The Oxford Handbook of Complementary Medicine presents evidence-based information on CAM in an easily accessible form, thereby enabling hospital doctors, GPs, nurses, medical students and other healthcare professionals to competently advise patients about CAM treatments. The book covers definitions, cost, safety, regulation, legal and ethical questions and a range of practical issues, diagnostic techniques, and risk-benefit assessments of CAM modalities. The main part of the book is organised by condition, outlining for each the CAM treatments available, ranked according to level of evidence of effectiveness, followed by a concise clinical bottom line assessing risks and benefits, also in relation to conventional treatment. The information is presented in a concise, matter-of-fact fashion, avoiding the obscure jargon sometimes used in CAM. Many issues surrounding CAM remain controversial and this handbook discusses them openly and critically.
Scott Shannon is an MD, president elect of the American Holistic Medical Association, and considered a national expert on holistic psychiatry. In this book he brings together a comprehensive overview of CAM treatments, with information on their effectiveness and safety for specific patient populations and for use in treating specific disorders. Modalities covered include Acupuncture, Nutritional Medicine, Herbal Medicine, Meditation, Biofeedback, Aromatherapy and others. Coverage also includes chapters on the best CAM modalities for treatment of Anxiety and PTSD, Depression, ADD, and Addictions. Each chapter will be in a similar template, beginning with a description of the treatment, its safety, compatibility with conventional treatments and/or contrindications, scientific documentation of its efficacy, discussion of which disorders it is best used for, and references. Most comprehensive overview of rapidly expanding field Includes chapters by 24 leading psychiatric/psychological experts in these fields Documents and rates the research base in each area Offers practical clinical approaches for four common mental health concerns—depression, anxiety, ADHD, and addictions Areas not yet covered in professional training Practices commonly employed by the public (40-50% of the American public use complementary or alternative approaches) No previous book of this nature or scope
This second edition of the popular Professional's Handbook of Complementary & Alternative Medicines gives readers the facts about herbal agents, not exaggerated and unverified claims. Monographs are taken from the results of scientific studies, not anecdotal reports. Each monograph covers the most commonly known generic name, synonyms, common trade names, common forms, source, chemical components, actions, reported uses, dosage, adverse reactions, interactions, contraindications and precautions, special considerations, analysis, and references.
Highly researched and referenced, Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Health Professionals: A Holistic Approach to Consumer Health educates students about the many complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities that are available, in addition to the more traditional methods that exist. Early chapters provide an overview of both traditional and alternative medicine, scientific method and steps in scientific research, and look at the cost of health care in the U.S. Later chapters introduce students to integrative medicine and provide a thorough overview of CAM practices employed today. Topics that are covered include acupuncture, meditation, herbals and aromatherapy. By reading this text, students will become astute at distinguishing among those traditional and CAM health practices that are helpful, those that have been scientifically tested, and those that may offer no benefit. Case studies throughout the text give students an opportunity to apply material and ideas to real life situations.
The best evidence-based guide to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for practicing physicians! This new resource provides the comprehensive guidance on CAM therapies physicians need to responsibly counsel their patients and integrate these techniques into their own practices. Features:
Pharmacology: A Handbook for Complementary Healthcare Professionals provides an accessible text and source book of pharmacology for both students and practitioners of complementary medicine. It covers the basic chemistry which builds into an understanding of basic organic chemistry, key pharmacological principles, herbal and nutritional chemical constituents and the use of conventional medication. Various different aspects are treated in a way, which creates linkages for clarity and clinical relevance.Written in an accessible style and highly illustrated throughout. - Relevant to all students and practitioners of complementary medicine - Easy to read - Includes over 200 illustrations - Written by a leading practitioner and lecturer in pharmacology
Focusing on emerging therapies and those best supported by clinical trials and scientific evidence, Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine describes some of the most prevalent and the fastest-growing CAM therapies in use today. Prominent author Dr. Marc Micozzi provides a complete overview of CAM, creating a solid foundation and context for therapies in current practice. Coverage of systems and therapies includes mind, body, and spirit; traditional Western healing; and traditional ethnomedical systems from around the world. Discussions include homeopathy, massage and manual therapies, chiropractic, a revised chapter on osteopathy, herbal medicine, aromatherapy, naturopathic medicine, and nutrition and hydration. With its wide range of topics, this is the ideal CAM reference for both students and practitioners! An evidence-based approach focuses on treatments best supported by clinical trials and scientific evidence. Coverage of CAM therapies and systems includes those most commonly encountered or growing in popularity, so you carefully evaluate each treatment. Global coverage includes discussions of traditional healing arts from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Longevity in the market makes this a classic, trusted text. Expert contributors include well-known writers such as Kevin Ergil, Patch Adams, Joseph Pizzorno, Victor Sierpina, and Marc Micozzi himself. Suggested readings and references in each chapter list the best resources for further research and study. New, expanded organization covers the foundations of CAM, traditional Western healing, and traditional ethnomedical systems from Asia, Africa, and the Americas, putting CAM in perspective and making it easier to understand CAM origins and contexts. NEW content includes legal and operational issues in integrative medicine, creative and expressive arts therapies, ecological pharmacology, hydration, mind-body thought and practice in America, osteopathy, reflexology, South American healing, traditional medicines of India, and Unani medicine. Revised and updated chapters include aromatherapy, classical acupuncture, energy medicine, biophysical devices (electricity, light, and magnetism), massage and touch therapies, traditional osteopathy, reflexology, vitalism, and yoga. New research studies explain how and why CAM therapies work, and also demonstrate that they do work, in areas such as acupuncture, energy healing, and mind-body therapies. Expanded content on basic sciences includes biophysics, ecology, ethnomedicine, neurobiology, and pschoneuroimmunology, providing the scientific background needed to learn and practice CAM and integrative medicine. Expanded coverage of nutrition and hydration includes practical information on Vitamin D and healthy hydration with fluid and electrolytes.
Explores the legal issues that health care providers, institutions, and regulators confront as they contemplate integrating complementary and alternative medicine into mainstream U.S. health care. A third of all Americans use complementary and alternative medicine—including chiropractic, acupuncture, homeopathy, naturopathy, nutritional and herbal treatments, and massage therapy—even when their insurance does not cover it and they have to pay for such treatments themselves. Nearly a third of U.S. medical schools offer courses on complementary and alternative therapies. Congress has created an Office of Alternative Medicine within the National Institutes of Health, and federal and state lawmakers have introduced legislation authorizing widespread use of such therapies. These institutional and legislative developments, argues Michael H. Cohen, express a paradigm shift to a broader, more inclusive vision of health care than conventional medicine admits. Cohen explores the legal issues that health care providers (both conventional and alternative), institutions, and regulators confront as they contemplate integrating complementary and alternative medicine into mainstream U.S. health care. Challenging traditional ways of thinking about health, disease, and the role of law in regulating health, Cohen begins by defining complementary and alternative medicine and then places the regulation of orthodox and alternative health care in historical context. He next examines the legal ramifications of complementary and alternative medicine, including state medical licensing laws, legislative limitations on authorized practice, malpractice liability, food and drug laws, professional disciplinary issues, and third-party reimbursement. The final chapter provides a framework for thinking about the possible evolution of the regulatory structure. This book is the first to set forth the emerging moral and legal authority on which the safe and effective practice of alternative health care can rest. It further suggests how regulatory structures might develop to support a comprehensive, holistic, and balanced approach to health, one that permits integration of orthodox medicine with complementary and alternative medicine, while continuing to protect patients from fraudulent and dangerous treatments.
The most complete resource of its kind on alternative medicine• Herbal remedies, dietary supplements, and alternative therapiesTheir specific usesWhich ones really work (and which ones don’t)What to watch out for• Christian versus non-Christian approaches to holistic health• Clinically proven treatments versus unproven or quack treatments• Truths and fallacies about supernatural healing• Ancient medical lore: the historical, cultural, and scientific facts• And much, much moreAlternative Medicine is the first comprehensive guidebook to nontraditional medicine written from a distinctively Christian perspective. Keeping pace with the latest developments and research in alternative medicine, this thoroughly revised edition combines the most current information with an easy-to-use format. University lecturer and researcher Dónal O’Mathúna, PhD, and national medical authority Walt Larimore, MD, provide detailed and balanced answers to your most pressing questions about alternative medicine—and to other questions you wouldn’t have thought to ask.Also includesTwo alphabetical reference sections:Alternative therapiesHerbal remedies, vitamins, and dietary supplementsA description of each therapy and remedy, an analysis of claims, results of actual studies, cautions, recommendations, and further resourcesHandy cross-references linking health problems with various alternative therapies and herbal remedies reviewed in the book
Integration of complementary and alternative medicine therapies (CAM) with conventional medicine is occurring in hospitals and physicians offices, health maintenance organizations (HMOs) are covering CAM therapies, insurance coverage for CAM is increasing, and integrative medicine centers and clinics are being established, many with close ties to medical schools and teaching hospitals. In determining what care to provide, the goal should be comprehensive care that uses the best scientific evidence available regarding benefits and harm, encourages a focus on healing, recognizes the importance of compassion and caring, emphasizes the centrality of relationship-based care, encourages patients to share in decision making about therapeutic options, and promotes choices in care that can include complementary therapies where appropriate. Numerous approaches to delivering integrative medicine have evolved. Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States identifies an urgent need for health systems research that focuses on identifying the elements of these models, the outcomes of care delivered in these models, and whether these models are cost-effective when compared to conventional practice settings. It outlines areas of research in convention and CAM therapies, ways of integrating these therapies, development of curriculum that provides further education to health professionals, and an amendment of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act to improve quality, accurate labeling, research into use of supplements, incentives for privately funded research into their efficacy, and consumer protection against all potential hazards.
