Title: Healing, hype or harm? : a critical analysis of complementary or alternative medicine /
Authors: Ernst, E.
Publisher: Societas,
Year: 2008
Subjects: Complementary Therapies; Alternative medicine
Abstract: The scientists, academics and practitioners writing this book are not 'against' complementary or alternative medicine (CAM), but they are very much 'for' evidence-based medicine and single standards. They aim to counter-balance the many uncritical books on CAM and to stimulate intelligent, well-informed public debate. Topics in this book include: What is CAM? Why is it so popular? Patient choice; Reclaiming compassion; Teaching CAM at university; Research on CAM; CAM in court; Ethics and CAM; Politics and CAM; Homeopathy in context; Concepts of holism in medicine; Placebo, deceit and CAM; Healing but not curing; CAM and the media.
Contents: Machine derived contents note: 1. Introduction -- What is Complementary and Alternative Medicine?, -- Barbara Wider and Kate Boddy 1 -- Why is CAM so Popular?, St4phane Lejeune 12 -- 2. General issues -- Evidence in Healthcare: What it is, and how we get it, -- Leslie B. Rose 19 -- Reclaiming Compassion, Michael Fitzpatrick 29 -- Alternative Medicine in UK Universities, David Coliuhoun 40 -- Healing but not Curing: Alternative Medical Therapies as Valid -- New Age Spiritual Healing Practices, Bruce G. Charlton 68 -- Research on Complementary or Alternative Medicine: The -- Importance and Frailty of Impartiality, Asbjorn Hr6bjartsson 78 -- An Amateur's View of the CAM Scene, James Randi 89 -- CAM in Court, John Garrow 97 -- 3. Specific issues -- Ethics and Complementary or Alternative Medicine, -- Michael Baum and Edzard Ernst 104 -- CAM and Politics, Leslie B. Rose and Edzard Ernst 112 -- Integrated Medicine?, Edzard Ernst 123 -- Homeopathy in Context, Gustav V.R. Born 130 -- Chiropractic: Science, Religion or Political Movement? -- Terry Polevoy 134 -- Concepts of Holism in Orthodox and Alternative Medicine, -- Michael Baum 144 -- Vitalism and other Pseudoscience in Alternative Medicine: -- The Retreat from Science, Peter H. Canter 152 -- Placebo and other Non-specific Effects: -- An Important Issue in CAM, Edzard Ernst 162 -- Patient Choice, Hazel Thornton 166.