Conjure calm and summon serenity with Calming Magic, a soothing introduction to the healing energy of mystical practices, aromatherapy blends, crystal rituals, and more. Use the power of intention, ritual, and spellwork to craft a more peaceful, connected life with Calming Magic. Harnessing ancient wisdom and profound magic, this enchanted guide pairs mindfulness with mysticism to help readers support the body, mind, and heart in times of stress. Organized into three sections -- Peace, Clarity and Creativity -- Calming Magic offers a pathway to tranquility, from quieting anxious thoughts and focusing the mind to cultivating the imagination. Each section incorporates magical practice that fortify the body (with teas, yoga practices and home remedies), the mind (with meditations, spells and feng shui), and the heart (with crystals, tarot readings and rituals). With primers on the foundations of mystical practices, and creative DIYs to customize rituals and spells, this beautiful volume brings magic and harmony into today's hectic world.

The human lumbopelvic area has become the focus of a considerable amount of new and intriguing research relevant to effective diagnosis and treatment of low back pain. Back function has recently been studied from a broader perspective, including the analysis of the coupled function in spine, pelvis and legs. These approaches lead to new questions about dynamic stability and motor control in general, and specifically about the spine and pelvis. These new insights obviously imply new approaches in the prevention and treatment of low back pain and pelvic pain. Unique to this book is its in-depth coverage of this subject area by a team of international contributors who represent the broad range of professionals involved in clinical research and therapy. These experts cover a vast area of lumbopelvic experience, from effective treatment and rehabilitation to epidemiology, anatomy, biomechanics, pain and motor control, surgery and manual therapy. Evidence -based focus Final conclusions including perspectives with each chapter Each chapter is relevant and up to date New high profile contributors Updated references Introduction and closure for each chapter Special attention given to stability and muscle function

Although research and practice in hypnosis has seen unprecedented expansion, there has been a definite lack of inclusive and comprehensive surveys to aid the student and researcher. This collection of original chapters written by leading experimental investigators is the first work to offer a current state-of-the-art in hypnosis research. A compendium of the historical background, theories, issues, and trends in hypnosis, this volume represents all major experimental viewpoints while providing a virtual "who's who" in the field of hypnosis.
The first two chapters (written by the editors) establish the current theoretical base of the field and review the historical background. Seventeen contributions focus directly on key aspects of present day hypnosis research. These contributions are organized as surveys of broad topic areas, descriptions in depth of individual investigator's programmatic lines of research, and reports on research within specific areas, especially those representing new viewpoints and holding promise for programmatic development. A final chapter develops questions for future research.
Offering an inclusive survey of the field from its historical inceptions to its current and predictive state, this book presents many new ideas while updating established positions in research and theory. The vital areas covered in connection with hypnosis include: psychophysiology, creativity, dreams, imagination, suggestibility, simulator controls, cognitive activity, and ego-psychological theory. In addition there are chapters on hypnosis as a research method, the measurement of altered states of consciousness, and hypnotic programming techniques in psychological experiments. "Hypnosis: Research Developments and Perspectives" is written for researchers in hypnosis and clinical practitioners in medicine and psychology. The book will serve as a basic text in all courses in hypnosis at the graduate level.
, One man alone cannot construct an entire profession, but David Shakow is one of the architects responsible for shaping clinical psychology into the profession it is today. Reflecting the ideas of a man whose name is synonymous with the field, this volume brings together for the first time his most significant papers in this area and presents a comprehensive, far-reaching overview of clinical psychology addressed to all of its professionals and students.
Dr. Shakow's forty years of influence as a clinician, training program administrator, professor, researcher, and public servant are profoundly reflected in these papers. They offer insight into the work and world of the clinician, the nature of training programs, the history and development of the profession, and the relationship between clinical psychology and other disciplines. Not simply a descriptive record of one man's achievements, the thinking mirrored in this volume is pertinent, even crucial, to the future development of the field.
The author's persistent and continuing concern for top quality in training and practice pervades these essays, making them a unified chronicle of the professional growth of clinical psychology and of a master professional's ideas and involvements with the problems and issues in his field. No clinician or student can fully understand the nature of the field, how it came to be, and where it is going, without reading this volume.
"David Shakow" (1901-1981) was Senior Research Psychologist at the National Institute of Mental Health. He was Chief Psychologist and Director of Psychological Research at the Worcester State Hospital for eighteen years. He has taught at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and at the University of Chicago, He was also Chief Psychologist at the Illinois Neuropsychiatric Institute and a past president of the Division of Clinical Psychology of the American Psychological Association as well as chairman of the Association's Committee on Training in Clinical Psychology.
"Erika Fromm" (1909-2003) was Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Chicago; she was President of the American Board of Psychological Hypnosis, and the Clinical Editor of the "International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis" and associate editor of "The Bulletin of the British Society of Experimental and Clinical Hypnosis." She was also past president of The American Psychological Association psychological hypnosis division, Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, and American Board of Psychological Hypnosis. Ronald E. Shor is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of New Hampshire and Vice-Chairman of the Education and Research Foundation of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis.

Healing Plants of Nigeria: Ethnomedicine and Therapeutic Applications offers comprehensive information on the use of herbal medicines in West Africa. Combining an evidence-based, ethnobotanical perspective with a pharmacological and pharmaceutical approach to phytomedicine, the book bridges the gap between the study of herbal plants' pharmacological properties and active compounds for the development of clinical drugs and community-oriented approaches, emphasising local use. It demonstrates how the framework of African traditional medicine can be preserved in a contemporary clinical context. The book outlines the history and beliefs surrounding the traditional use of herbs by the local population alongside their application in contemporary phytotherapy in Nigeria and West Africa. It features a critical assessment of the scientific rationale behind the use of these plants in ethnomedicine and offers a composite catalogue of phytotherapeutic and wellness agents, detailing the safety profile, efficacy, and scientific integrity of plants used to treat diseases and optimise health. Features: An ethnobotanical survey containing over 200 full-colour photographs of Nigerian and West African plants. A unique combination of ethnobotany and pharmacognosy, bridging the divide between pharmaceutical and community-oriented approaches to herbal medicine research. Contextual discussion of the therapeutic potential of Nigerian herbal medicine. Offers a template which can be used to separate the superstitious aspects of ethnomedicine from culturally inherited deposits of knowledge. A handbook for herbal and natural medicine practitioners, the book is aimed at African thinkers, scientists, healthcare providers and students of pharmacology and ethnomedicine.

Complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) have become big business both in Australia and other western countries. Alongside the growing consumption and provision of CAM has emerged a small but significant body of research literature exploring these medicines.
Nevertheless, CAM research is in its infancy and there is a real and urgent need for further capacity building in this area of study. CAM remains heavily under-researched and the growing number of private and University CAM courses and qualifications acknowledge and address this need for further research capacity building. With this context in mind, this book constitutes a valuable and timely resource for those looking to understand, initiate and expand CAM research.
The collection brings together leading international CAM researchers (UK, Germany, Canada, New Zealand and Australia) with backgrounds and expertise in health social science, statistics, qualitative methodology, general practice, clinical trials methodology, clinical pharmacology, health services research and public health. Contributors draw upon their own CAM research work and experience to explain and review core methods and research issues pertinent to the contemporary field of CAM and its future development. The book addresses such questions as: what is the use and limitation of evidence in CAM research? What are the issues facing practitioners (GPs, therapists, nurses, etc) who wish to conduct research? How and why should qualitative methods be combined alongside quantitative methods to help explore CAM? How does the randomized control trial (RCT) method relate to CAM? What types of research questions relating to CAM can be addressed by variousmethods? What should be the future direction of CAM research in terms of public health and policy-related agendas?

A step-by-step guide on how to set up your own complementary health care practice. This book covers every aspect of starting up a new practice, taking into account the wide range of practice requirements from the very simple (e.g. in therapist's own home) to the more ambitious (e.g. buying premises from which to set up a clinic). It covers all the legal requirements, detailed and precise financial calculations and the mechanics of how the therapist goes about making their vision a reality. Day-to-day aspects that need to be considered when the practice is up and running are covered. The manual is relevant for a broad spectrum of complementary practitioners, from chiropractors to massage therapists. Gives clear advice on legal and financial requirements, the production of a marketing strategy and the presentation of the precise financial calculations required for a business plan, with worked examples Includes detailed information on how to write a business plan, with a numerically linked example Covers day-to-day aspects of running a practice International in its approach, the book contains extensive lists of useful web addresses for access to up-to-the-minute information Financial templates are supplied as appendices The book offers key advice for all therapists - chiropractors, osteopaths, massage therapists and complementary therapists - and is suitable for undergraduates, newly qualified practitioners and experienced practitioners looking to either start up or develop and grow their practice.

A single-source reference on the most important and best-investigated Ayurvedic herbs This book examines the clinical information available on more than 60 Ayurvedic herbs to determine how their use in traditional Indian medicine is supported by modern scientific study. Plants are grouped according to body systems and each entry includes a description, information on the source plant, distribution and traditional use, active chemical constituents, relevant pharmacology, and details of clinical studies and safety findings. This unique book also includes a brief history of Ayurveda, examines the history of drug development and evaluation in ancient India, and identifies current trends resulting from scientific investigation. Worldwide interest in Ayurveda is growing quickly, especially in the United States, Europe, and Japan. But until now, information on Western-style clinical trials on Ayurveda herbs has been scattered and no single source for descriptions, comments, and references has existed. Ayurvedic Herbs presents the first critical validation of Ayurvedic medicine, extensively referenced for physicians and clinicians interested in alternative and adjunctive therapies. This unique book is essential for making informed choices on herb use, offering clinical trial data, results of pharmacological studies, and safety information. Ayurvedic Herbs examines: gastrointestinal agents hepatoprotective agents respiratory tract agents cardiovascular drugs urinary tract drugs antirheumatic agents skin and trauma care agents gynecological agents antidiabetic agents CNS agents rasayana drugs dental and ophthamological agents and much more Ayurvedic Herbs includes cross-references to chapters when a particular plant has more than one indication and watercolor illustrations of twelve major herbs.

African-American Slave Medicine offers a critical examination of how African-American slaves medical needs were addressed during the years before and surrounding the Civil War. Drawing upon ex-slave interviews conducted during the 1930s and 1940s by the Works Project Administration (WPA), Dr. Herbert C. Covey inventories many of the herbal, plant, and non-plant remedies used by African-American folk practitioners during slavery. He demonstrates how active the slaves were in their own medical care and the important role faith played in the healing process. This book links each referenced plant or herb to modern scientific evidence to determine its actual worth and effects on the patients. Through his study, Dr. Covey unravels many of the complex social relationships found between the African-American slaves, Whites, folk practitioners, and patients. African-American Slave Medicine is a compelling and captivating read that will appeal to scholars of African-American history and those interested in folk medicine.

The next best thing to knowing something is knowing where to find it. Samuel Johnson The Internet Guide to Herbal Remedies helps you find reliable online resources for the information you need about herbs used to treat a variety of medical conditions, including cancer, heart disease, depression, and AIDS. This easy-to-use consumer guide will help you steer clear of misleadingand potentially harmfulinformation that often amounts to nothing more than a thinly veiled product advertisement, as you search for the accurate and up-to-date news, facts, and advice that are out thereif you know where to look. Author David J. Owen, whose previous book, The Herbal Internet Companion: Herbs and Herbal Medicine Online (Haworth) won the 2002 International Herb Association Book Award, guides you through Web sites, mailing lists, listservs, newsgroups, and databases to uncover safe and sound health information that's aimed at specific conditions and specific populations; there's even a chapter on herbs for pets! You'll find the information you need on the safety and effectiveness of herbal remedies, current laws and regulations governing their use, and the basics of botany, including how herbs are named and what parts of the plants are used. Internet Guide to Herbal Remedies provides the information you need on: decoding herbal product labels general and CAM Web sites PubMed (MEDLINE) Google versus PubMed Web sites that discuss side effects and herb-drug interactions consumer awareness Web sites Web sites for specific diseases and conditions Web sites for specific populations Web addresses, browsers, and navigating Web sites and much more! Internet Guide to Herbal Remedies also includes helpful tables, figures, and screen captures from Web sites. This book is essential for anyone looking for safe and reliable information online.

Covering 400 herbs and supplements, Natural Standard Herb & Supplement Guide: An Evidence-Based Reference provides the high-quality, up-to-date, unbiased information you need to advise your patients. No other book can match its expertise and attention to evidence! Each monograph is concise and easy to read, and includes uses, dosage information, safety considerations, and interactions with drugs and other herbs and supplements. At-a-glance research summaries and an alphabetical organization allow for quick lookup in busy settings! Monographs for the 400 most commonly used and prescribed herbs and supplements - such as arnica, ginseng, lavender, glucosamine, and blue cohosh - provide the information you need for effective clinical decision-making. A unique, evidence-based A-F grading scale evaluates the efficacy of each herb and supplement. Unique! Rating scales show at a glance the quality of available evidence. Updates are peer-reviewed, and include new scientific evidence, dosage recommendations, and more. Dosing information includes dosages for adults and children, and methods for administering. Coverage of allergies, side effects/warnings, and pregnancy/breast-feeding promotes safety by indicating when specific herbs and supplements should not be used, or when caution is required. A review of evidence includes detailed explanations of clinical trials cited and conclusions drawn, especially as they relate to specific diseases and conditions. Evidence tables summarize clinical trial data and provide a quick reference for clinical decision-making. Unique! Cross-referencing by condition and scientific evidence grade provides a convenient decision support tool, making it easy to find the herbs and supplements that may be used for the treatment of particular conditions.

Handbook of Essential Oils: Science, Technology, and Applications presents the development, use and marketing of essential oils. Exciting new topics include insecticidal applications, but there is a continued focus on the chemistry, pharmacology and biological activities of essential oils. The third edition unveils new chapters including the insect repellent and insecticidal activities of essential oils, the synergistic activity with antibiotics against resistant microorganisms, essential oil applications in agriculture, plant-insect interactions, and pheromones and contaminants in essential oils. Features Presents a wide range of topics including sources, production, analysis, storage, transport, chemistry, aromatherapy, pharmacology, toxicology, metabolism, technology, biotransformation, application, utilization, and trade Includes discussions of biological activity testing, results of antimicrobial and antioxidant tests, and penetration enhancing activities useful in drug delivery Covers up-to-date regulations and legislative procedures, together with the use of essential oils in perfumes, cosmetics, feed, food, beverages, and pharmaceutical industries Unveils new chapters including the insect repellent and insecticidal activities of essential oils, the synergistic activity with antibiotics against resistant microorganisms, essential oil applications in agriculture, plant-insect interactions, and pheromones and contaminants in essential oils The American Botanical Council (ABC) named the second edition as the recipient of the 2016 ABC James A. Duke Excellence in Botanical Literature Award and recognized that essential oils are one of the fastest growing segments of the herbal product market

This set of six volumes provides a systematic and standardized description of 23,033 chemical components isolated from 6,734 medicinal plants, collected from 5,507 books/articles published in Chinese and international journals. A chemical structure with stereo-chemistry bonds is provided for each chemical component, in addition to conventional information, such as Chinese and English names, physical and chemical properties. It includes a name list of medicinal plants from which the chemical component was isolated. Furthermore, abundant pharmacological data for nearly 8,000 chemical components are presented, including experimental method, experimental animal, cell type, quantitative data, as well as control compound data. The seven indexes allow for complete cross-indexing. Regardless whether one searches for the molecular formula of a compound, the pharmacological activity of a compound, or the English name of a plant, the information in the book can be retrieved in multiple ways.

This classic guide to healing the body and mind though the power of life energy includes comprehensive instructions for utilizing the technique of affirmation, an explanation of the metaphysical laws governing health, and more than 60 healing affirmations.

In-depth knowledge of the chemistry of medicinal plants is essential in understanding the manifold utilities of such plants; and to enhance our understanding of the quality of raw materials, extracts and formulations; and in marketing plant-derived drugs. The selection of plants studied in this treatise is based on its significance, and its representation of members of different taxonomic families as well as of different classes (and subclasses) of compounds. All the available data on the chemical compounds and the pharmacological studies on these plants/compounds have been incorporated. The plants are arranged by the type and nature of chemical compounds they contain. Secondary metabolites have been included in this volume due to their great therapeutic role.

Stay up-to-date with this important contribution to rationalized botanical medicine The Handbook of Medicinal Plants explores state-of-the-art developments in the field of botanical medicine. Nineteen experts from around the world provide vital information on natural products and herbal medicinesfrom their earliest relevance in various cultures to today's cutting-edge biotechnologies. Educated readers, practitioners, and academics of natural sciences will benefit from the text's rich list of references as well as numerous tables, figures, and color photographs and illustrations. The Handbook of Medicinal Plants is divided into three main sections. The first section covers the use of herbal medicines throughout history in China, Australia, the Americas, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean, emphasizing the need for future medicinal plant research. The second section discusses the latest technologies in production and breeding, crop improvement, farming, and plant research. The third section focuses on groundbreaking advances in the medicinal application of therapeutic herbs. In the Handbook of Medicinal Plants, you will gain new knowledge about: recent research and development in Chinese herbal medicine modern methods of evaluating the efficacy of medicinal plants by screening the newest developments of in vitro cultivation prevention and therapy of cancer and other diseases using medicinal plants the challenges and threats to medicinal plant research today trends in phytomedicine in the new millennium The Handbook of Medicinal Plants demonstrates the global relevance of sharing local knowledge about phytomedicines, and highlights the need to make information on plants available on a worldwide basis. With this book, you can help meet the challenge to find scientifically rationalized medicines that are safer, more effective, and readily available to patients from all walks of life.

Stay up-to-date with this important contribution to rationalized botanical medicine The Handbook of Medicinal Plants explores state-of-the-art developments in the field of botanical medicine. Nineteen experts from around the world provide vital information on natural products and herbal medicinesfrom their earliest relevance in various cultures to today's cutting-edge biotechnologies. Educated readers, practitioners, and academics of natural sciences will benefit from the text's rich list of references as well as numerous tables, figures, and color photographs and illustrations. The Handbook of Medicinal Plants is divided into three main sections. The first section covers the use of herbal medicines throughout history in China, Australia, the Americas, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean, emphasizing the need for future medicinal plant research. The second section discusses the latest technologies in production and breeding, crop improvement, farming, and plant research. The third section focuses on groundbreaking advances in the medicinal application of therapeutic herbs. In the Handbook of Medicinal Plants, you will gain new knowledge about: recent research and development in Chinese herbal medicine modern methods of evaluating the efficacy of medicinal plants by screening the newest developments of in vitro cultivation prevention and therapy of cancer and other diseases using medicinal plants the challenges and threats to medicinal plant research today trends in phytomedicine in the new millennium The Handbook of Medicinal Plants demonstrates the global relevance of sharing local knowledge about phytomedicines, and highlights the need to make information on plants available on a worldwide basis. With this book, you can help meet the challenge to find scientifically rationalized medicines that are safer, more effective, and readily available to patients from all walks of life.

Traditional Chinese medicine commonly prescribes herbal formulas for the prevention and treatment of diseases. Shengmai San, a famous Chinese medicinal formula that has been used for more than eight hundred years in China, is comprised of Radix Ginseng, Fructus Schisandre and Radix Ophiopogonis. Traditionally, Shengmai San is used for the treatment of excessive loss of essence Qi and body fluid that threaten heart failure, particularly in the summer when heat exhaustion and profuse sweating commonly occur. This book provides a comprehensive treatise on the historical, phytochemical, pharmacological/toxicological, clinical as well as pharmaceutical aspects of Shengmai San and its component herbs.

This is the first definitive book to draw on unique, unpublished, professional expertise about the reshaping of herbal medicine in the UK. This book outlines the outcomes of recent examinations, and poses challenging questions about he direction of future herbal medicine policy within the UK. Contributions from Senior Members of the European Herbal Practitioners Association Well written and presented Includes vital issues such as divergent herbal traditions in the UK, history of herbal medicine in Europe, Patient and Public safety and Cultural issues faced integrating traditional systems of medicine within an allopathic medical model

"Chinese Medicine in Early Communist China" describes the transformation of Chinese medicine from a marginal, side-lined medical practice of the mid-twentieth century, to an essential and high-profile part of the national health-care system under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The analysis begins with the start of the Civil war 1945-49, when the CCP was entrenched in rural Yan'an and began to enlist practitioners of Chinese medicine into the communist revolution. Taylor explains that Chinese medicine achieved the scale of promotion it did precisely because it fitted in, sometimes in an almost accidental fashion, with the ideals of the Communist Revolution. In deconstructing the events of this period, this study succeeds in clarifying the circumstances in which a number of key issues in the recent history of Chinese medicine, previously regarded as proof of Mao Zedong's unerring support of Chinese medicine, took place. These include the formation of the term 'Traditional Chinese Medicine' (or 'TCM'), the exact circumstances of Mao Zedong's declaration that 'Chinese medicine is a great treasure-house!' and the unlikely beginnings of the formation of a 'Basic Theory of TCM'. By 1963 the foundation for the institutionalized and standardized format of modern Chinese medicine found in China and abroad today had been laid.

In recent decades various versions of Chinese medicine have begun to be widely practiced in western countries, and the academic study of the subject is now well established. However, there are still few scholarly monographs that describe the history of Chinese medicine and there are none at all on the medieval period. The collection presented here is an example of the kind of international collaboration of research teams, centers and individuals that is required to begin to study the source materials adequately.
The primary sources for this research come from a collection of medieval manuscripts discovered in 1900 in a walled-up room in the Buddhist cave-shrines of Dunhuang, Gansu Province, west China. Dunhuang was formerly an important Silk Road town, and formed the base of one of the first garrisons to be established during the Han period to secure the safe passage of soldiers, officials and traders between east and west. While the majority of the manuscripts stored in the cave are copies of Buddhist scriptural texts, there are also thousands of non-Buddhist texts, both religious and secular. The presence among these of some one hundred medical texts suggests that the Dunhuang prefectural school was a centre for copying and transmitting medical writings. In the collection we find the earliest handwritten copies of well-known classical medical treatises, together with hitherto unknown medical works, including illustrations and charts, texts related to religious and popular healing traditions and, excitingly, extensive portions of texts previously known only through brief quotations in later works.
This is the first book to discuss this fascinating material in a western languagein the century since the Dunhuang library was discovered, and it is likely to remain the only book of its kind in English for a considerable time.

Now updated in its 2nd edition, the first research-based book on this topic examines the direct link between joint dysfunction, the theories of its effects, and the clinical syndromes seen in clinical practice. Scientific evidence is presented for indications and contraindications of subluxation, along with term definitions, basic science and anatomy, subluxation causes, radiographic evidence, manipulable and nonmanipulable subluxation, a theoretical model, and subluxation syndromes. Many of the most respected names in chiropractic have contributed chapters to this book and present the common ground of chiropractic in a logical and understandable manner. Integration of theory and clinical research establishes a necessary foundation for both students and clinicians Many of the most respected names in the chiropractic have contributed chapters to this book and present the common ground of chiropractic in a logical and understandable way Over 200 high-quality illustrations bring important concepts to life Key words and questions related to the objectives are stated at the beginning of each chapter notifying the reader what he should learn from the material Updated coverage includes strengthened kinesiology information, new studies on the headache, new whiplash material, the Chiropractic Paradigm, and the latest research from the field An appendix on spinal subluxation and visceral disorders has been added The latest basic science material incorporated into part one, including an excellent animal model study An appendix on spinal subluxation and visceral disorders has been added The latest basic science material incorporated into part one, including an excellent animal model study

The diagnosis and treatment of disease is a primary concern for health professionals and all of society. With the growing use of alternative medicine, patients can receive a wider scope of potential treatment options. Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Kidney Health provides a thorough examination on the application of alternative medicine in conventional hospital settings with a focus on kidney diseases. Including a range of academic perspectives on topics such as decision management, herbal-drug reactions, and chronic illnesses, this book is an ideal reference source for medical practitioners, professionals, students, researchers, and nurses interested in scientific evidence on the benefits of complementary and alternative medicine.

"The prominence of the Bupleurum species cannot be overstated. Across China and Japan, it serves as a main or supplementary ingredient in over two thirds of traditional medications. For over 2000 years, it has been used to treat fevers, intestinal maladies, malaria, and countless other afflictions. Modern research indicates that it may possess anti-tumor qualities, and researchers continue to report its impact on a wide range of ailments, from hepatitis and epilepsy, to irregularity and menopause, as well as psychosis and schizophrenia. Bupleurum Species: Scientific Evaluation and Clinical Applications brings together the work of leading researchers from Asia and Europe who examine this remarkable genus of plants. Providing a comprehensive look at all aspects relevant to the species, this historic volume- q

Starting from the premise that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a fascinating and fast-changing area of social life, this book explores the challenging issues associated with CAM in the context of the social, political and cultural influences that shape people's health.
Divided into three parts, the introductory chapter sets out the general context of social change, consumption and debate around the rise of public interest in CAM. The first part goes on to argue for and against different classifications of CAM, leading into a discussion of how CAM developed in a political and historical context. The Reader is invited to critically assess the importance of ethics and values to CAM practice and how these inform what practitioners do. The second part focuses on the question of what people want, the changing and contested nature of health, and the nature of personal and social factors associated with the use of CAM. This leads to a focus on 'therapeutic relationships'. The final part of the book examines the diversity of settings in which CAM takes place and the social, political and economic milieu in which CAM is provided and used.
This book will appeal to everyone who is concerned with or has an interest in CAM. It will be of particular interest to people working in the areas of CAM, health and social care and the voluntary sector. Together with its accompanying text, Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Structures and Safeguards, it forms the core text for the Open University course K221 Perspectives on Complementary and Alternative Medicine.