Complementary medicine includes many different techniques for treating a patient and is becoming increasingly popular. Half of all general practices in England now offer some access to complementary or alternative medicine. And according to one recent survey, one Briton in five now uses complementary medicine. However, some hard-line scientists argue that there should be no such thing as complementary or alternative medicine. This book provides a useful up-to-date overview of the main treatments in complementary medicine and discusses their effectiveness.
The information comes from a wide variety of sources and includes government reports and statistics, newspaper reports, features, magazine articles and surveys, literature from lobby groups and charitable organisations.
Table of Contents
Chapter One: Complementary Medicine
What is complementary medicine?, What is natural medicine?, About acupuncture, Osteopathy in the UK, Chiropractic, Categories of CAM disciplines, Professional aromatherapy, Herbal medicine, Homeopathy simply explained, Chinese herbal medicine, Popularity of therapies, Reflexology, Iridology, Naturopathy definitions, What is spiritual healing and what does it do?, GPs offer patients complementary medicine.
Chapter Two: The Debate
When theres no real alternative, The alternative professor, Reasons for using CAM, Hands-on healing, or a con?, Alternative therapies win NHS backing, Building confidence in CAM, Complementary and alternative therapies, Why bogus therapies seem to work, An iguana a day keeps the doctor away?, Mean expenditure, Setting the agenda for the future, Consumer campaign for herbal remedies, Global strategy.
Key Facts
Additional Resources
Index
Complementary Medicine (CM) includes many different techniques of treating a patient. These are based on systems practised thousands of years ago and can in fact be considered to be the original forms of medicine. (p. 1)
Natural medicine is an umbrella term that includes an enormous range of approaches from aromatherapy to visualisation. (p. 4)
Acupuncture is a treatment which can relieve symptoms of some physical and psychological conditions and may encourage the patient's body to heal and repair itself, if it is able to do so. (p. 5)
Osteopathy is an established recognised system of diagnosis and treatment, which lays its main emphasis on the structural and functional integrity of the body. (p. 6)
Chiropractors treat problems with your joints, bones and muscles, and the effects they have on your nervous system. (p. 8)
Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of essential oils to relieve nervous stress, enhance wellbeing, and promote health and vitality. (p. 10)
Herbal medicine is the use of plant remedies in the treatment of disease. It is the oldest known form of medicine. (p. 11)
Homeopathy is an effective and scientific system of healing which assists the natural tendency of the body to heal itself. It recognises that all symptoms of ill health are expressions of disharmony within the whole person and that it is the patient who needs treatment not the disease. (p. 12)
Chinese herbal medicine is one of the great herbal systems of the world, with an unbroken tradition going back to the 3rd century BC. (p. 14)
Reflexology is a method of bringing about relaxation, balance and healing through the stimulation of particular points on the feet, or sometimes on the hands. (p. 15)
Iridology complements all therapeutic sciences because it provides vital information needed in order to establish the root cause of ailments, revealing the appropriate treatments required. (p. 17)
Half of general practices in England now offer patients some access to complementary or alternative medicines. (p. 21)
One Briton in five uses complementary medicine, and according to the most recent Mintel survey, one in 10 uses herbalism or homeopathy. Around £130 million is spent on oils, potions and pills every year in Britain, and the complementary and alternative medicine industry is estimated to be worth £1.6 billion. (p. 28))
Complementary therapies are used alongside conventional medical treatments. Some of them have been scientifically tested and can be useful to help patients relax and cope with stress, pain and side effects of standard cancer treatment. Alternative therapies are more often used instead of conventional medical treatment. (p. 32)
52% would buy complementary health products on the back of a newspaper or magazine recommendation. (p. 35)
At least 40% of general practices in the UK provide some form of complementary services. (p. 37)
In France, 75% of the population has used complementary medicine at least once; in Germany, 77% of pain clinics provide acupuncture; and in the United Kingdom, expenditure on complementary or alternative medicine stands at US$ 2300 million per year. (p. 39)
Alternative Therapies Study Guide
Each book in the Issues series has a study guide. These four-page guides provide a variety of discussion points and other activities to suit a wide range of ability levels and interests.
Publisher: Independence Educational Publishers
Price: £1.50
ISBN: 978 1 86168 294 9
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