1st Edition
The Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicine on the Internet
Learn to identify Internet-based complementary/alternative medicine resources you can trust!
This well-organized book takes a commonsense approach to getting the most out of the Internet when it comes to finding reliable information on complementary and alternative medicine. Author Lillian Brazin teaches classes on finding and evaluating health information on the Internet. In this book, she shares her years of experience in using and evaluating medical Internet sites to teach you to spot authoritative resources and avoid misinformation, sales pitches, and out-and-out quackery. In addition to showing you where to find the information you need, this book stresses the importance (the how and why) of working closely with your physician to get the best results from your complementary/alternative medical experience. More than 20 screen shot illustrations give you a preview of what to look for on various sites!
The Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicine on the Internet will show you how to separate the wheat from the chaff when confronted with hundreds of Web sites purporting to provide reliable information. This jargon-free book addresses vital questions, such as:
- How can I be certain that the information I find is correct?
- How can I locate a Web site that was recommended to me?
- How do I start out to research a particular health problem?
- What do Internet terms like .com, .edu, .gov, listservs, :), BTW, LOL, flames, netiquette, etc. mean?
- the Pilates exercise method that Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis helped popularize in the 1960s is trendy again, with Pilates studios in most major cities
- supermarket supplements, such as St. John's wort, gingko biloba, and vitamins A-Z: how can I find out which, if any of them, are for me?
- the validity of celebrity endorsements for supplements and alternative therapies
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Chapter 1. Words of Wisdom
- Introduction
- How I Selected These Web Sites
- Why Read This Book?
- Let the Searcher Beware: The Good, the Bad, and the UglyEvaluating CAM Web Sites
- Getting Started
- Netiquette
- Chapter 2. General Web Sites
- Search Engines
- Discussion Groups (Mailing Lists, Chat Rooms, Newsgroups)
- Megasites (Medical School, Academic, or Library Based)
- Associations/Organizations
- General CAM Web Sites (Not Produced by Libraries, Universities, or Medical Schools)
- General Government Resources
- Chapter 3. A Sampling of CAM Therapies and Philosophies
- Acupuncture
- African-American Wellness
- Alexander Technique (AT)
- Aromatherapy
- Ayurvedic Medicine
- Biofeedback
- Chinese or Asian Traditional Medicine
- Chiropractic
- Feldenkrais Work
- Guided Imagery (GI)
- Herbal Medicine
- Hispanic Herbalism
- Holistic Medicine
- Homeopathic Medicine
- Humor or Clown Therapy
- Huna
- Hypnosis
- Massage Therapy
- Naturopathic Therapy
- Nutrition
- Osteopathic Medicine
- Pet Therapy
- Pilates Method
- Polarity Therapy
- Rolfing
- Shamanism
- Spirituality and Prayer
- Veterinary CAM
- Chapter 4. CAM for Specific Illnesses or Symptoms
- Cancer
- Crohn’s Disease/ Colitis/Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Hepatitis C
- Menopause
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Sickle-Cell Disease
- Chapter 5. Parting Advice: Ready, Set, Google
- Glossary
- Index
- Reference Notes Included
Biography
M. Sandra Wood and Lillian R. Brazin