William Collinge - The American Holistic Health Associations 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-turneran 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 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

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

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.

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:

AHHADept C

P.O. Box 17400

Anaheim, CA 92817-7400

(714) 779-6152

Suzan V. Walter, President

American Holistic Health Association

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 manuscript.