Book Review ....

	The Desktop guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicine Editor: Erward Ernst Published by: Mosby ISBN 0-7234 3207-4
Reviewed by: Two members of BackCare

This book is a valuable and comprehensive guide to complementary and alternative medicines. It offers concise, evidence based information on 64 popular forms of complementary and alternative medicines and 38 common conditions often treated by these methods. The book is excellent for anyone wishing to find out which of these methods may help them. At £24.95, this is not a cheap book to buy, but users will find it invaluable when they wish to have an easy reference guide, so unless you need to refer to something like this regularly, I suggest you get it from your local library. It comes with a free CD-Rom, to make searching the text easier.

The editor of this book is Professor Edzard Ernst MD, PhD, FRCP(Edin) Director of the Department of Complementary Medicine, School of Postgraduate Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Exeter and the other contributing editors to the book are Research Fellows and a Lecturer at the same university. Contributions also come from Professors at Harvard Medical School in the USA and the University of Maryland Medical School.

The book certainly has an impressive list of authors. The information offered is easy to read and the book is straightforward to navigate enabling the reader to find exactly what information they want. The only downside to this was that I (and other colleagues in the office) kept being distracted into another treatment or condition, simply because it was so interesting.

The book is divided into clearly marked sections which include how to use the book and then into diagnostic methods, therapies, herbal and non-herbal medicine, conditions and general topics. The good thing about this book is that it not only tells you the positive aspects of these treatments, but also the areas where they may pose a risk.

The diagnostic methods include: Bioresonance, Chiropractic diagnostic techniques, iridology, kinesiology, kirilan photography, laboratory tests, pulse diagnosis, reflexology charts, tongue diagnosis and vega testing. Therapies studied include: Acupuncture, Alexander Technique, Aromatherapy, Autogenic training, Bach flower remedies, Biofeedback, Chelation therapy, Chiropractic, Craniosacral therapy, Herbalism, Homeopathy, Hypnotherapy, Massage, Naturopathy, Osteopathy, Reflexology, Relaxation therapy, Spiritual healing, Tai Chi and Yoga. The list of herbal and non-herbal medicine and conditions are equally exhaustive.

I looked at various treatments that I had tried and at those I would consider. This resulted in the discovery that some things that I had assumed would be pretty useless for my particular needs actually had merit and vice versa.

Despite the cost, or the trip to the library, I feel that this is an important read for anyone considering complementary or alternative therapies. I certainly will be referring to it on a regular basis.