing an improvement, not just in my body, but also my mind." - R.

"Through this program I realized what relaxation and dealing with stress was about. I was in a very intense emotional state before becoming a participant in the program and their help was an important part of my recovery. I knew how I could relax and feel better overall." - B.

"I am a 53-year-old woman who has been living with an AIDS diagnosis for the last 16 years. Most of those years were lived in quiet desperation while waiting for the other shoe to drop. After completing just one cycle of five weeks with the Northeast Holistic Center my CD4 count jumped to 386, (the highest since my diagnosis according to my doctor) and my viral load dropped to 97. I can't describe the feelings and emotions those test results caused." - G.

"The treatment has helped me greatly with pain management. Specific ailments such as neuropathy and respiratory congestion were successfully treated. Methods for increasing circulation and energy were suggested. Since the beginning of this process, my CD4 cell values have increased noticeably. There is also a high level of circulatory relief and increased energy." - J.

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