Lee Memorial #39;s integrative medicine program gaining appeal
Can how you think really help you lose weight? A new program at Lee Memorial Hospital is teaching patients to use their minds to make the right choices when it comes to health.
By: NBC2 News
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Lee Memorial's integrative medicine program gaining appeal - Video
The cordyceps mushroom is back in the spotlight again, except this time for its anti-aging properties. Researchers from Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc., and LifeGen Technologies have found that Cordyceps sinensis (Cs-4), a traditional Chinese mushroom, is a powerful anti-aging food with the ability to improve energy metabolism, decrease fatigue, bolster endurance levels and lengthen lifespan.
Back in March, we covered breakthrough research on the power of cordyceps to treat cancer (http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=22848,http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=22276), but the new research has found even more beneficial uses for this emerging superfood. By encouraging human genes to express in ways that promote longevity, cordyceps has incredible potential in helping to reverse the negative effects of aging.
"We're making great breakthroughs in gene expression science that have application in the fields of health and longevity," explained Joe Chang, Ph.D., chief scientific officer and executive vice president of development at Nu Skin. "These studies ... help validate the critical role gene expression modulation plays in the aging process. We believe that the future of anti-aging is in developing consumer solutions that support youthful gene expression." Read more...
Youtharia for Anti-Aging & Longevity
One of the most dreaded consequences of cancer is when the disease metastasizes -- meaning it spreads from the primary site where it started to other parts of the body. But University of California, Riverside (UCR) scientists have announced what could be a major breakthrough in halting metastasis. They've discovered components in pomegranate juice that inhibit the movement of cancer cells and weaken the attraction of malignant cells to a chemical signal that has been shown to promote metastasis.
The UCR findings were just presented at the American Society for Cell Biology's 50th Annual Meeting, which is being held in Philadelphia. Specifically, the research team from the UCR laboratory of Manuela Martins-Green, Ph.D., found that pomegranate juice seems to block the spread of prostate cancer cells to the bone. The group is planning additional tests to determine the effects of various doses of the natural pomegranate compounds and whether there are any side effects. Read more...
Cardiofy Heart Care Supplement
Acupuncture in Bay City, MI | Julie Botimer
Here at Mid Michigan Wellness Center we specialize in practicing Traditional Chinese Medicine which typically focuses on Acupuncture and Herbs plus massage and body work to relieve symptoms and promote healing. Julie graduated from the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in Chicago, Illinois with a Master of Science degree in Traditional Oriental Medicine. This nationally accredited program includes over 2500 classroom hours and over 900 clinical hours in western and eastern diagnosis, acupuncture, herbal medicine and therapeutic massage. Julie is board certified to practice acupuncture by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) and is a member of MAAOM, AAAOM, and AAC
Acupuncture and Herbs have been used for nearly four thousand years to treat almost every ailment that afflicts mankind.
Dont forget about physical exercise
Believe it or not, when youre exercising your body, youre exercising your mind as well. Aerobic exercise gets your blood pumping, which increases the oxygen going to your brain and lowers your risk of disorders such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease that can lead to memory loss. If you can, start with some exercise in Continue reading
There are more than 80 chronic illnesses that are immune related including rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, thyroid disease, inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, and celiac disease.
Autoimmune diseases result when the immune system mistakenly attacks its own bodys tissues. Immune deficiency is more common than most people think; around 20 percent of the population suffers from some form of an Continue reading
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Mid Michigan Wellness Center | Bay City, MI Acupuncture ...
(HealthDay News) -- Exercising during adolescence may help guard against a deadly form of brain tumor in adulthood, new research suggests.
The study also found that avoiding obesity during the teen years was associated with a lower risk of developing the cancerous brain tumors called gliomas, while being tall increased the chances of such malignancies.
The study appears in the Nov. 1 issue of Cancer Research.
Gliomas are the most common type of brain and central nervous system cancers, accounting for 80 percent of cases, according to background information in the study. Gliomas cause 13,000 deaths in the United States each year.
Though little is known about why people develop the tumors or who is at risk, previous research has hinted that "early life exposures" may increase the risk of developing the cancer in adulthood, said study author Steven C. Moore, a research fellow in the Nutritional Epidemiology Branch of the U.S. National Cancer Institute. Studies have shown that people who are left-handed, for example, are at higher risk of the disease. Read more...
Memory concentration, loss of memory, short term memory loss
Neuro- Acupuncturist and president, Olaking International Holistic Medicine, Dr. Qazeem Olawale, has said the Federal Governments efforts to combat Coronavirus (COVID-19) can be boosted with integrative medicine.
Speaking with The Guardian in Lagos at the weekend, the University of Ilorin graduate of biochemistry and India-trained natural medical practitioner said COVID-19 requires the support of the private and public sector to overcome.
Expressing readiness to work with the government, he called on the authorities to give room for integrative medicine where existing treatment methods and natural remedies are applied to treat Nigerians that have contracted the virus.
He said: As a biochemist and natural medicine practitioner leading a team of other healthcare professionals, what good does it if we do not add meaningful and informed contribution to the fight against COVID-19? If given the opportunity, we have a lot to offer with integrative medicine approach as our indigenous herbs also have what it takes to combat this novel virus.
According to him, COVID-19 itself is not incurable, but those that died of it either have low immune system to fight or their vitality too low, the injury or morbid encumbrance too great, so inherent forces within loses the fight which leads to death.
There must be enough inherent vitality for the body to react towards a cure
In the case of this COVID-19 and other diseases, its best said that the cure consists first, in removing the cause with a broad spectrum regimen; second, in preventing its recurrence by abiding by Natures law; third, in empowering the individual to regulate his own life by educating him on the steps to achieving and maintaining health. Teaching how to live in tune with nature and appropriate dietary, nutrition and lifestyle guidelines should also be taught.
Just as we have been doing in the past, all intended treatment will be research-based using our own local medicines and herbs. There is a whole lot of potency in our local medicine, which we are yet to tap into and standardise. Perhaps, this is the time the Federal Government will look into this industry and make it a flourishing one
All remedies that will be used are going to be locally made through our own medicine herbs and plants. In fact, as a rule in Natural Medicine, we believe the local herbs and plants of a people is the best medicine to treat people in a locality than to use a foreign or imported medicines, he said.
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Traditional healer suggests integrative medicine to check pandemicNigeria - Guardian
Experts in the psychology of human error have long been aware that even highly trained experts are easily misled when they rely on personal experience and informal decision rules to infer the causes of complex events. --Barry Beyerstein
According to [Andrew] Weil, many of his basic insights about the causes of disease and the nature of healing come from what he calls "stoned thinking," that is, thoughts experienced while under the influence of psychedelic agents or during other states of "altered consciousness" induced by trances, ritual magic, hypnosis, meditation, and the like. --Arnold S. Relman, M.D.
They have so many healers there [Nevada City/Grass Valley] it makes you sick. -- U. Utah Phillips
If you mix cow pie with apple pie, it does not make the cow pie taste better; it makes the apple pie worse. --Mark Crislip
Integrative medicine is a synonym for "alternative" medicine that, at its worst, integrates sense with nonsense. At its best, integrative medicine supports both consensus treatments of science-based medicine and treatments that the science, while promising perhaps, does not justify. It mixes the scientific with the metaphysical ("spirit-mind-body connection" is a favorite expression) and the scientifically untested, discredited, or questionable. Defenders of integrative medicine have an exceptionally high opinion of things "natural" and "organic."
The expression is a marketing term popularized by Andrew Weil, M.D. Integrative medicine is not a medical "specialty," nor is it special or superior to plain old science-based medicine. As David Gorski, M.D., says, "integrative medicine" is a brand, not a specialty.note Weil's branding and marketing strategy has paid off. The University of Arizona has given him his own Institute of Integrative Medicine to direct.
Weil graduated from Harvard Medical School but did not complete a residency nor, as far as I can ascertain, ever take the medical boards in any state.
After a one-year internship at Mount Zion Hospital in San Francisco in 1968-69, he began what was supposed to have been a two-year tour of duty at the National Institute of Mental Health. He resigned after a year. He says it was because of official opposition to his work with marijuana. He then left the world of allopathic medicine entirely, to go off to an Indian reservation in South Dakota to study with a Sioux medicine man and learn about herbal medicine and ritual healing. "On the reservation," he says, "I participated in sweat lodge ceremonies, grew a beard, and `dropped out.'" At home afterward, "I started to practice yoga, experiment with vegetarianism, and learn to meditate." (Relman 1998)
Apparently, he continued his herbal research during an extensive stay in South America.
After medical school, he decided, he would forgo the young doctor's traditional apprenticeship as a hospital intern and resident and instead devote his time to traveling through the forests and villages of South America, studying not the great engine of Western medicine but the gentle power of the curative herb. Weil spent more than three years in the field in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and elsewhere, and when he returned to the U.S. in the mid-1970s, he decided that he would make his living teaching, writing and otherwise spreading the alternative-medicine word. (Kluger 1997)
Today, Weil mixes scientific medicine with Ayurvedic and other forms of quackery and calls this practice "integrative medicine." One of his main tenets is: "It is better to use natural, inexpensive, low-tech and less invasive interventions whenever possible." However, there is no scientific evidence for the claim that natural interventions are always superior to artificial ones. Millions of people use herbs and natural products for a variety of conditions, such as calcium, echinacea, ginseng, ginkgo biloba, glucosamine, saw palmetto, shark cartilage, and St. John's wort. All of these, when tested scientifically, have failed to support the traditional wisdom regarding their healing powers. Pharmaceuticals and other treatments are much superior to most herbal remedies. If a plant has been shown to be effective as a healing agent, the active ingredient has been extracted and tested scientifically and is part of scientific medicine. Otherwise, any beneficial effect following use of the herb or plant is probably best explained as due to the placebo effect, natural regression, the body's own natural healing processes, or to some other non-herbal factor.
Why so many peopleincluding many highly educated and medically trained peoplebelieve in the efficacy of quack remedies is a complex issue. As Barry Beyerstein has pointed out in his most thorough analysis of this phenomenon, there are a "number of social, psychological, and cognitive factors that can convince honest, intelligent, and well-educated people that scientifically-discredited [or untested] treatments have merit" (Beyerstein 1999). The typical believer in untested or discredited medical treatments accepts uncritically the apparently clear messages of personal experience that such treatments are effective. To the uncritical thinker, many worthless or harmful treatments seem to "work" (the pragmatic fallacy). Such people are either unaware of or intentionally ignore the many perceptual and cognitive biases that deceive us into thinking there are causal relationships between quack treatments and feeling better or recovering from some illness or disease. They uncritically place "more faith in personal experience and intuition than on controlled, statistical studies" (Beyerstein 1999).
Furthermore, the mass media is rarely critical of "alternative" healing and often presents non-scientific medicine in a very positive light. And critics of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are often stereotyped as lackeys for the AMA or the pharmaceutical firms. For example, when a recent double-blind study of 225 men with enlarged prostates [benign prostate hyperplasia or BPH] found no statistically significant difference between those who took saw palmetto and those who took a placebo twice a day for one year, a user of saw palmetto wrote a letter to the editor of the Sacramento Bee in which he claimed that the study was
an attempt by the pharmaceutical industry to promote manufactured drugs that help the prostrate.
I have had a long experience using saw palmetto in various formulations. It works and it has prevented me from having surgery in my 50s. I am now in my mid-60s. I was desperate at the time. Saw palmetto is a blessing.
The Bee should investigate how the pharmaceutical industry manipulates public thought and perception. It's a much more interesting concept. (Letters to the editor, Sacramento Bee, Feb. 25, 2006).
Rather than accept the results of a scientific study, the letter writerlike many purveyors and proponents of quack treatmentstrusts his interpretation of his personal experience, even though it is contradicted by a double-blind scientific experiment.* He also brings up a common claim among believers in quack remedies: the pharmaceutical industry has rigged the game so they can sell more drugs. The letter writer believes that the pharmaceutical industry has somehow manipulated the seven scientists who did this study, as well as the New England Journal of Medicine, which published their research.
The letter writer is probably not the least bit interested in the fact that the National Institutes of Health, which spends millions of dollars each year trying to validate quack treatments, has funded a major new study of saw palmetto and another commonly-used herbal treatment for BPH.* The new study will involve several hundred patients at 11 centers nationwide. Such information is probably of no interest to this letter writer, since he already knows that "saw palmetto is a blessing." Of course, if the results of the new study support the claim that saw palmetto is an effective treatment for BPH, he may view the study with a more positive eye, as it will confirm his bias. In any case, the fact that someone has not had prostate problems since he started taking some herb is not very strong evidence that the herb has had anything to do with it. His prostate problemswhatever they may have beenmay have subsided had he done nothing. It is possible that he stopped drinking caffeinated beverages at the same time he started taking the herb and that the entire positive effect he feels is due to not ingesting caffeine. Perhaps he began ejaculating several times a week after his problem emerged.* A scientific study can control for various factors that might be causing an outcome and isolate the most likely significant factor. Intuition is unable to do this.
Many believers in integrative medicine are led to their uncritical evaluation of personal experience because of their deep commitment to metaphysical notions such as subtle energy or spiritual forces. They do not accept that the biological world is governed by mechanistic processes determined by laws of nature. Scientific or evidence-based medicine is rooted in a set of beliefs about reality that seem to contradict their beliefs in non-physical entities and forces that are at the core of their perception of reality. They don't necessarily reject science altogether, but they are as likely to put their faith in prayer, intuition, meditation, or visions induced by drugs, as they are in randomized, double-blind, controlled studies.
Scientific medicine is not infallible, of course. And we should not draw strong conclusions from a single study. That goes for both skeptics and believers. The results of a scientific study should usually be taken to hold tentatively, until significant replication or other strong supportive evidence leads to a consensus. Even then, the door should never be closed to further investigation, should new data arise that warrants it. The tendency of most of us, however, is to be uncritical and accepting of a study if it seems to support our beliefs. A skeptic might hail the Bent et al. study that found no significant benefit of saw palmetto, while a believer might reject the study because of a perceived fault. One need not speculate about drug company conspiracies to find a reason to reject a scientific study. No study is perfect. It is not difficult to find fault with nearly every scientific study ever done: the study did not go on long enough, the dosage was too small or too large or was given too frequently or not frequently enough, the placebo wasn't masked well enough, the sample was too small, the randomization process wasn't perfect, and so on.
Furthermore, each human being is a unique and extremely complex biological organism. The same chemicals may affect different people in significantly different ways. They may even affect the same person differently at different times. It is not uncommon for a well-designed double-blind study to contradict earlier studies (as was the case with the Bent et al. study). It should not be a shock to anyone if the next saw palmetto study finds that it significantly improves BPH, but if it does that should not be the end of such studies. Eventually, a consensus should be reached about the effectiveness of this smelly herb to heal the prostate. But even when that consensus is reached, there will still be a few contrarians who will continue to prescribe and sell saw palmetto to patients concerned about prostate problems. Some of these will base their contrary belief on their intuitions but others will say that further studies need to be done because, after all, there have been some studies that have indicated it is effective and there are still many men who swear by it. It is always possible that the next study will prove beyond a reasonable doubt that it is effective. And if it doesn't? Well, there is always the next study and the one after that.
Randomized double-blind studies are not perfect, but they are much more reliable than anecdotes and personal experience because they allow us the opportunity to control our observations in such a way as to minimize the effect of the many perceptual and cognitive biases that affect us all and are great sources of error. We are prone to wishful thinking, "a willingness to endorse comforting beliefs and to accept, uncritically, information that reinforces our core attitudes and self-esteem" (Beyerstein 1999). We often see patterns that aren't really there and find significance in coincidental occurrences.
The pioneers of the scientific revolution were aware of the large potential for error when informal reasoning joins forces with our penchant for jumping to congenial conclusions. By systematizing observations, studying large groups rather than a few isolated individuals, instituting control groups, and trying to eliminate confounding variables, these innovative thinkers hoped to reduce the impact of the frailties of reasoning that lead to false beliefs about how the world works. None of these safeguards exists when we base our decisions merely on a few satisfied customers personal anecdotesunfortunately, these stories are the alternative practitioners stock in trade. Psychologists interested in judgmental biases have repeatedly demonstrated that human inference is especially vulnerable in complex situations, such as that of evaluating therapeutic outcomes, which contain a mix of interacting variables and a number of strong social pressures. Add a pecuniary interest in a particular outcome, and the scope for self-delusion is immense. (Beyerstein 1999).
The appeal of Weil's integrative medicine is that he mixes sound scientific knowledge and advice with illogical hearsay. For example, on his Men's Health Internet page, he provides scientific information regarding men with prostate problems. He offers common sense advice such as don't ingest caffeine and alcohol if you are having trouble with frequent urination, since these substances will increase the need to urinate. But he also advises men to eat more soy because: "Asian men have a lower risk of BPH and some researchers believe it is related to their intake of soy foods." As Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig note, however: "the same logic requires us to blame high rates of cancers of the esophagus, stomach, thyroid, pancreas and liver in Asian countries on consumption of soy" (Soy Alert! 2001). Weil also states that saw palmetto "may help" BPH because: "There is clinical evidence that saw palmetto can help shrink the size of the prostate, and it may help promote healthy prostate function." Now we know there is clinical evidence that saw palmetto doesn't help shrink the size of the prostrate.
On the positive side, Weil notifies the reader: "You should inform your health care practitioner you are using this product." Your physician needs to know what supplements you are taking because what he or she prescribes to you may interact adversely with the herbs you are taking.
For those who want to study alternatives to scientific medicine, the University of Arizona seems like the hot spot. It not only supports the work of Gary Schwartz and the Center for Frontier Medicine in Biofield Science, Andrew Weil heads its integrative medicine program. Why would a major university risk its reputation by supporting such programs? Because these programs are very popular with the masses, the media, many medical schools and physicians, and politicians. Furthermore, there is significant grant money available to such programs through agencies like the NIH and the university gets a significant cut of whatever money the grantees take in. Someday we may look back at this period in our history and see the "alternative" science movement as a well-engineered social movement that created a very popular mass delusion on par with the tulip mania of 17th century Holland.
__________
Note: Although "integrative medicine is not recognized as a speciality by the American Board of Medical Specialities. The ABMS is, as one disgruntled practitioner of integrative medicine put it, "a guild." Membership requires approval by every subspecialty member and there are more than 100 subspecialties. Integrative medicine isn't one of them. Other certifiying boards are more like clubs. You meet some minimum requirement and you pays your dues and you're in. Weil has cleverly formed his own American Board of Integrative Medicine, which has been accepted as a member of the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS). The ABPS is more like a club than a guild. Physicians certified by ABPS and licensed by theMedical Board of Californiaare prohibited from using the term "board certified" unless they are also certified by theAmerican Board of Medical Specialties.* From 2000 until 2014, the American Board of Integrative and Holistic Medicine provided the only board certification exam in integrative medicine. As of May 2014, the American Board of Integrative Medicine will replace the ABIHM for board certification in integrative medicine. So, Weil will be soon able to create board certified practitioners of integrative medicine, but they will not be allowed call themselves "board certified" in California. I don't know about other states.
See also alternative medicine, complementary medicine, energy, frontier medicine, hidden persuaders, integrative oncology, holistic medicine, NCCAM, and supplements.
* Ray Hyman provides an example of a chiropractor who agreed to a double-blind controlled test of applied kinesiology (AK). After AK had failed the test, the chiropractor said: "You see, that is why we never do double-blind testing anymore. It never works!"
further listening
further reading
I have written several articles and short pieces about alternative-health related topics. The following is a list of those I think are most relevant to the article above.
Evaluating Personal Experience
Energy Healing: Looking in All the Wrong Places
Evaluating Acupuncture Studies: Laughable vs. Dangerous Delusions
The trouble with acupuncture, homeopathy, etc.
Sticking Needles into Acupuncture Studies
How safe are alternative therapies?
Oprah and Oz spreading superstition at the speed of night
Ancient Wisdom
Prescribing Placebos
Mesmerized by hypnotherapy
Statistics and Medical Studies
Review of R. Barker Bausell's Snake Oil Science: The Truth about Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Bunk 7 - Needles and Nerves
Acupuncture shown NOT to ease back and neck pain after surgery
cosmetic acupuncture
books and articles
Barrett, Stephen and William T. Jarvis. eds. The Health Robbers: A Close Look at Quackery in America, (Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 1993).
Bausell, R. Barker. (2007). Snake Oil Science: The Truth about Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Oxford University Press.
Gardner, Martin. Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science (New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1957), ch. 16.
Hall, Harriet. (2006). "Andrew Weil: Harvard Hatched a Gullible Guru." Skeptical Inquirer. Volume 30, No. 1. This is a review of Weil's Natural Health, Natural Medicine.
Mackay, Charles. Extraordinary Popular Delusions & the Madness of Crowds (Crown Publishing, 1995).
Park, Robert L. Voodoo Science: The Road from Foolishness to Fraud (Oxford U. Press, 2000).
Randi, James. The Faith Healers (Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 1989).
Raso, Jack. "Alternative" Healthcare: A Comprehensive Guide (Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 1994).
Raso, Jack. "Mystical Medical Alternativism," Skeptical Inquirer, Sept/Oct 1995.
Sampson, Wallace and Lewis Vaughn, editors. Science Meets Alternative Medicine: What the Evidence Says About Unconventional Treatments (Prometheus Books, 2000).
Shapiro, Rose. 2008. Suckers: How Alternative Medicine Makes Fools of Us All. Random House.
Singh, Simon and Edzard Ernst. 2008. Trick or Treatment: The Undeniable Facts about Alternative Medicine. W. W. Norton.
Stenger, Victor J. "Quantum Quackery," Skeptical Inquirer. January/February 1997.
news
The believers: Alternative therapies are increasingly mainstream. That means headaches for scientistsand no cure in sight "The $1.5 billion that taxpayers have devoted to NCCAM has brought meagre returns....In a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine last July [Ted Kaptchuk] described an experiment with asthma inhalers. The real ones improved patients lung function by 20%, compared with 7% for the alternatives: a dummy inhaler or acupuncture. But patients judged the effectiveness of the three therapies to be about the same." Not accounting for the difference in real vs. perceived benefits of treatment may explain why placebo medicine hasn't gone extinct.
Why Medical Schools Should Not Teach Integrative Medicine "Pseudoscience is insinuating itself into our medical schools across the nation, going by the name Integrative Medicine. Integrative medicine is just the latest buzzword for a collection of superstitions, myths, and pseudoscience that has gone by various names over the years. First it was Holistic medicine, and once that fell out of favor, it became Alternative medicine, followed soon after by Complementary and Alternative medicine (CAM), and lately Integrative medicine. These names cant disguise the fact that many of the practices lumped together are bad medicine. What disturbs me particularly, as a professor, is that CAM is moving into the medical curriculum at respectable medical schools, including the University of Maryland."
UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine Celebrates New Building The $37 million project was made possible through gifts from Bernard and Barbro Osher.... Our hope, noted the Oshers, is that the activities undertaken in this structure, enhanced by the Takahashi meditation garden, will promote good health and wellness, respect for the healing traditions of many cultures and individual progress toward more balanced and meaningful lives.
"The new Osher building underscores UCSFs commitment to increasing access to integrative medicine and making it a larger part of the treatment relationship between medical caregivers and patients."
And that's a good thing? Orac doesn't think so.
websites
Integrative medicine and the point of credulity by John C McLachlan
In the spirit of Alan Sokal, McLachlan, a professor of medical education, responded to a mass circulated email invitation to submit a paper to something called The Jerusalem Conference on Integrative Medicine. Dr. McLachlan received the following response from the conference organizers:
We are happy to inform you that the Scientific Committee has reached its (sic) decision and that your paper has been accepted and you will be able to present your lecture. The time frame will be 15-20 minutes. Considering the tight schedule, I will appreciate if youll confirm your participation in the convention.
What was his proposal? It was a joke and should have been recognized as a joke by serious medical people. McLachlan's concern that "integrative medicine" is being used to smuggle alternative practices into rational medicine by way of lowered standards of critical thinking seems to have been justified. Here's his proposal:
...I have discovered a new version of reflexology, which identifies a homunculus represented in the human body, over the area of the buttocks. The homunculus is inverted, such that the head is represented in the inferior position, the left buttock corresponds to the right hand side of the body, and the lateral aspect is represented medially. As with reflexology, the map responds to needling, as in acupuncture, and to gentle suction, such as cupping. In my studies, responses are stronger and of more therapeutic value than those of auricular or conventional reflexology. In some cases, the map can be used for diagnostic purposes.
The Academic Woo Aggregator (a list of all the academic medical centers with woo programs)- Orac
A new use for magic mushrooms
Social and judgmental biases that make inert treatments seem to work by Barry L. Beyerstein (1999)
The Belief Engine by Jim Alcock (1995)
A Trip to Stonesville: Some Notes on Andrew Weil by Arnold S. Relman, M.D. (1998)
Why the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) Should Be Defunded by Wallace I. Sampson, M.D.
Mr. Natural by Jeffrey Kluger Time Magazine May 12, 1997
QuackWatch with Dr. Stephen Barrett
Fraud & Quackery: Internet Resources: Alternative Medicine
Alternatives to Medicine Topical Index Skeptic's Dictionary
The Museum of Quackery
The Medical Messiahs: A Social History of Health Quackery in Twentieth-Century America Chapter 18: Anti-Quackery, Inc. James Harvey Young, PhD
blogs
new Old wine in a new skin: The Society for Integrative Oncology promotes integrating pseudoscience into oncology by Orac "Any medical society that allows naturopaths to be members and touts integrating their expertise into medicine has automatically lost any claim to scientific legitimacy, given that naturopathy consists of a veritable cornucopia ofpretty much every quackery known to humankind, including homeopathy (which isrequired study for naturopathy students and the knowledge of which is tested in the NPLEX, the naturopathic certification examination)....Proponents of integrative oncology are no doubt well-meaning practitioners who think theyre doing good. They even go out of their way to condemn quackery, as though to demonstrate that what they embrace is not quackery. However, as they try to distance themselves from obvious cancer quackery, as Barrie Cassileth, who heads up the integrative medicine service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center,did not too long ago, they seem oblivious to the fact that much of what they accept as potentially part of integrative oncology, such as traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, reiki, naturopathy, and the like, is based on the very same pseudoscience and magical thinking that the quackery they condemn."
See also: Integrative oncology: Trojan horse, quackademic medicine, or both? by David Gorski, M.D. "Cancer patients, as I say frequently, are among the most vulnerable of patients. Many of them are facing a very unpleasant death without treatment; seeing that they receive the most effective medicines and treatments we have, free of quackery, is a moral imperative, and I fear that we will soon be failing our patients. We now even have aSociety of Integrative Oncologypromoting the integration of pseudoscience into oncology." Also by Dr. Gorski: Integrative oncology: The Trojan horse that is quackademic medicine infiltrates ASCO.
Even my alma mater, UCSD, has jumped on this bandwagon. San Diego has its own Center for Integrative Medicine. A 2013 symposium list of topics indicates what they are up to: "Topics include: optimal nutrition, physical activity, massage, manual therapies, acupuncture, herbs, biofeedback, meditation, guided imagery, integrative psychiatry, biofield therapies, expressive arts, yoga, and tai chi." Yes, a true mixture of apple pie and cow pie.[/new]
Integrative Medicine Invades the U.S. Military: Part One by Jann Bellamy, July 25, 2013 "If integrative medical practitioners and their proponents were simply directing their time, energy and resources toward facilitating a better model for delivering health care I suppose no one would have any problem. But they arent. They are claiming rights to an entirely new specialty in medicine. Proponents do this by advancing two dubious arguments. First, integrative medicine alone can deliver on this whole person model of care. Second, inclusion of alternative medicine is essential to good patient care."
Integrative Medicine: Patient-Centered Care is the new Medical Paternalism by Kimball Atwood "...the two most consistent IM pitches in recent yearsseen repeatedly in statements found in links from this postare that IM is 'preventive medicine' and that it involves 'patient-centered care.' I demolished the 'preventive' claim a couple of years ago, as did Drs. Lipson, Gorski, and probably others. Today Ill explain why the 'patient-centered care' claim is worse than fatuous."
Read more here:
integrative medicine - The Skeptic's Dictionary - Skepdic.com
No. 101; April 2012
Complementary and integrative medicine, also called complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) refers to a wide array of health care practices not currently considered to be part of mainstream medicine. Widespread use of CAM for various conditions requires that families, patients and health care professionals have a basic understanding of CAM.
Definitions:
Basic Philosophies Include:
Complementary and Integrative Medicine and Children: A wide range of therapies are used in children including herbs, dietary supplements, massage, acupuncture, naturopathy and homeopathy.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reports that families use CAM in 20-40 percent of healthy children and in over 50 percent of children with chronic, recurrent and incurable illnesses. Despite this high rate of CAM usage families frequently do not inform their healthcare providers of what treatments they are using. Some groups of children are more likely to use CAM than others. Parents who use CAM are more likely to treat their children with it. Children with chronic disabling or recurrent conditions are among those who have higher CAM use.
CAM usage by families where children have mental health diagnoses is widespread. Studies have suggested CAM usage at nearly 50 percent of children with autism and 20 percent of children with ADHD. Unfortunately, psychiatrists are informed of CAM usage less than 50 percent of the time.
Tips for Youth and Family:
When seeking care from a CAM practitioner, as with any healthcare provider, it is important to ask about the practitioner's:
Additional Information Can be Obtained from: The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the National Institution of Health (NCCAM) Consortium of Academic Health Centers in Integrative Medicine (CAHCIM) Consumer Labs
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Complementary and Integrative Medicine
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Cleveland Clinic's Center for Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine is dedicated to addressing the increasing demand for integrative healthcare by researching and providing access to practices that address the physical as well as lifestyle, emotional, and spiritual needs of patients.
As the body of evidence for alternative medicine grows, we remain at the forefront providing the most updated education and practices to patients. Cleveland Clinic's Center for Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine sees more than 5,000 patients per year for a variety of services.
Learn about our wide range of services and treatments including acupuncture, massage and lifestyle management programs.
Meet the Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine team of physicians and specialists.
Womens Wellness Week is a complete program that gives you physical, nutritional and informational tools you need to live healthier.
Disclaimer: Cleveland Clinic does not endorse Young Living Essential Oils Products and has not authorized the use of its name in association with Young Living Essential Oils Products.
Treat someone you love to a gift certificate good for any Cleveland Clinic Center for Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine service even physician consults and holistic psychotherapy.
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Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine - Cleveland Clinic
Integrative Medicine is an approach to medical care focusing on the whole person and recognizing the interactions of mind, body and spirit to optimize health and healing.
Integrative Medicine combines conventional western medicine with complementary treatments such as acupuncture, massage, yoga and stress reduction techniques, in an effort to treat the whole person and improve their quality of life.
Every year, millions of people see a health care professional for symptoms that diagnostic tests can't explain. In many of these patients, the cause of the illness is stress, particularly stress that isn't fully recognized. Managing stress is all about taking charge of your thoughts, emotions, and the way you deal with problems.
Jupiter Medical Center, in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts Medical Center's Center for Mindfulness, is pleased to offer Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Classes (MBSR). This comprehensive, eight-week training in mindfulness meditation, is based on ancient healing practices that are designed to help you achieve health and well-being in the face of stress, pain or illness. To learn more about Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, click HERE.
Our Integrative Medicine Program also offers meditation, yoga, tai chi classes and massage therapy.
Click HERE for our class schedule. Click HERE for class descriptions.
To learn more about our integrative medicine program, please call (561) 263-5775.
Welcome to UC Davis Integrative Medicine. Our blog is jam-packed with information on everything from nutrition and plant-based diets to exercise and stress management so that you can live a healthier, happierlife
By Rosane Oliveira on March 31, 2016March 31, 2016
Its been quite a celebration around here lately with UCDIMs 5-year anniversary.
Ive spent a lot of time thinking about the past, reflecting on how far we have come.
So before we embark on the future and our next five years, (more)
By Rosane Oliveira on March 29, 2016March 31, 2016
We are here at the fourth and final installment of the One Health Series.
From describing the One Health movement to discussing why what we eat really mattersto talking about cows, I would now love to complete our series by telling you a story. (more)
By Rosane Oliveira on March 27, 2016March 28, 2016
The journey of a thousand milesstarts with a single step. ~ Lao Tzu
It all started exactly 5 years ago.
That was when we took the first step of our journey here (more)
By Rosane Oliveira on March 20, 2016March 17, 2016
H20.
More commonly known as water. (more)
By Rosane Oliveira on March 15, 2016March 25, 2016
For our third installment in this months One Health series, we are going to broach the subject of how humans (as omnivores) differ from other animals on this planet who are true herbivores. I feel it is very important to set the record straight on this topic. (more)
By Rosane Oliveira on March 13, 2016March 14, 2016
My new motto is 3.14159265358.
Let me explain.
That number is the number Pi. (more)
By Rosane Oliveira on March 10, 2016March 9, 2016
The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patient in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease. ~Thomas A. Edison
The One Health initiative is a global conversation tackling (more)
By Rosane Oliveira on March 6, 2016March 5, 2016
Were not going to lie sticking to a plant-based diet can be tough at the beginning.
Between coming up with creative recipes and simply knowing whats healthful and whats not, it can be a challenge. (more)
By Rosane Oliveira on March 1, 2016March 2, 2016
Between animal and human medicine there are no dividing linesnor should there be. The object is different but the experience obtained constitutes the basis of all medicine.~ Rudolf Virchow, MD
The world is getting smaller. (more)
Chiropractic Care for Headaches Austin - Austin Preferred
http://austinpreferred.com/ Austin Preferred Integrative Medicine 4316 James Casey Street Building B, Suite 201 Austin, TX 78745 512-442-2727 Chiropractor.
By: M ASN
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Chiropractic Care for Headaches Austin - Austin Preferred - Video
Integrative Medicine St Louis Mo | Holistic Medicine Saint Louis Missouri
http://www.drsalter.com (314) 395-9777 - The Centre for Vibrant Health and Wellness offers concierge medicine in St Louis, Mo consisting of holistic medicine, integ...
By: The Centre For Vibrant Health And Wellness
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Integrative Medicine St Louis Mo | Holistic Medicine Saint Louis Missouri - Video
Every Patient is an Athlete: Using Exercise as Medicine is an Athlete
Visit: http://www.uctv.tv/) Dr. Carlin Senter is a primary care sports medicine doctor whose focus is to help patients of all ages stay active. She explores exercise and the athlete in every...
By: University of California Television (UCTV)
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Every Patient is an Athlete: Using Exercise as Medicine is an Athlete - Video
CES 2015 | Health and Fitness Tracking and Social Networking - Under Armour Record
Dr. Gary Kaplan, of the Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine, talks to Under Armour about their new fitness tracking app, Under Armour Record, which is hel...
By: KaplanCenter
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CES 2015 | Health and Fitness Tracking and Social Networking - Under Armour Record - Video
ERIE presents: Integrative Medicine and Ayahuasca Shamanism with Dr. Joe Tafur Part 2
Part 2! ERIE presents: Integrative Medicine and Ayahuasca Shamanism: Exploring the intersection between traditional spiritual healing and scientific knowledg...
By: ERIE vision: Exploring Entheogenic Potentials
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ERIE presents: Integrative Medicine and Ayahuasca Shamanism with Dr. Joe Tafur Part 2 - Video
This new study finding may help explain why children with bipolar disorder and
severe mood dysregulation have difficulty determining other people's emotional
expressions, said the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health investigators.
The researchers tracked the eye movements of children with and without
psychiatric disorders as they viewed faces with different emotional
expressions, such as happy, sad, fearful and angry. In general, the children
spent more time looking at the eyes, the facial feature that conveys the most
information about emotion. Read more…
Integrative Medicine / Jean Wisgirda, MD
HCA Virginia Physicians #39; Dr. Jean Wisgirda, from Commonwealth Ob/Gyn Specialists, discusses her specialty - Integrative Medicine - what it is, how she works ...
By: HCA Virginia Health System
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Integrative Medicine / Jean Wisgirda, MD - Video
Eldridge Co: Dennis Goodman, M.D., Integrative Medicine-Cardiologist
Dennis Goodman, M.D., cardiology professor and director of Integrative Medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center describes the holistic approach as treating the...
By: cunytv75
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Eldridge & Co: Dennis Goodman, M.D., Integrative Medicine-Cardiologist - Video
by: John Phillip
Researchers publishing in the Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology (CJPP) have found that a diet enhanced with vitamin and mineral supplementation can lower the risk of developing precancerous colon cancer lesions by up to 84%. Colon cancer is the second most common form of the disease affecting men and women in the US, with nearly 150,000 new diagnoses each year.
Nutrition experts and alternative practitioners understand that cancer is largely a disease caused by poor lifestyle behaviors including a diet lacking an optimal intake of vitamins and minerals. Chronic illnesses including colon cancer are the result of many years and decades of low nutritional status, as support for a healthy immune response is suppressed. Scientists now provide compelling evidence in support of whole-food based vitamin and mineral supplementation to dramatically lower the risk of colorectal cancer. Read more...
