Lupus: Alternative Therapies That Work [Paperback]

Sharon Moore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2000

A comprehensive guide to noninvasive, nontoxic therapies for lupus--written by a lupus survivor.

• The only book to focus on alternative therapies for lupus.

• Includes therapeutic approaches drawn from the fields of naturopathic medicine, nutritional medicine, environmental medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, nontoxic dentistry, energy medicine, and psychological healing.

• Lupus affects more than four million Americans and does not respond well to conventional treatments.

More than four million Americans (90 percent of them women) have been diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, a chronic, debilitating disease of the autoimmune system that manifests itself with extreme fatigue, arthritic pain, rashes, and a host of other symptoms. Add to that the fact that lupus is notoriously difficult to diagnose, and the number of potential sufferers grows. Sharon Moore lived with lupus for several years before doctors finally put a name to it. The only therapies offered to her were pharmaceuticals--toxic drugs that could control or suppress some of her symptoms but couldn't cure her disease. Dissatisfied with this approach, she set about researching alternative treatments for her condition. Nine years later her health is greatly improved, and she has written this book to share the most effective natural healing techniques with other lupus sufferers.

Chock full of specific, scientific, well-documented evidence on effective alternative treatments, this book is a godsend for anyone suffering from lupus. Moore provides a comprehensive diagnostic checklist and helps readers identify the possible causes of their illness, from environmental toxins and dental amalgam fillings to compromised liver function and poor nutrition. She offers ways to nurture the mind and spirit when living with chronic disease and shows readers how they can rebuild their lives. Equally important, she writes with the understanding of someone who's been there. 

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Moore suffered from lupus for 14 years. After taking control of her health care, though, and drawing on alternative therapies (usually called "complementary" therapies), she has "recovered." Books by lupus patients aren't unusual, but hers is the first to go into complementary medicine in detail. Nutrition and dietary supplements played major roles, Moore says, and naturopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, and mind-body medicine were in the mix, too. The hardest part of her return to health was the removal of 22 dental amalgam fillings, which gave new meaning to the trendy saw "No pain, no gain" but produced increasingly noticeable improvement. A problem with using Chinese medicine was the difficulty of finding herbs free of dangerous admixtures. A highly personal chapter, "Caring for Your Spirit," offers suggestions for bettering the quality of one's life. William Beatty
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"This book should be read by both those who ar ill and the practitioners they choose to work with. . . . The information and explanations presented are the pearls from thousands of dollars worth of consultations with many different types of practitioners."
(John Ruhland, N.D., Bastyr University )

"Lupus is a book I most strongly recommend not only to those with lupus, but to anyone with a disease that is difficult to categorize or treat."
(Eric Steese, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist )

"Particularly helpful is a twelve-month plan for incorporating . . . varied therapies into a lifestyle that optimally supports recovery and personal growth."
(Pamela Houghton, N.D., L.Ac. )

"Books by lupus patients aren't unusual, but hers is the first to go into complementary medicine in detail." 
(William Beatty, Booklist )

"Her research, as detailed here, was deep. It is an essentially scientific search through the fringes of our world, through cultures and ideas that Western science does not know about or does not understand. Lupus sufferers should most certainly read this book and think about what Moore has to say."
(Statesman Journal, January 21, 2001 )

"A useful book with new insights, new therapies, and new hope to all that suffer from this devastating disease."
(Nancy Pearlman, The Compendium Newsletter, May-June 2002 )

"Anyone who is chronically ill, will find a wealth of suggestions here for non-invasive, non-toxic approaches to healing."
(Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients, November 2002 )

"I have no hesitation in recommending [Lupus] . . . a good resource book on the alternative approaches to the management of Lupus."
(Swamy Swarna, Swamy's Book Reviews, Oct 30, 2005 )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Healing Arts Press (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892818891
• ISBN-13: 978-0892818891
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #655,068 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #16 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Disorders & Diseases > Lupus
  • #41 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Disorders & Diseases > Rheumatic Diseases

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

87 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not really a lupus book, June 4, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Lupus: Alternative Therapies That Work (Paperback)

Reader beware. Except for the second chapter ("What is Lupus?"), this book isn't really about lupus. It is, rather, a somewhat haphazard introduction to naturopathic practices by a lupus sufferer who happens to be a competent writer.

I picked up this book because I wanted to learn about lupus-specific health practices. I did not want to read a diatribe about unrefined sugar, or hormones in beef, or pesticides in produce. I already know these are bad things. I did not expect nor want to read a weak defense of homeopathy based on quantum mechanics.

There are annoying contradictions in the book, for instance, whether to include or omit soy in the diet:

page 141:
"Determine to find organically raised meat. If that is not possible, move to eating soy products for protein [...]"

page 55:
"Other foods lupus patients may need to avoid include peanuts, soybeans and lentils."

Although Ms. Moore has a negative attitude, perhaps rightfully so, about caffeine, her touting of gota kola and ginkgo biloba as replacement stimulants puzzles me. I find them just as jarring as caffeine. Many of the claims in this book seem to be in the realm of the purely subjective, or at best highly speculative.

In the recommended reading section, only 3 of 25 books are about lupus. This is a fair representation of the (low) percentage of this book that is likewise specific to lupus.

Lastly, the 4 glowing Amazon reviews prior to this one are all from people who live within a few miles of Ms. Moore. They are apparently heartfelt but perhaps not unbiased.

I truly wish the author well. But as someone recently diagnosed with a serious illness after a lengthy and frustrating diagnostic period, this is not the book I wanted or expected.

Readers wanting to read an anecdotal, non-scientific and perhaps "emotionally uplifting" (as one reviewer claims) story may find this book a good choice.

The first book in any lupus collection, though, should be Daniel Wallace's The Lupus Book.

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Valuable Book, Whether Suffering from Lupus or Not., January 7, 2001

By 

Barbara Williamson (Olympia, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lupus: Alternative Therapies That Work (Paperback)

Sharon Moore's book combines many valuable attributes. First, it tells a fascinating story of the author's search to discover the nature of her frightening illness. I could sense that, in spite of being so ill, she was determined to discover the most effective therapies to bring the disease under control. In the process, she has done an enormous amount of research that she shares with her readers.

Anyone, whether suffering from lupus or not, can benefit from the research she has done and that she so competently reports to her readers. While her purpose is to reach out to lupus patients, her research is so broad that any person interested in alternative approaches to the promotion of physical, mental, or emotional health can learn and benefit from this useful book.

Her approach is detailed and scientific, yet easily understood. In addition, it is an interesting story about a very interesting individual who has lived an extremely interesting life.

Above all, she makes clear her hope to reach out to others who suffer from lupus so that they can benefit from what she has learned and find themselves recovering from this debilitating disease.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good book from a sufferer, November 13, 2005

By 

S V SWAMY "swamy-reviews" (Hyderabad, India) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lupus: Alternative Therapies That Work (Paperback)

This book is written by Sharon Moore, who suffered from SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythomatus or simply called Lupus) and who was told that it is an autoimmune disorder and she may not recover from it. She did recover from it by studying alternative approaches to health, which she describes well in this book. Her story is spread over 13 chapters and an epilogue. She talks of the effect of liver on health, diet and health, nutritional supplements, herbs, beneficial fats and oils, toxins in food, problems from toxins in dental work, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Mind-Body Therapies, Caring for Your Spirit and interestingly the last chapter, "How to Begin" a good road map. The epilogue is a good graphic portrayal of her recovery from a debilitating illness.

I found the book readable in general but some sections are a little more technical, which may need additional reading. Fortunately, the author supplements her book with Suggested Reading and Resources. An index is also added to enable you to return to a specific topic easily.

I would suggest that you should read the Introduction, My Story, What is Lupus and Your Liver, followed by a quick read of the rest of the book. When you reach the chapter How to Begin, you would know whether these approaches are for you. If you are convinced that Sharon's suggestions will work for you, read that chapter carefully and follow the advice given by Sharon. The epilogue should keep giving you courage and perseverance when things look a little bleak.

I found her suggestions on the treatment of depression (which is a natural complication of any chronic health problem) with Multivitamin supplements, B Complex, DLPA and tyrosine (detailed on pages 75-76) very interesting and very useful. I am painfully aware of the problems of B 12 deficiency and associated problems.

I have no hesitation in recommending it to you if you or your people need a good resource book on the alternative approaches to the management of Lupus or other autoimmune disorders. However, each person has to find his/her own path to recovery. The problem is not just in the body, but in mind and in spirit.

Swamy

About the reviewer: I am a physicist and a metallurgist, not a medical man. Thus I am a lay reader as far as health books are concerned. However, I have been deeply interested in health (partly because of my own health challenges) for long. I have studied Homeopathy, Biochemic (Schussler's) Tissue Remedies, Bach Flower Remedies, Reiki (I am a certified Usui Reiki Master Healer), Crystal Healing etc. I would strongly advise you to seek the advice of a health professional when trying to add any alternative health system to your treatment protocol.