Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 2nd Edition

This popular, evidence-based overview of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) emphasizes clinical research, analyzes the effectiveness of each therapy, and presents practical information on how these therapies can be used to treat health conditions and diseases. It not only acquaints the reader with information about CAM, but provides evidence for the effectiveness of various therapies used to treat medical conditions ranging from allergies to psychiatric conditions - in all populations relevant to CAM including children, women and the elderly. Summary tables embedded throughout highlight clinical data, statistics, and major research findings. More thorough documentation in this edition is achieved through new tables and added commentary on the quality of studies, making research findings more relevant and useful.

Reviews

"[This book is an important contribution to the effort to make unconventional medicine more approachable for health care professionals. Even for the reader who is already familiar with alternative medicine, this book is likely to provide new and valuable information."
-- Ted J. Kaptchuk, O.M.D. , The New England Journal of Medicine, January 1999

"If you need a comprehensive and authoritative yet readable guide to CAM this is it. The authors all 36 of them seem to have genuinely put aside their instinctive bias as enthusiasts to give the reader detailed, objective and thoughtful summaries of the place of CAM in the management of a whole range of conditions...This is a book which stands head and shoulders above the myriad texts on the subject of CAM and it should be on the shelves of anyone who is interested in its evidence base which probably means everyone who practices it or is in any way responsible for it.
"
-- Adrian White , Complementary Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, January 2000

Features

Chapters are grouped according to condition and special populations rather than treatment, so readers can easily compare all possible treatments for a specific condition.
Up-to-date tables allow the reader to see what studies have been done for a certain condition, and what the findings are.
Extensive references and suggested reading lists refer the reader to the most up-to-date or historically relevant sources.
An emphasis on research and clinical studies gives the book a comprehensive focus on CAM treatments and results.
The evidenced-based approach clearly details which therapies are most effective and safe.
Up-to-date tables focusing on critical needs related to demographics, safety, and areas of clinical pain allow summary information to be quickly referenced.
Comprehensive, reliable content presents an unbiased account of CAM that allows the reader to follow the data without excessive commentary from the authors.
A focus on major medical conditions for which there is the most detailed and up-to-date information available allows the reader to learn about the major critical issues of CAM.
The ways in which research methodology can be used to practice evidence-based medicine is reviewed in several chapters.
A focus on special populations, including women, children, and the elderly, presents important CAM considerations for these groups.

What's New

* A new chapter on Legal and Ethical Issues addresses important professional considerations for practice related to CAM, including physician liability, malpractice issues, patient responsibility, and accreditation and licensing of CAM providers
Significant content updates are provided for timely issues such as the use of herbs for depression, the use of massage for anxiety, CAM in pediatric and nursing care situations, and multi-modal therapies for pain
Each table throughout the book has been extensively updated with the latest facts and information
A final summary chapter at the end of the book presents emerging CAM treatments and suggests goals for CAM studies
Much more attention has been paid in this edition to evaluating the quality of research, which allows for concrete and valid conclusions that are supported by science
Appendices have been updated with much more information on research databases, listings, and organizations.

1. Essential Issues in Complementary and Alternative Medicine
2. Pre-Clinical Research as a Bridge to Clinical Research Outcomes in Complementary and Alternative Medicine
3. Complementary/Alternative Therapies Used in the Treatment of Asthma and Allergies
4. Complementary/Alternative Therapies Used in the Treatment of Cancer
5. Complementary/Alternative Therapies Used in the Treatment and Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease
6. Complementary/Alternative Therapies Used in the Treatment of Diabetes
7. Complementary/Alternative Therapies Used in the Treatment of Neurologic Diseases
8. Complementary/Alternative Therapies Used in the Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders
9. Complementary/Alternative Therapies Used in the Treatment of Alcohol and Chemical Dependency
10. Complementary/Alternative Therapies Used in the Treatment of Pain
11. Complementary/Alternative Therapies Used in Select Populations: Children
12. Complementary/Alternative Therapies Used in Select Populations: Women
13. Complementary/Alternative Therapies Used in Select Populations: Elderly
14. Legal and Ethical Issues in Complementary/Alternative Medicine
15. Integration of Clinical Practice and Medical Training with Complementary and Alternative and Evidence-Based Medicine
16. Future Trends and Important Focuses for CAM in the 21st Century
17. Final Summary
Appendix A: Definitions of Complementary/Alternative Therapies Described in the Text
Appendix B: Selected Resources for Complementary/Alternative Medicine
Appendix C: Research Databases
Appendix D: Informed Consent Process Checklist for Physicians Integrating Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Glossary
Index