This book outlines the benefits and dangers of alternative medicine, drawing on scientific research to show which treatments work, which don’t, and how to use them. It offers a balanced, unbiased perspective backed by science.

A Doctor's Guide to Natural Medicine offers strategies and suggestions on alternative therapies for more than 100 ailments and diseases. It incorporates research with easy-to-use instructions and tutorials to provide a versatile reference for natural supplements and therapies. In "Doctor's Notes," Dr. Barney shares his personal experiences using natural therapies. Get answers from an M.D. who practices natural healing--make this book your natural health reference guide.

Here, at long last, is an unbiased look at alternative medicine by a distinguished and experienced clinician with an open mind. Ignoring the name-calling and turf wars among various health care factions, Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld, a professor of clinical medicine and author of several bestselling books (including Doctor, What Should I Eat? and The Best Treatment), turns his erudition to examining the field of alternative medicine. Based on in-depth research, and written with his trademark wit and candor, Dr. Rosenfeld reviews the track records of dozens of the most widely-used alternative therapies. He discusses such diverse approaches as hypnosis, acupuncture, chelation, homeopathy, reflexology, aromatherapy, applied kinesiology, hydrotherapy, oxygen therapy, fasting, Ayurvedic medicine, use of medicinal herbs, craniosacral therapy -- and more. For each approach, Dr. Rosenfeld describes how it is used, the theories on which it is based, how much scientific evidence exists to support claims for it, and, most important for the health consumer, whether it actually works. Dr. Rosenfeld calls it as it is, including a delicious description of how to tell a quack from a legitimate practitioner. This is an eye-opening and entertaining approach to a controversial subject of vital interest to everyone. You will find many surprises in these pages. Read the excerpt for just some of the ways alternative medicine can and cannot work for you.

21st Century Science Collection.

“Informative . . . I recommend it to practitioners and patients alike.” —Andrew Weil, MD, author of Eight Weeks to Optimum Health and Mind Over Meds International bestselling author Dr. Andreas Michalsen uncovers the natural cures that will transform your health and change your life Sunlight. Forest bathing. Fasting. Cold-water baths. Bloodletting. Leeches. Cupping. These ways of healing have been practiced in different cultures around the world for centuries. But as a cardiologist working with the most high-tech medical tools, Dr. Andreas Michalsen was taught that these practices were medieval and outdated, even dangerous. As he saw surprising results in his patients, however, Dr. Michalsen explored more deeply those seemingly "outdated" methods of healing. The more he researched, the more he was convinced by the power of natural medicine--naturopathy--to heal the human body. Over the past few decades, Dr. Michalsen has published the most cutting-edge scientific research on the efficacy of natural medicine. At the prestigious Charité University Hospital in Berlin, Dr. Michalsen has successfully treated thousands of patients using elements found in nature--sunlight, water, nourishing foods, medicinal plants and animals. The culmination of years of research and clinical knowledge, The Nature Cure explains how and why naturopathy works. Dr. Michalsen breaks down the science behind natural ways of healing and shows how we can incorporate these methods into our everyday lives to trigger our body's self-healing mechanism. Thoughtfully written and filled with science, history, case studies, and practical guidance, this illuminating book shares knowledge that has changed the lives of thousands of patients, teaching you what your body needs to heal--without medicine riddled with side effects or invasive procedures. Discover methods of healing that don't just cover up your symptoms, but actually address the root cause of illness.

The Best Alternative Medicine is the only book available today that both evaluates the major areas of alternative medicine and addresses how they can be used to treat specific conditions. Dr. Kenneth R. Pelletier explains such popular therapies as mind/body medicine, herbal and homeopathic remedies, spiritual healing, and traditional Chinese systems, discussing their effectiveness, the ailments each is most appropriate for, and how they can help prevent illness. In the second part of the book, which is organized alphabetically, he draws on the latest National Institute of Health (NIH)-sponsored research to present clear recommendations for the prevention and treatment of health concerns ranging from acne to menopause to ulcers. Combining valuable guidance about alternative treatments with definitive health advice, The Best Alternative Medicine will be the standard reference for the increasing number of people integrating alternative medicine into their personal and organizational heath-care programs.

The most complete resource of its kind on alternative medicine• Herbal remedies, dietary supplements, and alternative therapiesTheir specific usesWhich ones really work (and which ones don’t)What to watch out for• Christian versus non-Christian approaches to holistic health• Clinically proven treatments versus unproven or quack treatments• Truths and fallacies about supernatural healing• Ancient medical lore: the historical, cultural, and scientific facts• And much, much moreAlternative Medicine is the first comprehensive guidebook to nontraditional medicine written from a distinctively Christian perspective. Keeping pace with the latest developments and research in alternative medicine, this thoroughly revised edition combines the most current information with an easy-to-use format. University lecturer and researcher Dónal O’Mathúna, PhD, and national medical authority Walt Larimore, MD, provide detailed and balanced answers to your most pressing questions about alternative medicine—and to other questions you wouldn’t have thought to ask.Also includesTwo alphabetical reference sections:Alternative therapiesHerbal remedies, vitamins, and dietary supplementsA description of each therapy and remedy, an analysis of claims, results of actual studies, cautions, recommendations, and further resourcesHandy cross-references linking health problems with various alternative therapies and herbal remedies reviewed in the book