Alternative Medicine for the Elderly

The explosion of information about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has demanded the attention of health professionals and responsible consumers, in cluding the elderly. Increasingly, medical schools are providing education about CAM. This book brings together for academicians and interested mainstream practitio ners much of the current information on CAM and its role in the health of the elderly. The individual chapters are thoroughly researched and quite readable, even for patients and the lay public concerned with the state of the evidence and art supporting CAM's role in prevention and management of illness and well-being. This book provides edu cators with much necessary information needed to prepare coursework and learning activities. Although definitive data are lacking regarding efficacy and even safety of CAM methodologies, many chapters in this book summarize the existing evidence in a us able way. The topics analyzed range from well-accepted therapies, such as vitamin E for dementia and zinc tablets for the common cold, to far less conventional therapies such as transcendental meditation. The conclusions are often surprising, but well-presented and defended. Even the most highly controversial areas, such as the use of acupuncture to treat low back pain and osteoarthritis of the knee, are thoroughly and fairly re viewed. Finally, the chapters address some of the political issues that challenge CAM. These issues include who should be allowed to practice a CAM discipline whose efficacy is not based on the scientific method, and some of the state-to-state variations in prac tice standards and licensure.

List of contents

A Epidemiology.- 1 Patterns and Predictors of CAM Use Among Older Adults.- 2 Why Do the Elderly Use Complementary and Alternative Medicine?.- 3 The Use of Alternative Medicine by the Elderly and the Doctor-Patient Relationship.- 4 Alternative Medicines and the Elderly.- 5 Ethical Issues Associated with CAM Use Among the Elderly.- 6 Future Trends in Use - Focus on Transcendental Meditation as a Traditional System of Natural Medicine.- B Types of Cam Used.- 7 Alternative Therapy: Vitamin Use in the Elderly.- 8 Herbal Therapy and the Elderly.- 9 The Use of Green Tea by the Elderly.- 10 Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation for the Elderly?.- 11 Unconventional Western Medicine.- 12 The Use of Traditional Japanese and Chinese Medicine for the Elderly.- 13 Acupuncture in the Context of Traditional Chinese Medicine.- 14 Current Practice of Acupuncture - Use in Common Diseases of the Elderly.- 15 Tai Chi Use and the Elderly.- 16 Ayurveda - The Ancient Scientific Medicine with Natural Healing.- 17 Herbal Folk Medicine.- 18 Native American Elder Care.- 19 Looking After Our Elders: Healthcare and Well-being of the Elderly from the Perspective of Gwich'in and Other First Nations of Canada.- 20 Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Latinos.- 21 Diet and Lifestyle Modification for the Elderly.- 22 The Benefits of Lifestyle Modification for Older People.- C Common Medical Problems of the Elderly and CAM.- 23 Treatments for Arthritis: Conventional Drugs versus Complementary Alternative Medicines.- 24 Alternative and Complementary Treatments in Respiratory Diseases in the Elderly.- 25 The Use of Complementary and Alternative Therapies in Older Women.- 26 The Use of Phytotherapy in the Treatment of Men with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.- 27 Alternative and ComplementaryMethods in Cancer Treatment, Palliation, and Prevention.- 28 Dementing Illness and Complementary and Alternative Medicine.- 29 Depression in the Elderly.- 30 Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Neurology.- 31 Acupuncture Effect on Pain.- D Appendix.

Summary

The explosion of information about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has demanded the attention of health professionals and responsible consumers, in cluding the elderly. Increasingly, medical schools are providing education about CAM. This book brings together for academicians and interested mainstream practitio ners much of the current information on CAM and its role in the health of the elderly. The individual chapters are thoroughly researched and quite readable, even for patients and the lay public concerned with the state of the evidence and art supporting CAM's role in prevention and management of illness and well-being. This book provides edu cators with much necessary information needed to prepare coursework and learning activities. Although definitive data are lacking regarding efficacy and even safety of CAM methodologies, many chapters in this book summarize the existing evidence in a us able way. The topics analyzed range from well-accepted therapies, such as vitamin E for dementia and zinc tablets for the common cold, to far less conventional therapies such as transcendental meditation. The conclusions are often surprising, but well-presented and defended. Even the most highly controversial areas, such as the use of acupuncture to treat low back pain and osteoarthritis of the knee, are thoroughly and fairly re viewed. Finally, the chapters address some of the political issues that challenge CAM. These issues include who should be allowed to practice a CAM discipline whose efficacy is not based on the scientific method, and some of the state-to-state variations in prac tice standards and licensure.

Additional text

From the reviews:
"... a well-written objective format...All practitioners caring for older persons will find this book of use...The range of topics here is wonderful, ranging from mediation to Ayurvedic medicine, Native American practices, popular Latino remedies and much more. Chapters on epidemiology and the ethical dimensions of care are excellent....This is the best book on complementary medicine around...The style of writing and editing is superb in its clarity. This is a wonderful addition to the literature...(4 stars)" (DOODY'S REVIEW)

"The book Alternative Medicine for the Elderly is an important completion for the well-accepted therapies in geriatrics. … All chapters of this book are clearly arranged and expanded by extensive references. The data are critically discussed. The book can be recommended to all geriatricians, specialists of internal medicine, psychiatry, neurology, and everybody interested in alternative medicine and geriatrics." (Dieter Platt, Gerontology, Vol. 50 (2), 2004)

Report

From the reviews:
"... a well-written objective format...All practitioners caring for older persons will find this book of use...The range of topics here is wonderful, ranging from mediation to Ayurvedic medicine, Native American practices, popular Latino remedies and much more. Chapters on epidemiology and the ethical dimensions of care are excellent....This is the best book on complementary medicine around...The style of writing and editing is superb in its clarity. This is a wonderful addition to the literature...(4 stars)" (DOODY'S REVIEW)

"The book Alternative Medicine for the Elderly is an important completion for the well-accepted therapies in geriatrics. ... All chapters of this book are clearly arranged and expanded by extensive references. The data are critically discussed. The book can be recommended to all geriatricians, specialists of internal medicine, psychiatry, neurology, and everybody interested in alternative medicine and geriatrics." (Dieter Platt, Gerontology, Vol. 50 (2), 2004)

Product details

• Assisted by: Cherniack (Editor), Cherniack (Editor), N. Cherniack (Editor), P Cherniack (Editor), P. Cherniack (Editor)
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 29.04.2003
• EAN: 9783540441694
• ISBN: 978-3-540-44169-4
• No. of pages: 473
• Weight: 926 g
• Illustrations: XVII, 473 p.
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Medicine > Holistic medicine; B, Medizin, allgemein, Medicine, Medicine: general issues, Therapy, complementary medicine, traditional chinese medicine, complementary and alternative medicine, Health Sciences, Medicine/Public Health, general, Complementary & Alternative Medicine