Health Info Island This Week
HealthInfo Island: Focus on Herbs and Supplements
- Synergy Devonshire, co-owner, SL Health and Wellness Center
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a term used to describe a diverse group of healing systems that are not presently considered to be part of mainstream medicine. In the United States, taking the holistic approach to health has been labeled “alternative” for a variety of scientific, cultural, and political reasons. In many cases it is very difficult to scientifically test alternative practices, such as acupuncture, in the same way that certain conventional practices, such as medications, are tested. Although alternative therapies are often based on hundreds, and in some cases thousands of years of experience, the conventional medical community relies heavily on scientific evidence (rather than clinical experience) when evaluating the safety and effectiveness of a particular therapy. For this reason, many alternative practices that have not been thoroughly tested (or cannot be thoroughly tested) are considered “unscientific” by modern Western standards. Additionally, many non-Western healing practices are not taught in United States medical schools, available to patients in U.S. hospitals, or even covered by health insurance in the country.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) classifies CAM therapies into five major groups:
Alternative Medical Systems: built upon complete systems of theory and practice. Examples include homeopathy, naturopathy, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and Ayurveda.
Biological Medicine: use of substances found in nature, such as herbs, foods, and vitamins to promote health.
Energy Medicine: involves the use of energy fields to promote health. Some forms of energy medicine (known as biofield therapies) are designed to influence energy fields that are believed to surround and penetrate the human body. Examples of biofield therapies include qi gong, Reiki, and Therapeutic Touch. Other forms of energy medicine (known as bioelectromagnetic-based medicine) involve the use of electromagnetic fields, such as electroacupuncture.
Manual Medicine: based on manipulation and/or movement of one or more parts of the body. Examples include osteopathy, physical therapy, massage, chiropractic, Feldeinkrais, and reflexology.
Mind-Body Medicine: uses a range of techniques that help boost the mind’s ability to influence bodily functions and symptoms. Examples include biofeedback, deep relaxation, guided imagery, hypnotherapy, meditation, prayer, support groups, and yoga.
The barriers to integrative medicine are beginning to fall — or, at least are becoming less difficult to overcome. Alternative healing practices are increasingly being tested for effectiveness and safety in well-designed research studies. The intermixing of diverse cultures in the West are bringing once distant healing practices to the forefront and more Americans are turning to integrative medical care than ever before.
For more information, please visit the following:
- FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition: Dietary Supplements
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/supplmnt.html - National Cancer Institute: Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine (OCCAM)
http://occam.nci.nih.gov/ - National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
http://nccam.nih.gov/
- Rosenthal Center: Information Resources
http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/rosenthal/CAM.html - University of Pittsburgh: Alternative Medicine Homepage
www.pitt.edu/%7Ecbw/altm.html
Celebrate Black History on HealthInfo Island!
“What we play is life” – Louis Armstrong
Following close on the heels of a fascinating discussion about whether SL is a game, and what that means, I found this quote by the great Louis Armstrong most appropos. Armstrong, Angelou, DuBois, Davis, and Walker are a handful of great African Americans whose words are part of a new exhibit on HealthInfo Island that celebrates Black History month.
Come browse images from national archives of black pioneers in healthcare, and of landmarks events, such as the Tuskegee Syphilis study. This study deliberately misled a large number of African Americans, infecting them with syphilis – and then followed them without treatment in order to determine the natural course of the disease. Reaction to this awful practice has led to landmark decisions about patient disclosure that protect all Americans. I’ll end with another quote I think is appropriate, from former slave, Sojourner Truth: It is the mind that makes the body. Come learn, and become empowered.
We’re here to help.
Carolina Keats
Consumer Health Librarian