Snake Oil Science

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Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 019975859X
Total Pages : 348 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (997 download)

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Book Synopsis Snake Oil Science by : R. Barker Bausell PhD

Download or read book Snake Oil Science written by R. Barker Bausell PhD and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2009-07-31 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Millions of people worldwide swear by such therapies as acupuncture, herbal cures, and homeopathic remedies. Indeed, complementary and alternative medicine is embraced by a broad spectrum of society, from ordinary people, to scientists and physicians, to celebrities such as Prince Charles and Oprah Winfrey. In the tradition of Michael Shermers Why People Believe Weird Things and Robert Parks's Voodoo Science, Barker Bausell provides an engaging look at the scientific evidence for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and at the logical, psychological, and physiological pitfalls that lead otherwise intelligent people--including researchers, physicians, and therapists--to endorse these cures. The books ultimate goal is to reveal not whether these therapies work--as Bausell explains, most do work, although weakly and temporarily--but whether they work for the reasons their proponents believe. Indeed, as Bausell reveals, it is the placebo effect that accounts for most of the positive results. He explores this remarkable phenomenon--the biological and chemical evidence for the placebo effect, how it works in the body, and why research on any therapy that does not factor in the placebo effect will inevitably produce false results. By contrast, as Bausell shows in an impressive survey of research from high-quality scientific journals and systematic reviews, studies employing credible placebo controls do not indicate positive effects for CAM therapies over and above those attributable to random chance. Here is not only an entertaining critique of the strangely zealous world of CAM belief and practice, but it also a first-rate introduction to how to correctly interpret scientific research of any sort. Readers will come away with a solid understanding of good vs. bad research practice and a healthy skepticism of claims about the latest miracle cure, be it St. John's Wort for depression or acupuncture for chronic pain.

Alternative Medicine

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Publisher : Nova Biomedical Books
ISBN 13 : 9781634848268
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (482 download)

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Book Synopsis Alternative Medicine by : E. Paul Cherniack

Download or read book Alternative Medicine written by E. Paul Cherniack and published by Nova Biomedical Books. This book was released on 2016 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) today attracts significant attention through online health and consumer forums, professional CAM-practitioner associations and conferences, the recent growth in integrative biomedicine, and through the influence of advertisements and documentary presentations in mass media. A majority or large minority of consumers in developed countries regularly resort to professional CAM for supportive treatment for sickness in the form of chiropractic, osteopathic, prescribed dietary changes, acupuncture, massage, homeopathy, naturopathy and herbal medicine, and also use numerous associated lifestyle practices such as vegetarianism, nutritional supplementation, yoga and tai chi for self-treatment and to maintain general wellbeing. Many leading health insurance funds now provide generous rebates against out-of-pocket fees paid by consumers for private-sector CAM consultations. Furthermore, populations of developing countries continue to depend heavily on traditional herbal medicine and psycho-spiritual practices for their healing, on account of pharmaceutical treatments being often unaffordable or unavailable to them. Chapters of this book include literature reviews (such as study findings about the benefits of CAM for elderly persons and of laughter therapy, from the USA, and herbal treatments for pain, in Mauritius), and original studies (poor CAM consumers in Australia, the location of naturopaths' practice in Canada, and the use of mindfulness meditation among nursing students in Scotland). Study findings presented here are enjoyable in their diversity, and add to contemporary literature both by presenting common perceptions about CAM, by engaging in discussion of its prevalence and popularity in diverse contexts, and the contentious topic of placebo effect and the questions that arise as to how to prove effectiveness for alternative healing methods, while reviewing some potential clinical benefits.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine

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Publisher : JHU Press
ISBN 13 : 1421400464
Total Pages : 294 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (214 download)

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Book Synopsis Complementary and Alternative Medicine by : Michael H. Cohen

Download or read book Complementary and Alternative Medicine written by Michael H. Cohen and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 1998-02-02 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine - E-Book

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Author :
Publisher : Elsevier Health Sciences
ISBN 13 : 1437727050
Total Pages : 625 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (377 download)

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Book Synopsis Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine - E-Book by : Marc S. Micozzi

Download or read book Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine - E-Book written by Marc S. Micozzi and published by Elsevier Health Sciences. This book was released on 2010-04-01 with total page 625 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States

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Author :
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309133424
Total Pages : 360 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States by : Institute of Medicine

Download or read book Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2005-04-13 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 644 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (1 download)

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Book Synopsis Complementary and Alternative Medicine by : Steven B. Kayne

Download or read book Complementary and Alternative Medicine written by Steven B. Kayne and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 644 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Complementary and Alternative Medicine is a comprehensive introduction to the most commonly used complementary disciplines, covering theory, practical aspects, safety and current scientific thinking. The book is divided into four parts:* general aspects of complementary and alternative medicine * therapies involving the use of medicines, with guidance as to how they may be integrated into practice * traditional medicine * other complementary therapies and diagnostic procedures. This second edition has been updated and expanded. It has three important new chapters covering integrative medicine, pharmacovigilance and complementary and alternative medicine in the United States.Written for healthcare professionals, students, pharmacists and patients interested in this discipline, this book provides an excellent guide to complementary and alternative medicine.Steven Kayne is Honorary Consultant Pharmacist, Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital and Honorary Lecturer, University of Strathclyde School of Pharmacy, UK.

More Harm than Good?

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Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 3319699415
Total Pages : 240 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (196 download)

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Book Synopsis More Harm than Good? by : Edzard Ernst

Download or read book More Harm than Good? written by Edzard Ernst and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-01-11 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book reveals the numerous ways in which moral, ethical and legal principles are being violated by those who provide, recommend or sell ‘complementary and alternative medicine’ (CAM). The book analyses both academic literature and internet sources that promote CAM. Additionally the book presents a number of brief scenarios, both hypothetical and real-life, about individuals who use CAM or who fall prey to ethically dubious CAM practitioners. The events and conundrums described in these scenarios could happen to almost anyone. Professor emeritus of complementary medicine Edzard Ernst together with bioethicist Kevin Smith provide a thorough and authoritative ethical analysis of a range of CAM modalities, including acupuncture, chiropractic, herbalism, and homeopathy. This book could and should interest all medical professionals who have contact to complementary medicine and will be an invaluable reference for patients deliberating which course of treatment to adopt.

The ACP Evidence-based Guide to Complementary & Alternative Medicine

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Author :
Publisher : ACP Press
ISBN 13 : 1934465658
Total Pages : 478 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (344 download)

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Book Synopsis The ACP Evidence-based Guide to Complementary & Alternative Medicine by : Bradly P. Jacobs

Download or read book The ACP Evidence-based Guide to Complementary & Alternative Medicine written by Bradly P. Jacobs and published by ACP Press. This book was released on 2009 with total page 478 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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:

Research Made Easy in Complementary and Alternative Medicine

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Publisher : Made Easy
ISBN 13 : 9780443070334
Total Pages : 215 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (73 download)

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Book Synopsis Research Made Easy in Complementary and Alternative Medicine by : Mark Kane

Download or read book Research Made Easy in Complementary and Alternative Medicine written by Mark Kane and published by Made Easy. This book was released on 2004 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Highly engaging and visually attractive, this clear and lively introduction to research is designed to help readers gain confidence and initiate small practice-based research projects. Providing a foundation in understanding research, it includes valuable information on how to get started, how to formulate useful and answerable research questions, a range of methodologies set in terms of their usefulness and limitations, strategies for seeing a project through completion, and writing up the results. Pitfalls and pointers are also highlighted along the way. Provides a realistic and clear introduction to understanding research Features simple explanation of all key concepts Offers clear guidance on how to formulate and initiate a project Includes a summary of pros and cons of each research methodology Provides examples relating to each method Includes checklists, summary boxes, warnings, tips and illustrations in abundance

The Desktop Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicine

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Publisher : Mosby
ISBN 13 : 9780723433835
Total Pages : 556 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (338 download)

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Book Synopsis The Desktop Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicine by : Edzard Ernst

Download or read book The Desktop Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicine written by Edzard Ernst and published by Mosby. This book was released on 2006 with total page 556 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Includes CD-ROM with fully searchable text and links to Medline.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine

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Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 3319739395
Total Pages : 343 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (197 download)

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Book Synopsis Complementary and Alternative Medicine by : Caragh Brosnan

Download or read book Complementary and Alternative Medicine written by Caragh Brosnan and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-03-26 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines how complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) – as knowledge, philosophy and practice – is constituted by, and transformed through, broader social developments. Shifting the sociological focus away from CAM as a stable entity that elicits perceptions and experiences, chapters explore the forms that CAM takes in different settings, how global social transformations elicit varieties of CAM, and how CAM philosophies and practices are co-produced in the context of social change. Through engagement with frameworks from Science and Technology Studies (STS), CAM is reconceptualised as a set of practices and knowledge-making processes, and opened up to new forms of analysis. Part 1 of the book explores how and why boundaries within CAM and between CAM and other health practices, are being constructed, challenged and changed. Part 2 asks how CAM as material practice is shaped by politics and regulation in a range of national settings. Part 3 examines how evidence is being produced and used in CAM research and practice. Including studies of CAM in Eastern and Western Europe, Asia, and North and South America, the volume will appeal to postgraduate students, researchers and health practitioners.

Alternative Medicine

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Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 : 0313068348
Total Pages : 241 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (13 download)

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Book Synopsis Alternative Medicine by : Christine A. Larson

Download or read book Alternative Medicine written by Christine A. Larson and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2006-12-30 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every day, newspapers and television news programs present stories on the latest controversies over healthcare and medical advances, but they do not have the space to provide detailed background on the issues. Websites and weblogs provide information from activists and partisans intent on presenting their side of a story. But where can students - or even ordinary citizens - go to obtain unbiased, detailed background on the medical issues affecting their daily lives? This volume in the Health and Medical Issues Today series provides readers and researchers with a balanced, in-depth introduction to the medical, scientific, legal, and cultural issues surrounding alternative medicine and its importance in today's world of healthcare. Alternative Medicine is organized to provide students and researchers with easy access to the information they need: Section 1 provides overview chapters on the background information needed to intelligently understand the issues and controversies surrounding complementary and alternative therapies, such as the theories that serve as the foundation for alternative treatments. Section 2 offers concise examinations of the contemporary issues and debates that provoke the most heated disagreements and misunderstandings, such as the debates over the efficacy of alternative treatments and whether the government should regulate herbal treatments. Section 3 includes reference material on alternative medicine, including primary source documents from important clinicians and researchers in the debate over alternative treatments, a timeline of important events, and an annotated bibliography of useful print and electronic resources. This volume in the Health and Medical Issues Today series provides everything a student requires to understand the issues involved in alternative medicine and serves as a springboard for further research into the issue.

Yoga Therapy & Integrative Medicine

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Publisher : Basic Health Publications
ISBN 13 : 9781591203667
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (36 download)

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Book Synopsis Yoga Therapy & Integrative Medicine by : Larry Payne

Download or read book Yoga Therapy & Integrative Medicine written by Larry Payne and published by Basic Health Publications. This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Place of publication transcribed from publisher's web site.

Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries

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Publisher : World Bank Publications
ISBN 13 : 0821361805
Total Pages : 1449 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (213 download)

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Book Synopsis Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries by : Dean T. Jamison

Download or read book Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries written by Dean T. Jamison and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2006-04-02 with total page 1449 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on careful analysis of burden of disease and the costs ofinterventions, this second edition of 'Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries, 2nd edition' highlights achievable priorities; measures progresstoward providing efficient, equitable care; promotes cost-effectiveinterventions to targeted populations; and encourages integrated effortsto optimize health. Nearly 500 experts - scientists, epidemiologists, health economists,academicians, and public health practitioners - from around the worldcontributed to the data sources and methodologies, and identifiedchallenges and priorities, resulting in this integrated, comprehensivereference volume on the state of health in developing countries.

Do You Believe in Magic?

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Publisher : Harper Collins
ISBN 13 : 0062223003
Total Pages : 291 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (622 download)

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Book Synopsis Do You Believe in Magic? by : Paul A. Offit

Download or read book Do You Believe in Magic? written by Paul A. Offit and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2013-06-18 with total page 291 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A physician offers an impassioned and meticulously researched exposé of the alternative medicine industry, separating the sense from the nonsense. A half century ago, acupuncture, homeopathy, naturopathy, Chinese herbs, Christian exorcisms, dietary supplements, chiropractic manipulations, and ayurvedic remedies were considered on the fringe of medicine. Now these practices—known variably as alternative, complementary, holistic, or integrative medicine—have become mainstream, used by half of all Americans today to treat a variety of conditions, from excess weight to cancer. But alternative medicine is an unregulated industry under no legal obligation to prove its claims or admit its risks, and many popular alternative therapies are ineffective, expensive, or even deadly. In Do You Believe in Magic?, health advocate Dr. Offit debunks the treatments that don’t work and tells us why, and takes on the media celebrities who promote alternative medicine. Using dramatic real-life stories, he separates the sense from the nonsense, explaining why any therapy—alternative or traditional—should be scrutinized. As Dr. Offit explains, some popular therapies are remarkably helpful due to the placebo response, but “there’s no such thing as alternative medicine. There’s only medicine that works and medicine that doesn’t.”

Trick or Treatment?

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Author :
Publisher : Random House
ISBN 13 : 140908180X
Total Pages : 299 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (9 download)

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Book Synopsis Trick or Treatment? by : Dr. Simon Singh

Download or read book Trick or Treatment? written by Dr. Simon Singh and published by Random House. This book was released on 2009-10-06 with total page 299 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Welcome to the world of alternative medicine. Prince Charles is a staunch defender and millions of people swear by it; most UK doctors consider it to be little more than superstition and a waste of money. But how do you know which treatments really heal and which are potentially harmful? Now at last you can find out, thanks to the formidable partnership of Professor Edzard Ernst and Simon Singh. Edzard Ernst is the world's first professor of complementary medicine, based at Exeter University, where he has spent over a decade analysing meticulously the evidence for and against alternative therapies.He is supported in his findings by Simon Singh, the well-known and highly respected science writer of several international bestsellers. Together they have written the definitive book on the subject. It is honest, impartial but hard-hitting, and provides a thorough examination and judgement of more than thirty of the most popular treatments, such as acupuncture, homeopathy, aromatherapy, reflexology, chiropractic and herbal medicine.In Trick or Treatment? the ultimate verdict on alternative medicine is delivered for the first time with clarity, scientific rigour and absolute authority.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1000376931
Total Pages : 148 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (3 download)

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Book Synopsis Complementary and Alternative Medicine by : Kevin Dew

Download or read book Complementary and Alternative Medicine written by Kevin Dew and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-04-20 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Complementary and Alternative Medicine is a sociological investigation of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in contemporary society, and an exploration of the forces throughout the globe, across different institutions, and within different therapeutic spaces, that constrain or foster alternative medicine. Drawing on 30 years of research, the book identifies the trends in the use of CAM and explores the scientific, political and social challenges that CAM faces in relation to orthodox medicine. The author examines the varieties of CAM practices and how they manifest in different institutional spaces – including public inquiries, the orthodox medical practitioner’s consulting room, medical journals and the homes of those who use CAM. It also compares unorthodox practices in different geo-political settings, namely the global north and the global south. This book is valuable reading for higher-level undergraduate and postgraduate social science students, including those in psychology, sociology, anthropology, health sciences and related disciplines. It is relevant for courses in medical sociology, medical anthropology and social science and health, and a broader audience interested in contemporary health issues, controversies and alternative medicine.