Publisher's Synopsis
The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a topic on which health-care providers need a firm knowledge base. Studies have shown that patients increasingly are using CAM, but will not discuss it with their health-care provider unless asked specifically about it in a way that indicates that the topic is a comfortable and acceptable one. This text introduces a broad range of therapies, provides basic information about which show evidence of effectiveness and offers detailed CAM case studies, showing how CAM can be integrated into conventional practice. It also offers advice on how health-care providers can improve their own lives by the thoughtful use of CAM principles.;The text's key features include extensive tables of specific therapies listing indications and adverse effects; tables for each disorder commonly encountered in primary care, listing alternative therapies that may be effective, with dosages where appropriate; therapies grouped by level of supporting evidence; advice on how to talk to patients about CAM; and concise definitions of the major CAM modalities and how they relate to conventional therapies.
