"Plant Spirit Wisdom" expands on the herbal and shamanic healing practices introduced in "Plant Spirit Shamanism", the author's most recent (2006) and currently best-selling book on traditional plant medicines and techniques for healing the soul. Whereas his previous book takes a cross-cultural perspective, however, "Plant Spirit Wisdom" focuses on the Celtic and native (European and American) use of herbs and plants in spiritual healing. At its core is the wisdom and plant folklore stemming from Welsh and Irish practices, paganism, shamanism, and herbalism, and especially sin eating (a little-known Celtic spiritual practice which works with energy medicine and the spirit - rather than the pharmacology - of herbs and plants).To the sin eater, the soul is a web of energy which connects us to everyone and everything, and this energy can be depleted or lost when we act out of accordance with our spiritual purpose. Plants and spiritual practices are used to rebalance this energy, release old attachments, and repattern ourselves for a more positive and healthier life. The approach is exactly the same as that used by shamans in, for example, the Amazon, the Andes, Haiti, and among Native American healers, and yet little has been written of it from our own native perspective.

This 29th volume of the Evidence-based Clinical Chinese Medicine series aims to provide a multi-faceted 'whole evidence' analysis of the management of cervical radiculopathy in integrative Chinese medicine.Beginning with overviews of how cervical radiculopathy is conceptualised and managed in both conventional medicine and contemporary Chinese medicine, the authors then provide detailed analyses of how cervical radiculopathy was treated with herbal medicine and acupuncture in past eras.In the subsequent chapters, the authors provide a comprehensive review of the current state of the clinical trial evidence for Chinese herbal medicines (Chapter 5), acupuncture (Chapter 7), other Chinese medicine therapies (Chapter 8), and combination Chinese medicine therapies (Chapter 9) in the management of cervical radiculopathy, as well as an analysis and evaluation of the results of these studies from an evidence-based medicine perspective. Chapter 6 provides a review and summary of the experimental evidence for the bioactivity of commonly used Chinese herbs. The outcomes of these analyses are summarised and discussed in Chapter 10. The implications for the clinical practice of Chinese medicine and for future research are also identified.This book can inform clinicians and students in the fields of integrative medicine and Chinese medicine regarding contemporary practice and the current evidence base for a range of Chinese medicine therapies used in the management of Cervical Radiculopathy, including herbal formulas and acupuncture treatments, in order to assist clinicians in making evidence-based decisions in patient care.