Alternative medicine is a fifty billion dollar per year industry. But is it all nonsense? The Whole Story rounds up the latest evidence on the placebo effect, the randomized control trial, personalized genetic medicine, acupuncture, homeopathy, osteopathy and more. It reaches a provocative conclusion: alternative therapies' whole-body approach might be just what medicine really needs right now to help crack the tough, chronic conditions seemingly untouched by the revolutions of surgery, antiseptics, antibiotics, vaccines and molecular biology.
Comprehensively revised and expanded with vital new content, the second edition of Medical Acupuncture continues to explore the realistic integration of acupuncture into conventional medicine. Advocating the Western medical acupuncture approach (WMA), this science-based compendium provides the trained practitioner with all the latest research on the effectiveness of WMA and its associated mechanisms, techniques, clinical practice and evidence. Medical Acupuncture demonstrates a variety of needling techniques and clinical applications within the context of WMA and its evolution from traditional Chinese acupuncture using current knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathology alongside the principles of evidence-based medicine. Split into seven sections the book begins by establishing the roots of WMA in the Introduction and then progresses on to describe the mechanisms of action in Section 2, including peripheral components of stimulation and evidence from neuroimaging. Sections 3 and 4 cover clinical approaches (eg, superficial needling, electroacupuncture, safety of acupuncture) and techniques related to acupuncture (TENS, laser therapy). Section 5 takes a closer look at the difficulties faced by trials and reviews while Section 6 goes on to showcase 21 clinical uses of WMA, ranging from chronic pain, mental health, obstetrics and primary care to sports medicine, respiratory conditions and neurology. The final reference section contains dermatome/myotome maps, meridian/channel charts and standard international nomenclature. Comprehensive coverage of the scientific evidence and clinical application of acupuncture in medicine Balances the genuine benefits of acupuncture against unfounded claims Presents a wide range of treatable conditions from psychiatry and palliative care through to the pain clinic and veterinary medicine Clinical points boxes highlight key knowledge and learning Illustrated with over 130 drawings and photographs Content restructure and overhaul with contributions from over 40 world leading experts Individual chapters on the use of acupuncture for a wide range of medical conditions including gynaecology and infertility, cancer and palliative care, drug dependence, obesity, sports medicine, dentistry and veterinary practice Updated with the latest scientific evidence Expanded information on neuroanatomical and neurophysiological considerations in relation to the mechanisms of acupuncture
Now in its 2nd edition, An Introduction to Western Medical Acupuncture provides a broad evidence-based approach to acupuncture when used as part of modern medicine. Illustrated throughout it gives the practitioner an essential guide for deciding where and how to treat conditions with acupuncture, and how to avoid known risks associated with it. Ultimately it provides the practitioner with a tool to develop safe and effective practice. For this edition the text has been revised, updated and extensively re-written. A new chapter brings together the understanding of how pain is recognised by the nervous system, and how acupuncture can influence these pathways. This is followed by six chapters providing detailed explanations of the effects and mechanisms of acupuncture, organised according to three recognised treatment approaches – needling to produce local changes, to generate effects at the level of the spinal segment, and to modify the overall function of the nervous system. The chapters on the evidence from research have been also updated. An explanation of the various mechanisms of acupuncture linked to how they can best be activated by needling. Learn the principles of treatment rather than any 'cook-book' approach. Clear and objective discussion of the evidence for the effectiveness and the risks of acupuncture. Thorough and detailed description of all aspects of clinical practice. Reference section for quickly reminding the practitioner of the best approach to treating many problems.
This volume brings together cutting edge research by historians from Britain, Germany, France, the US, Japan and New Zealand. Innovative in its approach to innovation, it focuses on diffusion and resistance, and organization as well as technology. The collection features issues such as control and compliance, professional power and economic constraint, cultural divides, 'configured users' and ingenuity. The introductory essay relates the collection to history and sociology of innovation and technology, asking 'what is distinctive about medicine and health?' Explorations of recent cases, along with deeper probing of the past century, call into question how the past relates to the future. Health policy makers and analysts, practitioners, users and historians will find the editor's claims for the uses of history provocative. With its emphasis on clarity of writing, its mix of empirical details and analysis, and its rich bibliography, this volume offers rewards to academic and health service readers alike.
This book summarises the recent development in acupuncture research and in particular, the neurobiology of acupuncture. It provides a focus but a diverse range of subjects covering many body systems. The first a few chapters discuss the basic principles of acupuncture, then its modulatory effects on nervous system such as induction of neurotrophin and neurogenesis in the brain. Late chapters explore the clinical effects and potential mechanisms of acupuncture on different conditions ranging from neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and stroke, to psychiatric illnesses, insomnia, hypertension, gastrointestinal diseases and drug addiction. We believe this will promote the understanding acupuncture treatment and enhance acupuncture research in the future. This volume of International Review of Neurobiology brings together cutting-edge research on the neurobiology of acupuncture It reviews current knowledge and understanding, provides a starting point for researchers and practitioners entering the field, and builds a platform for further research and discovery
The Oxford Handbook of the History of Medicine celebrates the richness and variety of medical history around the world. In recent decades, the history of medicine has emerged as a rich and mature sub-discipline within history, but the strength of the field has not precluded vigorous debates about methods, themes, and sources. Bringing together over thirty international scholars, this handbook provides a constructive overview of the current state of these debates, and offers new directions for future scholarship. There are three sections: the first explores the methodological challenges and historiographical debates generated by working in particular historical ages; the second explores the history of medicine in specific regions of the world and their medical traditions, and includes discussion of the `global history of medicine'; the final section analyses, from broad chronological and geographical perspectives, both established and emerging historical themes and methodological debates in the history of medicine.
"Chinese Medicine and Healing is a comprehensive introduction to a rich array of Chinese healing practices as they have developed through time and across cultures. Contributions from fifty-eight leading international scholars in such fields as Chinese archaeology, history, anthropology, religion, and medicine make this a collaborative work of uncommon intellectual synergy, and a vital new resource for anyone working in East Asian or world history, in medical history and anthropology, and in biomedicine and complementary healing arts. This illustrated history explores the emergence and development of a wide range of health interventions, including propitiation of disease-inflicting spirits, divination, vitality-cultivating meditative disciplines, herbal remedies, pulse diagnosis, and acupuncture. The authors investigate processes that contribute to historical change, such as competition between different types of practitioner—shamans, Daoist priests, Buddhist monks, scholar physicians, and even government officials. Accompanying vignettes and illustrations bring to life such diverse arenas of health care as childbirth in the Tang period, Yuan state-established medical schools, fertility control in the Qing, and the search for sexual potency in the People’s Republic. The two final chapters illustrate Chinese healing modalities across the globe and address the challenges they have posed as alternatives to biomedical standards of training and licensure. The discussion includes such far-reaching examples as Chinese treatments for diphtheria in colonial Australia and malaria in Africa, the invention of ear acupuncture by the French and its worldwide dissemination, and the varying applications of acupuncture from Germany to Argentina and Iraq."
A classic textbook and a student favourite, Tidy's Physiotherapy aims to reflect contemporary practice of physiotherapy and can be used as a quick reference by the physiotherapy undergraduate for major problems that they may encounter throughout their study, or while on clinical placement. Tidy's Physiotherapy is a resource which charts a range of popular subject areas. It also encourages the student to think about problem-solving and basic decision-making in a practice setting, presenting case studies to consolidate and apply learning. In this fifteenth edition, new chapters have been added and previous chapters withdrawn, continuing its reflection of contemporary education and practice. Chapters have again been written by experts who come from a wide range of clinical and academic backgrounds. The new edition is complemented by an accompanying online ancillary which offers access to over 50 video clips on musculoskeletal tests, massage and exercise and an image bank along with the addition of crosswords and MCQs for self-assessment. Now with new chapters on: Reflection Collaborative health and social care / interprofessional education Clinical leadership Pharmacology Muscle imbalance Sports management Acupuncture in physiotherapy Management of Parkinson's and of older people Neurodynamics Part of the Physiotherapy Essentials series - core textbooks for both students and lecturers! Covers a comprehensive range of clinical, academic and professional subjects Annotated illustrations to simplify learning Definition, Key Point and Weblink boxes Online access to over 50 video clips and 100's of dowloadable images (http://evolve.elsevier.com/Porter/Tidy) Online resources via Evolve Learning with video clips, image bank, crosswords and MCQs! Log on and register at http://evolve.elsevier.com/Porter/Tidy Case studies Additional illustrations
The field of pain research is rapidly expanding in both human and veterinary medicine, and has helped increase our understanding of acupuncture. However, many are still highly sceptical about the use of acupuncture and prefer for it to remain far from orthodox veterinary practice. This book seeks to challenge common misgivings by showing how veterinary acupuncture works (for small and large animals), and why it should be established as an orthodox form of treatment. Written from a Western approach, rather than a traditional Chinese Medicine approach, it explains the background and history of acupuncture and includes key information on safety aspects, understanding pain and how acupuncture can help, practical aspects such as types of needles and methods of restraint, and related techniques. Not intended as a techniques manual, this book is a preparatory text for those considering taking an acupuncture course and those wishing to gain a solid understanding of the subject.
Using modern knowledge to shed light on ancient techniques, this text examines two of the earliest therapeutic techniques of Chinese medicine: acupuncture and moxibustion. Acupuncture is the implantation of very thin needles into subcutaneous connective tissue and muscle at a great number of different points on the body's surface; moxibustion is the burning of Artemisia tinder (moxa) either directly on the skin or just above it. For 2500 years the Chinese have used both techniques to relieve pain and to heal a wide variety of illnesses and malfunctions. Providing a full historical account of acupuncture and moxibustion in the theoretical structure of Chinese medicine, Doctors Lu and Needham combine it with a rationale of the two techniques in the light of modern scientific knowledge.
