Alternative medicine (AM) is popular; about 40% of the US general population have used alternative treatment in the past year, and in Germany this figure is around 70%. The global market is expected to reach nearly US $ 200 billion by 2025, with most of these funds coming directly out of consumers’ pockets.
Consumers are bombarded with misleading and false information on AM and therefore prone to making wrong, unwise, or dangerous therapeutic decisions, endangering their health and wasting their money.
This book is a reference text aimed at guiding consumers through the maze of AM. This second edition includes over 50 additional treatments as well as updates on many others.
Author(s): Edzard Ernst
Series: Copernicus Books
Edition: 2
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 407
City: Cham
Preface to the Second Edition
Preface to the First Edition
Contents
Part I Introduction
1 Preliminaries
1.1 Introduction
1.2 The Aim of The Book
1.3 About the Author
1.4 About the Book
1.5 How to Make the Best Use of This Book
2 Why Evidence?
2.1 Experience Is Good, but It’s not Evidence
2.2 What Is Evidence?
2.3 Why Is Evidence Important?
2.4 When Do We Have Enough Evidence?
2.5 Conclusions
3 The Attractiveness of Alternative Medicine
3.1 Alternative Medicine Is Effective
3.2 Alternative Medicine Is Risk-Free
3.3 Alternative Medicine Is Natural
3.4 Alternative Medicine Is Holistic
3.5 Alternative Medicine Has Stood the Test of Time
3.6 Alternative Medicine Tackles the Root Causes of an Illness
3.7 Alternative Medicine Is Inexpensive
3.8 Alternative Medicine Is a Small, Innocent Cottage Industry
3.9 Alternative Practitioners Are More Human
3.10 Conventional Medicine Does not Live up to Its Promises
3.11 Conclusion
References
4 The Unattractiveness of Alternative Medicine
4.1 It Is not Plausible
4.2 There Is no Convincing Evidence
4.3 The “Promised Land” for Charlatans
4.4 Pseudoscience
4.5 Conclusions
References
5 Ethical Problems in Alternative Medicine
5.1 First Do No Harm
5.2 Informed Consent
5.3 Neglect
5.4 Competence
5.5 Truth
5.6 Conclusion
References
6 Other Issues
6.1 Patient Choice
6.2 Science Cannot Explain
6.3 Independent Replication
6.4 Alternative Medicine and Disease Prevention
6.5 Integrative Medicine
6.6 Alternative Treatments for Children
6.7 How to Advise Consumers
References
Part II The Modalities
7 Diagnostic Techniques
7.1 Applied Kinesiology
7.2 Astrology
7.3 Bionutrient Meter
7.4 Bioresonance
7.5 Bristol Stool Chart
7.6 Diagnostic Imaging
7.7 Dowsing
7.8 Hair Analysis
7.9 Iridology
7.10 Kirlian Photography
7.11 Live Blood Analysis
7.12 Oberon
7.13 Pulse Diagnosis
7.14 Radionics
7.15 Tongue Diagnosis
7.16 Vega Test
References
8 Medicines and Oral Treatments
8.1 Agrohomeopathy
8.2 Alkaline Diet
8.3 Aloe Vera
8.4 Antineoplastons
8.5 Antioxidants
8.6 Arnica
8.7 Ashwagandha
8.8 Bach Flower Remedies
8.9 Berlin Wall
8.10 Black Salve
8.11 Carbon C60
8.12 Carctol
8.13 Cease Therapy
8.14 Chelation Therapy
8.15 Chinese Herbal Medicine
8.16 Chondroitin
8.17 Collagen
8.18 Colloidal Silver
8.19 Essential Oils
8.20 Essiac
8.21 Evening Primrose
8.22 Feverfew
8.23 Fish Oil
8.24 Garlic
8.25 Gerson Therapy
8.26 Ginkgo Biloba
8.27 Glucosamine
8.28 Homeopathy
8.29 Homeoprophylaxis
8.30 Homotoxicology
8.31 Hydrogen-Rich Water
8.32 Isopathy
8.33 Kratom
8.34 Kava
8.35 Laetrile
8.36 Macrobiotic
8.37 Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS)
8.38 Mistletoe
8.39 Mushrooms
8.40 Nosodes
8.41 Oil Pulling
8.42 Oscillococcinum
8.43 Palaeo Diet
8.44 Placentophagy
8.45 Powerlight
8.46 Reishi
8.47 Rhino Horn
8.48 Shark Cartilage
8.49 St John’s Wort
8.50 Tiger Balm
8.51 Turmeric
8.52 Ukrain
8.53 Urine Therapy
8.54 Veterinary Homeopathy
References
9 Physical Therapies
9.1 Acupressure
9.2 Acupuncture
9.3 Alexander Technique
9.4 Aromatherapy
9.5 Auriculotherapy
9.6 Biopuncture
9.7 Bowen Technique
9.8 Chiropractic
9.9 Craniosacral Therapy
9.10 Cupping
9.11 Dorn Method
9.12 Ear Candles
9.13 Etiopathy
9.14 Eurythmy
9.15 Feldenkrais Method
9.16 Flotation Therapy
9.17 Gua Sha
9.18 Hot Stone Massage
9.19 Jin Shin Jyutsu
9.20 Khalifa Therapy
9.21 Kinesiology Tape
9.22 Lian Gong
9.23 Lymph Drainage
9.24 Magnet Therapy
9.25 Marma Massage
9.26 Massage
9.27 Moxibustion
9.28 Naprapathy
9.29 Osteopathy
9.30 Perineum Sunning
9.31 Pilates
9.32 Polarity Therapy
9.33 Rebirthing
9.34 Reflexology
9.35 Rolfing
9.36 Sauna Bathing
9.37 Shiatsu
9.38 Slapping Therapy
9.39 Spinal Manipulation
9.40 Spinal Mobilisation
9.41 Tai Chi
9.42 Tragerwork
9.43 Trigger-Point Therapy
9.44 Tui Na
9.45 Vaginal Steaming
9.46 Vibroacoustic Therapy
9.47 Visceral Osteopathy
References
10 Other Therapies
10.1 Access Consciousness
10.2 Animal-Assisted Therapy
10.3 Autogenic Training
10.4 Autologous Blood Therapy
10.5 Bioresonance
10.6 Blood Letting
10.7 Coffee Enemas
10.8 Colonic Irrigation
10.9 Colour Therapy
10.10 Crystal Healing
10.11 Distant Healing
10.12 Faith Healing
10.13 Hologram Gadgets
10.14 Hypnotherapy
10.15 Imagery
10.16 Johrei Healing
10.17 Lakhovky Oscillator
10.18 Laughter Therapy
10.19 Leech Therapy
10.20 The Lightning Process
10.21 Lovetuner
10.22 Meditation
10.23 Mesotherapy
10.24 Mindfulness
10.25 Music Therapy
10.26 Neural Therapy
10.27 Neurolinguistic Programming
10.28 Past Life Regression Therapy
10.29 Pilgrimages
10.30 Pranic Healing
10.31 Prayer
10.32 Progressive Muscle Relaxation
10.33 Qigong
10.34 Reiki
10.35 Scenar
10.36 Sophrology
10.37 Spiritual Healing
10.38 Therapeutic Touch
10.39 Theta Healing
10.40 Thought Field Therapy
10.41 Tian Jiu
10.42 Transcendental Meditation
10.43 Watsu
10.44 Zero Balance
References
11 Umbrella Topics
11.1 Alcohol Hangover Cures
11.2 Alternative Aphrodisiacs
11.3 Alternative Cancer Cures
11.4 Alternative Immune Stimulants
11.5 Anthroposophic Medicine
11.6 Anti-Ageing Therapies
11.7 Apitherapy
11.8 Ayurveda
11.9 Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
11.10 Buteyko Techniques
11.11 Cancer Diets
11.12 Conversion Therapy
11.13 Dietary Supplements
11.14 Detox
11.15 Devices Protecting Against EMF
11.16 Energy Healing
11.17 Halotherapy
11.18 Heilpraktiker
11.19 Herbal Medicine (Rational)
11.20 Herbal Medicine (Traditional)
11.21 Holistic Dentistry
11.22 Holistic Medicine
11.23 Integrative Medicine
11.24 Kampo
11.25 Kneipp Therapy
11.26 Mind–Body Therapies
11.27 Monastic Medicine
11.28 Naturopathy
11.29 New German Medicine
11.30 Orthomolecular Medicine
11.31 Ozone Therapy
11.32 Placebo
11.33 Relaxation Therapies
11.34 Siddha Medicine
11.35 Slimming Aids
11.36 Traditional Chinese Medicine
11.37 Traditional European Medicine
11.38 Traditional Tibetan Medicine
11.39 Unani
11.40 Vibrational Medicine
11.41 Yoga
References
Postscript
Glossary
