Takes an evidence-based approach to complementary and integrative medicine in women's health, examining when, how, and for whom these therapies can be effective--

Complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) has become big business internationally, in particular with regards to a range of women’s health issues. With this context in mind, Women's Health and Complementary and Integrative Medicine constitutes a valuable and timely resource for those looking to understand, initiate and expand CIM research and evidence-based debate with regards to a wide range of women’s health care issues. The collection brings together leading international CIM researchers from Australia, the USA, the UK, Germany and Canada, with backgrounds and expertise in health social science, statistics, qualitative methodology, clinial trial design, clinical pharmacology, health services research and public health. Contributors draw upon their own CIM research work and experience to explain and review core research and practice issues pertinent to the contemporary field of CIM and its future development with regards to women’s health. The book outlines the core issues, challenges and opportunities facing the CIM-women’s health field and its study and will provide insight and inspiration for those practising, studying and/or researching the contemporary relations between CIM and women’s health and health care.

Women have made it clear that they desire a broader, integrative approach to their care. Here, for the first time, Integrative Women's Health weaves together the best of conventional treatments with mind-body interventions, nutritional strategies, herbal therapies, dietary supplements, acupuncture, and manual medicine, providing clinicians with a roadmap for practicing comprehensive integrative care. Presenting the best evidence in a concise, accessible format, and written exclusively by female clinicians, this text addresses many aspects of women's health, including feminine perspectives on aging, spirituality and sexuality, specific recommendations for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV, headaches, multiple sclerosis, depression, anxiety, and cancer, as well as integrative approaches to premenstrual syndrome, pregnancy, menopause, fibroids, and endometriosis. Homeopathic, Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners provide insight into the ways in which these systems manage reproductive conditions. As leading educators in integrative medicine, editors Dr. Maizes and Dr. Low Dog demonstrate how clinicians can implement their recommendations in practice, but they also go beyond practical care to examine how to motivate patients, enhance a health history, and understand the spiritual dimensions of healing.

This book covers the most common areas of concern in women's health. It provides a truly integrative approach, showing when, how, and for whom complementary/integrative therapies can benefit women in continuity with their regular medical care. This is an evidence-based, clinically-oriented book that presents the background and range of complementary and alternative therapies related to common medical conditions and functional complaints and disorders. It summarizes and analyzes scientific studies on the safety and efficacy of these therapies for various women's health conditions. Each chapter includes a description of commonly used treatments, discussions of safety issues (including adverse effects and drug interactions), a comprehensive summary and methodological assessment of clinical trials on the subject (with animal and in vitro data included as appropriate), and advice on counseling patients. Provides a clear review of the scientific evidence relating complementary and integrative medicine to the care of women. Offers a roadmap to the options in the treatment of women with complementary and integrative medicine - expanding the clinician's practice, whatever their specialty, with realistic possibilities. Features comprehensive coverage of safety issues. Written by leading experts in the field. Sidebars within each chapter provide at-a-glance advice for patients and practitioners. Includes key coverage of non-gynecologic issues such as nutrition, headache, depression, cancer, and heart disease. Offers comprehensive coverage of commonly used treatments and related safety issues, such as possible adverse effects and drug interactions, plus a helpful appendix on Botanical Products. A focused table of contents makes it easy to find the right treatment for each patient based on their condition. Features advice on talking with patients about self-treatments they may have read about in books or on the Internet.

Integration of complementary and alternative medicine therapies (CAM) with conventional medicine is occurring in hospitals and physicians offices, health maintenance organizations (HMOs) are covering CAM therapies, insurance coverage for CAM is increasing, and integrative medicine centers and clinics are being established, many with close ties to medical schools and teaching hospitals. In determining what care to provide, the goal should be comprehensive care that uses the best scientific evidence available regarding benefits and harm, encourages a focus on healing, recognizes the importance of compassion and caring, emphasizes the centrality of relationship-based care, encourages patients to share in decision making about therapeutic options, and promotes choices in care that can include complementary therapies where appropriate. Numerous approaches to delivering integrative medicine have evolved. Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States identifies an urgent need for health systems research that focuses on identifying the elements of these models, the outcomes of care delivered in these models, and whether these models are cost-effective when compared to conventional practice settings. It outlines areas of research in convention and CAM therapies, ways of integrating these therapies, development of curriculum that provides further education to health professionals, and an amendment of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act to improve quality, accurate labeling, research into use of supplements, incentives for privately funded research into their efficacy, and consumer protection against all potential hazards.

Integrative Women's Health is a comprehensive reference that combines conventional approaches with alternative therapies, providing an evidence-based guide to whole-body integrative care for women's health.

Focusing on emerging therapies and those best supported by clinical trials and scientific evidence, Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine describes some of the most prevalent and the fastest-growing CAM therapies in use today. Prominent author Dr. Marc Micozzi provides a complete overview of CAM, creating a solid foundation and context for therapies in current practice. Coverage of systems and therapies includes mind, body, and spirit; traditional Western healing; and traditional ethnomedical systems from around the world. Discussions include homeopathy, massage and manual therapies, chiropractic, a revised chapter on osteopathy, herbal medicine, aromatherapy, naturopathic medicine, and nutrition and hydration. With its wide range of topics, this is the ideal CAM reference for both students and practitioners! An evidence-based approach focuses on treatments best supported by clinical trials and scientific evidence. Coverage of CAM therapies and systems includes those most commonly encountered or growing in popularity, so you carefully evaluate each treatment. Global coverage includes discussions of traditional healing arts from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Longevity in the market makes this a classic, trusted text. Expert contributors include well-known writers such as Kevin Ergil, Patch Adams, Joseph Pizzorno, Victor Sierpina, and Marc Micozzi himself. Suggested readings and references in each chapter list the best resources for further research and study. New, expanded organization covers the foundations of CAM, traditional Western healing, and traditional ethnomedical systems from Asia, Africa, and the Americas, putting CAM in perspective and making it easier to understand CAM origins and contexts. NEW content includes legal and operational issues in integrative medicine, creative and expressive arts therapies, ecological pharmacology, hydration, mind-body thought and practice in America, osteopathy, reflexology, South American healing, traditional medicines of India, and Unani medicine. Revised and updated chapters include aromatherapy, classical acupuncture, energy medicine, biophysical devices (electricity, light, and magnetism), massage and touch therapies, traditional osteopathy, reflexology, vitalism, and yoga. New research studies explain how and why CAM therapies work, and also demonstrate that they do work, in areas such as acupuncture, energy healing, and mind-body therapies. Expanded content on basic sciences includes biophysics, ecology, ethnomedicine, neurobiology, and pschoneuroimmunology, providing the scientific background needed to learn and practice CAM and integrative medicine. Expanded coverage of nutrition and hydration includes practical information on Vitamin D and healthy hydration with fluid and electrolytes.