Complementary Medicine For Dummies (For Dummies (Lifestyles Paperback))

451 Pages·2007·3.36 MB·English

by  Jacqueline Young

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Complementary
Medicine
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by Jacqueline Young
01_026250 ffirs.qxp 6/8/07 6:46 PM Page i
01_026250 ffirs.qxp 6/8/07 6:46 PM Page i
Complementary
Medicine
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by Jacqueline Young
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Complementary Medicine For Dummies®
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About the Author
Jacqueline Youngis uniquely qualified to write this book. She has worked in
both the fields of orthodox and complementary medicine internationally for
over 20 years, practising, studying, teaching, writing, researching, and serv-
ing on committees.
Jacquelineis a qualified clinical psychologist, oriental medical practitioner,
naturopath, and nutritionist. She is also trained in a whole host of comple-
mentary therapies including herbal medicine, homeopathy, flower remedies,
Tibetan medicine, Ayurveda, applied kinesiology, massage, shiatsu, iridology,
nature cure, sound therapy, and various types of bodywork and healing. In
between she qualified as a Sivananda yoga instructor and found time to
squeeze in a brown belt in karate!
On the academic front Jacqueline holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology
and a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and has completed postgradu-
ate education in nutrition, epidemiology, and clinical education. She’s done
her bit serving on professional committees involved in setting national stan-
dards for clinical psychology, acupuncture, and nutrition. She’s taught com-
plementary medicine to doctors, nurses, postgraduates, the general public,
and school children – and anyone else who’s interested.
Jacqueline has practised her skills in hospitals, clinics, and health centres in
several countries. She is an enthusiastic medical volunteer for Care & Share
International with whom she has had the privilege of running complementary
medicine clinics in a tent high in the Himalayas and in Bhopal, India.
She’s written several books on complementary medicine and often con-
tributes to national magazines, newspapers, radio, television, and Web sites
including BBC Health.
Jacqueline practises in central London, and is the Education Director for the
Revital Health Education Centre (www.revital.com). Outside work she is
still trying to master the art of growing really tasty vegetables that even her
son will eat!
She’s exercised her brain, and stretched the patience of friends and family
and her publishers, in writing this compendium and hopes you’ll find it
handy to have around and a useful guide on your healing path.
To contact the author (feedback, comments, and constructive suggestions
always welcome) write to: PO Box 2211, Barnet, Herts, EN5 4DZ, United
Kingdom, or e-mail [email protected].
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Dedication
This book is for all those people who are willing to have an open yet discern-
ing mind about complementary medicine. It is also dedicated, with thanks, to
all my complementary medicine teachers, patients, students, and colleagues.
Yes, we need to explore and research complementary therapies so that we
can be confident about their safety and effectiveness. Yet at the same time we
should not allow barriers to be erected that may obstruct new learning and
deny access to therapies that could provide a powerful healing force in our
world.
Author’s Acknowledgements
I am very grateful to my family and friends who have supported me in the
long time it took to write this book. Mum, Don, Mark and Ken, Issy and Jamie,
Tanya, Olesya and Tommy, Irina and Alina, Titi, John and Marjie, Fred and
Chris, Annie and Jake, Michael and Jasmine, Jarek and Suzie, Selina and Theo,
Nic, Kirsten and Emilie, Ikuyo, Connie, Drid and Jane Garton – you’ve all
played your part, even when you didn’t know it. My son, Michael, deserves a
special mention because he has endlessly had to spare me to the computer,
but we’ve had fun making up for it in other ways on other days too! So does
Alfonse – because he always makes me laugh!
I also acknowledge my precious ‘departed family’ – you live on in my heart
and are one of my motivations to work in the field of health and healing: My
irreplaceable best friend Mary, my dear friend Maria, and my inspirational
friend and godmother to my son, Penny Brohn. All were overcome, but not
beaten, by the cruel ravages of cancer, and Penny’s outstanding and pioneer-
ing work on the role of complementary medicine in cancer care lives on
(www.pennybrohncancercare.org). I also credit my much-loved father,
Alan Young, who introduced me to yoga and home grown veg, and my dear
grandparents, who loved a good cup of comfrey tea.
I’m also grateful to my ‘professional family’ – all the brilliant conventional,
unconventional, and/or integrated medical colleagues who have kindly con-
tributed to this book: Prof. David Peters, for kindly reviewing the entire text,
and the following people for making some time to read through individual
chapters, or to talk over points with me: Professor George Lewith MA, DM,
FRCP, MRCGP; Dr Julian Kenyon MD, MB, ChB; Dr Neil Slade PhD, LCH,
RSHom; Professor Laurie Hartmann PhD, DO; Deirdre Stubbs DO; Ulrik
Sandstrøm BSc, DC, ICSSD, FCC; Richard Blackwell BMedSci, LicAc, MSc
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(Acupuncture); Etsuko Kobira MIFA; and Anne McIntyre FNIMH. Also Dr Jovan
Djurovic DO for his chiropractic exercise, Mike Burrows for his eloquent
quote in the dedication, and Dr Rory Hafford MSc, PhD, Dip. Psych. for his
willingness to contribute. I was always pleasantly surprised when chapters
came back with virtually no red ink but take full responsibility that any
remaining errors or omissions are my own.
I owe a great debt to my ‘publishing family’ too: Alison Yates, Commissioning
Editor; Rachael Chilvers, Project Editor; and Mike Kelly, Developer at Wiley
have been patient and helpful throughout and contributed a great deal.
Thanks to Julia Lampam and Jamie McOuat (Publicity and Rights) for work-
ing their magic too.
And the last word goes to my good friend, Ted Katchuk OMD, Assistant
Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, USA, and also godfather to
my son, for one of my favourite quotes. When asked in a magazine interview,
‘What is the greatest danger to complementary and alternative medicine?’ he
swiftly replied, ‘Lack of humour’. I think he may be right. Hopefully some of
the anecdotes and cartoons in this book, in between the more serious stuff,
may put a bit of humour back in!
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Publisher’s Acknowledgements
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Contents at a Glance
Foreword....................................................................xxi
Introduction.................................................................1
Part I: Finding Out about Complementary Medicine ........7
Chapter 1: Understanding Complementary Medicine...................................................9
Chapter 2: Diagnosing in Complementary Medicine...................................................19
Chapter 3: Reading Your Body .......................................................................................31
Part II: Exploring Traditional Healing Systems..............39
Chapter 4: Uncovering Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)....................................41
Chapter 5: Revealing Ayurveda’s Science of Life.........................................................55
Chapter 6: Balancing Health with Tibetan Medicine ..................................................71
Chapter 7: Exploring Japanese Medicine......................................................................85
Chapter 8: Dipping Your Toes into Nature Cure.........................................................107
Part III: Using Popular Complementary Therapies.......121
Chapter 9: Getting to the Point of Acupuncture.........................................................123
Chapter 10: Homing In on Homeopathy......................................................................143
Chapter 11: Unearthing Herbal Medicine....................................................................161
Chapter 12: Nibbling on Nutritional Therapy.............................................................177
Chapter 13: Diving into Naturopathy...........................................................................199
Part IV: Treating Your Body.......................................215
Chapter 14: Opening Up with Osteopathy..................................................................217
Chapter 15: Getting to the Crunch with Chiropractic................................................237
Chapter 16: Moving with Bodywork Therapies..........................................................253
Chapter 17: Enjoying Massage Therapies...................................................................267
Part V: Healing Your Mind and Spirit.........................283
Chapter 18: Calming Down with Breathing, Meditation,
and Relaxation Therapies...........................................................................................285
Chapter 19: Scenting Out Aromatherapy....................................................................297
Chapter 20: Connecting with Healing Therapies........................................................309
Chapter 21: Getting Your Head Around Psychological Therapies...........................321
Chapter 22: Feeling the Buzz of Energy Medicine......................................................337
Chapter 23: Having a Go with Creative Therapies.....................................................351