The use of complementary therapies is exploding, increasing the pressure to establish a rigorous science to support its practice. Clinical Research in Complementary Therapies: Principles, Problems and Solutions provides students with the tools they need to research complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) and so fill this gap. Essential for both undergraduate and postgraduate students, this second edition is significantly updated and enhanced. Part 1 deals with research strategies and methods, explaining the major types of clinical research in CIM and how these inter-relate. New chapters are included on whole systems research, qualitative research and questionnaire development. Not all therapies can be treated the same way nor channeled through the signal process of randomized controlled trials. Therefore, detailed description of mixed methods approaches including observational, qualitative, cost-benefit and comparative effectiveness research are described. Part 2 deals with specific complementary therapies and how they are invested by experts in each field. The book analyses the key questions asked and the controversies debated in complementary medicine research and offers clear and innovative guidance for answering these questions. FEATURES . Provides an overarching synthesis of methods in CIM and how they are to be used collectively including the role of comparative effectiveness research . Suggests both general and specific factors which need to be considered in assessing or planning complementary therapy research . Pinpoints aspects of research which are different in orthodox research and complementary therapy research . Reviews the types of research carried out in specific complementary therapies and analyses issues which arise . Includes information on measuring the economic cost and benefits of complementary medicine, clinical audit and the role of placebos use . Builds upon recent research results, looks at the lessons these provide for all complementary therapies and suggests key issues to address in future research. . Provides an overarching synthesis of methods in CIM and how they are to be used collectively including the role of comparative effectiveness research . Suggests both general and specific factors which need to be considered in assessing or planning complementary therapy research . Pinpoints aspects of research which are different in orthodox research and complementary therapy research . Reviews the types of research carried out in specific complementary therapies and analyses issues which arise . Includes information on measuring the economic cost and benefits of complementary medicine, clinical audit and the role of placebos use . Builds upon recent research results, looks at the lessons these provide for all complementary therapies and suggests key issues to address in future research.

Do you know the precise location and actions of BL-17? Do you really know the difference between the finger-cun and body-cun? Did you know that many of the master points are located on the ren mai? You don't have much time to spend for looking for points for particular conditons. Answers to these questions and much more are all waiting for you in this book by Gertrude Kubiena and her team.. They have succeeded in presenting acupuncture and TCM in a concise way, pointing out principles and connections and therefore making clinical application easier. Features Unique presentation of all meridian pathways and points in one illustration Includes specific features and usage for particular conditions of each point All points for a particular disorder accessible in one glance - for easier use in the clinic and time-saving

This manual teaches students and practitioners how to assess health and disease from an energetic perspective. It allows them to integrate energetic concepts into medical practice. Exploring the concept of health and disease from the perspectives of quantum physics and energetic principles, Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Naturopathic medicine and Polarity Therapy, the book uses case histories to illustrate the application of energetic methods to practice. Case histories are accompanied by illustrations and give details of assessment made, treatment recommended and results of treatment. All concepts and practices advocated are critically assessed and supported by evidence.

A pathbreaking reference text detailing over 220 botanical remedies in Western herbal medicine. Comprehensive and detailed, this revised and enlarged 4th edition draws on Chinese and Greek herbal medicine to integrate traditional herbal energetics with the latest findings in plant pharmacology, using traditional vitalistic and modern scientific systems of herbal medicine are complementary paradigms, rather than irreconcilable approaches. Using both systems simultaneously will greatly enhance the efficacy of herbal formulation in clinical practice, as well as provide a deeper understanding of each system. The Energetics of Western Herbal Medicine includes detailed practical instructions for preparing and using herbal remedies for internal and topical use, including fourteen new herbs, including Schisandra, Rehmannia, Rhodiola, Eleuthero, Devil’s claw, White peony, Asian ginseng, Asian buplever and Baikal skullcap. The introductions to each herb class, which explore the treatment strategies behind the various types of herbs, have been rewritten to include much new clinical material as well as to reflect current knowledge. In addition, the whole text has been re-typeset for greater user friendliness as a practical herbal medicine reference.  For each herb, it includes the most useful preparation forms, along with important dosage, caution and contraindication information. For this fourth edition, the detailed dosages for tincture, infusion and decoction preparations have been fully updated, based on current Western herbal medicine practice, and the tincture strength and ethanol content information have been added for every herb.

The placebo elicits more passionate debate, scepticism and personal belief than almostany other aspect of medicine. As yet there are no concrete answers - but many challenging observations and powerful effects occur daily in healthcare which need to be examined. This book will stimulate and inform every reader from the experienced practitioner to the new student who has ever asked, What is the placebo really, and why should it matter to me?Written in an accessible and engaging style with contributions from leading figures in healthcare, it tackles issues of the placebo effect in complementary medicine.A clear and engaging exploration of a highly topical subject A clinicians route map through the visible territory and the known research in this areaA fair and even analysis of the possibilities and implications of the topic in clinical practice

There has been a rapid increase in the interest of safe complementary and alternative approaches to healthcare in pregnancy and childbirth. For those working in maternity care who seek the evidence base for therapeutic approaches, this book offers a comprehensive guide to the principles and practice of complementary therapies, and their application to expectant andnew mothers and their babies.History and background are given for each therapy, using a specifically midwifery perspective Contraindications and appropriate conditions to treat are specified Up-to-date research is included, as more research is available than ever before and so the midwife has to be able to make accurate assessments based on evidence. Legislative and professional conduct issues are covered ,putting the information into a clear midwifery context and giving guidelines to enable the midwife to deal confidently with new therapeutic approachesComprehensively updated with new research studies where available New chapters on chiropractic, hypnotherapy, Bach flower remedies, Alexander technique

Acupuncture: a scientific appraisal takes an evaluative approach, summarising the evidence for acupuncture in an impartial way. An international team of specialist contributors brings a wide range of expertise to the book, drawing together different facets of research and clinical practice to provide a cohesive look at acupuncture today. The increasing integration of acupuncture into health care services in the west, requires stringent criteria of efficacy, safety and cost in order to provide optimal benefit for patients, at minimal risk. All professionals involved in the delivery of healthcare will find this new book of great interest. The conclusions reached should provide a focus for future debate. Fully referenced throughout, Acupuncture: a scientific appraisal is an easily accessible, balanced source of information for all practitioners of acupuncture. Healthcare providers, complementary therapists and members of the primary healthcare team will also find this an invaluable purchase. * examines acupuncture's possible mechanisms of action * contains chapters on both Eastern and Western approaches * reviews the evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture

All healthcare professionals working with complementary therapies must be fully aware of legal boundaries, responsibilities and liabilities in the practice of complementary therapies. This book covers all the main topics and principles and deals with points specific to individual therapies, helping practitioners to practice confidently.Legal aspects of using and integrating complementary therapies in health care practice present an area of anxiety for therapists, nurses and others Bridget Dimond is very well known in the UK as a speaker in this topic. It is the subject on which she is most frequently asked to talk at conferences.Information is clearly presented and extremely practical

A clinical handbook for practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that provides quick and easy reference to the selection of herbs for treatment and their action alone and in combination. This is a handbook from two eminent teachers from the Nanjing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine who have between them accumulated over 60 years of clinical practice and teaching. They emphasise how to combine herbs and differentiate between single herbs and formulae depending on the treatment strategy adopted. It contains case histories illustrating how to adapt formulae in practice.A practical, easy-to-use guide for the busy practitioner or student A glossary explains unfamiliar terms Information in tables - for quick identification of herbs and combination of herbs Illustrated with line diagrams showing where the herbs act on the body The authors teach at China's leading college of TCM

What is complementary medicine? Where is the evidence to support its use? What can orthodox medicine learn from holistic principles? Providing a sound introduction to the range of treatments and philosophies usually termed "complementary and alternative medicine", this book offers a systematic explanation of the philosophies and practices that underpin modern complementary medicine. The book examines the rise in popularity of complementary medicine and discusses the challenges of developing a more integrated system of health care.;Drawing on recent research, the text explores the development, application, evidence, contraindications and appropriateness of a wide range of traditional systems of medicine and healing modalities, including: herbal medicine; massage; osteopathy; traditional Chinese medicine; aromatherapy; chiropractic; Ayurveda; yoga; and meditation. Written by researchers, academics and experienced practitioners, it is designed to be used as a reference for students and practitioners in a range of health professions.

When we think of yoga today, we envision spandex-clad, perspiring, toned people brought together in a room filled with yoga mats and engaged in a fitness ritual set apart from day-to-day life. Their aim is to enhance something they all deem sacred: their bodies. In Selling Yoga, Andrea Jain looks at the development of modern, popular yoga and suggests that its practitioners are strategic participants in the contemporary global market for self-developmental products and services. Pre-colonial and early modern yoga systems comprise esoteric techniques that aim at transcendent states of detachment from ordinary and conventional life. In contrast, contemporary popularized yoga aims at immediate self-development through the enhancement of the mind-body complex according to dominant health and fitness paradigms. Postural yoga is prescribed not as an all-encompassing worldview or system of practice, but as one part of self-development that provides increased beauty and flexibility as well as reduced stress; it can be combined with various other worldviews and practices available in the global marketplace. However, Jain argues that yoga systems cannot be reduced to mere commodities-that yoga is, in fact, a religion of consumer culture. It functions as a social ritual that removes individuals from everyday life for the sake of self-development. Yoga brands destabilize the basic utility of yoga commodities and assign to them new meanings that represent the fulfillment of self-developmental needs deemed sacred in contemporary consumer culture.

A simple, go-to guide to treating chronic pain with trigger point therapy for physical therapists, bodyworkers, and patients From the bestselling author of The Concise Book of Trigger Points This pocket-sized guide covers practical information about the trigger points-the painful knots that can form in tissues like muscles and fascia-that are central to addressing acute and chronic pain with massage, bodywork, and physical therapy. Full-color illustrations and charts help practitioners, students, and patients identify trigger points and address referred pain patterns with ease. The first chapter introduces relevant information on fascia and myofascial meridians and provides an overview of trigger point symptoms, classification, and formation. Subsequent chapters are organized by muscle group and feature concise-yet comprehensive-sections on each of the main skeletal muscles and their trigger points. Common conditions, such as headaches and back pain, are explored for all of the muscle groups, including the muscles of the: * Face, head, and neck * Trunk and spine * Shoulder and arm * Forearm and hand * Hip and thigh * Leg and foot Written in clear, accessible language, this essential guide offers a wealth of knowledge to the lay reader, the student, or the practitioner.