This solid reference book came as a result of alternative treatments that helped Weisman, a medical writer, recover after suffering a debilitating stroke. Although the doctors offered her some solutions, she attributes most of her recovery to using a variety of exercise and massage techniques as well as Chinese medicine. Drawing on her own experience, Weisman presents a variety of case histories along with the available treatments, conventional and otherwise. Among the illnesses discussed are cancer, cardiovascular illness, spinal cord injuries and more. Included are comments from the patient along with detailed descriptions of the types of treatments. Particularly helpful are the shaded boxes that offer clear assessments of both conventional and complementary treatments. For more skeptical readers, there are sections called "What's the Evidence?" that discuss the research on a particular topic. The book also includes useful appendices of resources including organizations, books and Web sites on complementary medicine. For readers interested in pursuing alternative treatments, this is a first-rate guide.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
What People Are Saying About Own Your Health . . .
"I recommend this book to all people who want to know how to navigate the confusing world of alternative medicine and choose sensible therapies that work. Whether you intend to use alternative therapies on their own or to integrate them with conventional medicine, the information in Own Your Health can guide you to making the right decisions."
—Andrew Weil, M.D., author, 8 Weeks to Optimum Health
"Own Your Health is truly a landmark book in integrative medicine. It combines moving, personal stories with the latest scientific research in alternative medicine. Most importantly, Dr. Brian Berman is one of the few international authorities with the depth of both clinical and research experience to accomplish this task. With this practical guide, he and Ms. Weisman have elegantly articulated the potency of individual empowerment and informed choice as the cornerstone of health and healing."
—Kenneth R. Pelletier, Ph.D., M.D. (hc) clinical professor of medicine, University of Arizona and University of Maryland Schools of Medicine; former director, NIH Complementary and Alternative Medicine Program at Stanford School of Medicine; author, The Best Alternative Medicine: What Works, What Does Not
"Own Your Health is an impressive combination of the inspirational, the factual and the potential for integrative medicine. By telling the stories of patients who became 'medical pioneers,' determined to discover how to choose the best medical treatments from both worlds of medicine, this book is a welcome breakthrough and valuable tool for all patients and their doctors."
—H. Eugene Lindsey Jr., M.D., cardiologist, internist and chairman of the board, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates
"A responsible book for getting the best out of medicine. Inspiring yet grounded in science, Own Your Health is for everyone."
—Wayne B. Jonas, M.D., director, Samueli Institute; former director, Office of Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health; coeditor, Essentials of Complementary and Alternative Medicine
"Own Your Health is a book with several important messages. For patients, it is an exciting, beautifully written and well-informed guide to alternative medical strategies. In particular, it offers direct firsthand experiences of several of these treatment options, with a careful discussion of the contribution each approach made possible. As a teacher of medicine I also found the volume important. Many of the comments are of great significance in a medical world increasingly incarcerated by technology, and in which the individual contribution of the physician as healer is being neglected. Finally, it is essential for all physicians to be made aware of the other therapeutic routes available outside their normal professional experience—and this book eloquently describes many of the additional advantages of a clinical practice which integrates these."
—David Morris, M.A. (Cantab.), member, Royal College of Physicians, associate professor of medicine, reproductive endocrinology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec
