Understanding Alternative Medicine

Understanding Alternative Medicine: New Health Paths in America provides health professionals and teachers with insight into the growing use and social acceptance of alternative medicines in the United States today. This book discusses the political, economic, and scientific implications of multi-cultural medicine in American society as well as specific information on alternative medicines used in the United States. Explore the safety and efficacy of the alternative medicines examined in this unique book, which provides an overview of the A. (ayurvedic medicine) to Z. (zen meditation) of alternative therapies and philosophies used in the United States today.

Lawrence Tyler, PhD, Professor of Sociology at Western Michigan University, where he teaches courses in the Asian Studies Program. From 1986 to 1987, he was a visiting professor in the Language Department at Guangxi University, Nanning, in the Guangxi Autonomous Region in China. His book, The Blind Palmist, is a personal account of that experience. He has been a visiting exchange professor at Nihon University in Tokyo, Japan, and has traveled throughout East Asia. Dr. Tyler is the author of several articles and has given presentations on various topics internationally.

Contents Foreword Preface Chapter 1: Diversity in American Medicine Chapter 2: Philosophical Differences - Shamanism - Traditional Chinese Medicine - Ayurvedic Medicine - Herbs and The Ice Man Chapter 3: TCM Use and Endangered Species - The Trade in Bear Parts - Aphrodisiacs - Bear Parks and Farms - Ginseng: Poaching or Harvesting? Chapter 4: The Economic Growth and Social Acceptance of Alternative/ Herbal Medicines in the United States - Safety and Efficacy - Herbal Politics - Herbal Business - AMA and Alternatives - Alternative Insurance Chapter 5: "Like Two Wings of a Bird?" - Medicine, Authority, and Wealth - The RCT Standard and Recent Studies - Acupuncture and Placebo Effect Chapter 6: Placebos, Spontaneous Remissions, and Non-Specific Factors in Healing - Approaching Therapy - Approaching Pain - Four Features of Effective Therapy Chapter 7: Herbal Medicine: The German Example Bibliography Index Reference Notes Included