Printed from: https://archive.cmf.org.uk/advocacy/clinical-practice/alternative-medicine/?index=0
Why do people turn their backs on mainstream medicine and put their trust in unproven remedies not attested by science? The question came to the fore recently when the NHS announced that a major centre of homeopathy in London will no longer be allowed to spend NHS money on homeopathic...
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mindfulness, in their report, 'Mindful Nation UK' write: 'it is hoped that mindfulness will become as popular for improving mental health as jogging (only popularised in the 1970s) has become for improving physical health.' (1) In 2015, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence included...
In a climate where alternative medicine has become increasingly popular, Dr Coker's substantially revised version of her 1995 books seeks to explain the range of therapies that now exist and to suggest ways to handle patients and relatives who may request advice on such issues. A good overview analyses...
The ongoing conflict between orthodox medicine and the proponents of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) spilled onto the letters pages of the Times recently.[1] An open letter from leading doctors, including Professor Ernst and Nobel Prize winner Sir Black, criticised the NHS'seeping acceptance of CAM. It urged those holding influential...
You don’t have to look far these days to stumble across alternative medicine. Whether it’s homoeopathy at the pharmacy, the osteopath in the high street or acupuncture at the GP surgery, alternative medicine is everywhere and the sheer number of claims and therapies can be bewildering. It’s been estimated that...
Surveys indicate that osteopathy is the most popular alternative therapy in UK with over 3,000 osteopaths providing six million patient consultations a year. Usually perceived as a method of treating musculo-skeletal problems (especially low back pain) by physical methods such as manipulation and massage, it was originally intended to be...
Chiropractic is one of the most widely used systems of alternative health care available today. It is particularly popular in Canada and the USA, its country of origin, where there are over 50,000 practitioners. It is also available in many other countries around the globe. It was rather slower to...
Investigation into the use of herbs in medicine is a vast subject. Even the descriptions used - phytotherapy, herbal medicine, herbalism, traditional and natural medicines - are confusing, meaning different things to different people. Herbal reference books may add to this confusion by including natural products such as vitamins, minerals...
Reiki appears to be a relatively new form of an ancient Buddhist healing practice, characterised by the laying on of hands. An early survey by the Consumers’ Association in 1995 found that around five percent of alternative therapy users consulted spiritual healers including Reiki therapists, a relatively small market share....
