The American Holistic Health Association's Complete Guide to Alternative Medicine

349 Pages·1996·1.35 MB·English

by  William Collinge

HIGH PRAISE FOR
THE AMERICAN HOLISTIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION
COMPLETE GUIDE TO ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
“A very important reference that will assist consumers in their navigation of
health options and in achieving results. It will also help mainstream practitioners
to understand this field and be supportive of their patients. I highly recommend
it.”
—JOSEPH JACOBS, M.D., first director of the Office of Alternative Medicine,
National Institutes of Health “Everything you need to know about alternative
medicine in order to make an intelligent, informed choice about your health
care.”
—JOAN BORYSENKO, PH.D., author of The Power of the Mind to Heal
“As a physician, I am impressed by the scope and depth of this book. As a
consumer of health care I've never read a more accessible and helpful guide to
the field of alternative medicine. This book is a real page-turner—an education
in itself.”
—CHRISTIANE NORTHRUP, M.D., author of Women's Bodies, Women's
Wisdom
“An excellent resource for anyone seeking optimal health and high-quality
health care. Very well done.”
—ALAN R. GABY, M.D., president, American Holistic Medical Association
“This intelligent, easy-to-read guide points to a fresh direction for medicine
based on respect for the healing powers of nature, on active participation by the
patient, and on a rational yet intuitive integration of many healing traditions.”
—Natural Health
“Well presented…. Anyone interested in or curious about the various practices
of alternative health care fields should find this book very helpful.”
—Charleston (SC) Post and Courier
“Most of the books I read, I pass on to someone else, but I do not plan to let this
“Most of the books I read, I pass on to someone else, but I do not plan to let this
one out of my sight.”
—Berkeley (CA) Express
“A helpful resource for the top alternative medicine fields.”
—Boulder Daily Camera
“One of the best books of this kind that I have seen.”
—Ellenville Press
“Does an admirable job… truly comprehensive and balanced.”
—Sullivan County Democrat
“Collinge sheds much-needed light on the plethora of medical choices the
consumer has available to deal with an ever-growing variety of maladies. To
some, this choice can be overwhelming, but to those armed with this guide, the
choice can instead be empowering.”
—Living Healthy
“A needed reference that can help you make informed decisions and save money
in the process.”
—The Light Connection
“Finally, I own a reference book on alternative therapies that answers all the
questions I want to ask.”
—Express Books
“Written with a strong dose of common sense, this book gives the reader a clear,
reader-friendly explanation of what alternative medicine is and what it has to
offer.”
—ELLIOT GREENE, M.A., past president, American Massage Therapy
Association “Excellent… an accurate, informative, yet understandable
introduction to the main schools of healing in alternative medicine.”
—JOSEPH PIZZORNO, N.D., president, Bastyr University of Natural Health
Sciences “This book is an important modern addition to the growing literature
on complementary/alternative medicine.”
—WILLIAM MEEKER, D.C., M.P.H., director of research, Palmer
Chiropractic University “An impressive accomplishment…. The book informs
without simplifying its very complex subject matter.”
—MICHAEL CARLSTON, M.D., clinical assistant professor, School of
Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
Copyright
Grateful acknowledgment is given to quote from the following: The Joy of
Feeling: Bodymind Acupressure™ by Iona Marsaa Teeguarden, M.A., copyright
© 1987 by Japan Publications, Tokyo/New York, distributed by Putnam.
Used by permission.
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1996 by William Collinge All rights reserved.
Warner Books, Inc.,
Hachette Book Group,
237 Park Avenue,
New York, NY 10017
Visit our website at www.HachetteBookGroup.com
First eBook Edition: December 2009
ISBN: 978-0-446-56503-5
To Rosie
Note to the Reader
While this book contains many case examples and descriptions of alternative
ways of dealing with health problems, such examples are given only to illustrate
the principles of the various health care traditions. Nothing in this book should
be considered as medical advice for dealing with a given problem. Within every
tradition there are wide variationsfor how different individuals would be treated.
You should consult your health care professional for individual guidance with
specific medical problems.
Contents
Copyright
Note to the Reader
A Message from the American Holistic Health Association
Acknowledgments
Introduction
CHAPTER 1: THE CRISIS OF FREEDOM: HOW DO WE CHOOSE?
CHAPTER 2: CHINESE MEDICINE: THE COSMIC SYMPHONY
CHAPTER 3: AYURVEDA: THE WISDOM Of THE ANCIENTS
CHAPTER 4: NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE: THE GREAT CORNUCOPIA
CHAPTER 5: HOMEOPATHY: THE GRAND PROVOCATEUR
CHAPTER 6: MIND/BODY MEDICINE: THE DANCE OF SOMA AND PSYCHE
CHAPTER 7: OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE: STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION AS ONE
CHAPTER 8: CHIROPRACTIC: OPENING THE GATES
CHAPTER 9: MASSAGE THERAPY AND BODYWORK: HEALING THROUGH TOUCH
CHAPTER 10: NEW CHOICES, NEW REALITIES
Notes
About the Author
A Message from the American Holistic Health Association
Creating wellness is an ongoing process. This book can help you take an
important step toward wellness by becoming more informed about the many
options available in the health care marketplace today. We encourage you to
explore the traditions and therapies that feel appropriate for you and your
situation.
Wherever you are on the path to achieving wellness, the American Holistic
Health Association (AHHA) would like to support you. AHHA (pronounced ah-
ha) is a nonprofit 501(C)(3) educational organization incorporated in 1989. Our
goal is to promote health and well-being through personal responsibility,
considering the whole person (physical, emotional, mental, spiritual), wellness-
oriented lifestyle choices, and active participation in personal health decisions
and healing.
To support you AHHA serves as a national clearinghouse for information
about conventional and complementary health resources. We provide a variety
of educational materials including:
Educational Booklets for use in personal growth and development as
well as health education programs that promote a wellness perspective.
Resource Lists of professional referral organizations, information
research services for specific diseases and chronic conditions, catalogs
of self-help tools and educational opportunities.
Award-winning Newsletter, AhHa!, to provide practical self-help
suggestions, plus news about recent developments and research
findings in the health and wellness field.
These resources are available to the public at no charge, thanks to
contributions from our individual and organizational members.
Join the vital movement toward wellness. Bring greater quality of life to
yourself and those you love. Call or write to request free materials or
membership information: AHHA—Dept C
P.O. Box 17400
Anaheim, CA 92817-7400
[phone]
Suzan V. Walter, President
American Holistic Health Association
Acknowledgments
Many people contributed to the fruition of this project. I particularly wish to
thank my mentor in the School of Public Health at U.C. Berkeley, Len Duhl,
M.D., grandfather of the Healthy Cities movement, whose course on alternative
paradigms of health was a great source of inspiration. I also thank Suzan Walter
and the board of the American Holistic Health Association for believing in this
project; Joann Davis, my editor at Warner Books; Candice Fuhrman, my literary
agent; and Annabel Gregory for her insight and support in the preparation of the
agent; and Annabel Gregory for her insight and support in the preparation of the
manuscript.
The following people from the alternative medical traditions provided
invaluable consultation and support. To each of them I extend my gratitude and
deep respect for their work: Joseph Helms, M.D., President, American Academy
of Medical Acupuncture, and coordinator of physician education in acupuncture
at UCLA Medical School Daniel Kenner, O.M.D., L.Ac., private practice, Santa
Rosa, CA David Walker, O.M.D., L.Ac., private practice, Santa Rosa, CA
Nancy Carroll, L.Ac., private practice, Sebastopol, CA Harriet Beinfield, L.Ac.,
and Efrem Korngold, O.M.D., L.Ac., Chinese Medicine Works, San Francisco,
CA Deepak Chopra, M.D., Director of the Center for Mind/Body Medicine, La
Jolla, CA Vivek Shanbhag, M.D., Head of the Department of Ayurvedic
Medicine, Bastyr University of Natural Health Sciences, Seattle Janhavi Morton,
ayurveda practitioner, Santa Rosa, CA Mary Jo Cravatta, D.C., private practice,
Palo Alto, CA Stuart Rothenberg, M.D., Dean, College of Maharishi AyurVed,
Maharishi International University, Fairfield, IA Michael Murray, N.D., Bastyr
University of Natural Health Sciences, Seattle, WA Leanna Standish, N.D.,
Ph.D., Bastyr University of Natural Health Sciences, Seattle, WA Jared Zeff,
N.D., L.Ac., Academic Dean, National College of Naturopathic Medicine,
Portland, OR
David Field, N.D., L.Ac., private practice, Santa Rosa, CA Michael
Carlston, M.D., D.Ht., University of California San Francisco Medical School,
and Hahnemann Homeopathic Medical College, Albany, CA Dana Ullman,
M.P.H., President, Foundation for Homeopathic Education and Research,
Berkeley, CA Frederick Bishop, Executive Director, International Foundation
for Homeopathy, Seattle, WA Roger Morrison, M.D., and Nancy Herrick, P.A.,
Hahnemann Medical Clinic, Albany, CA Durr Elmore, N.D., President,
Homeopathic Association of Naturopathic Physicians, Mulino, OR
Claire Green, N.D., private practice, Santa Rosa, CA Herbert Benson,
M.D., President, Mind/Body Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School and
New England Deaconess Hospital, Boston, MA Cynthia Medich, Ph.D., R.N.,
Mind/Body Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School and New England
Deaconess Hospital, Boston, MA Lydia Temoshok, Ph.D., Global Program on
AIDS, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland John Pammer, D.C.,
President, American Chiropractic Association, Arlington, VA William Meeker,
D.C., President, Consortium for Chiropractic Research and Dean of Research,
Palmer College of Chiropractic-West, San Jose, CA Donald Epstein, D.C.,
Founder, Network Chiropractic, Longmont, CA Lawrence Oberstein, D.C.,
private practice, Santa Rosa, CA Robert Dubin, D.C., private practice, Petaluma,
CA James Adams, D.C., private practice, Sonoma, CA Terry Rondberg, D.C.,