The Arthritis Foundation's Guide to Alternative Therapies (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

More than 43 million people of all ages in the U.S. suffer from arthritis, an often disabling disease for which conventional medicine offers only limited relief from pain--and no cure. Arthritis patients are increasingly seeking alternative therapies, yet these have their drawbacks, too: though some have proven benefits, many others are expensive and work for only some, others are useless, and some are dangerous. This book aims to be a "common-sense guide through the maze of the most-used complementary therapies for arthritis, to help you choose wisely among the many options available," and it succeeds beautifully. The book lists 22 complementary therapies, from familiar ones like acupuncture, meditation, tai chi, and yoga, to less accepted treatments like copper bracelets, magnets, and bee stings (don't worry, the book isn't recommending this, only providing information). The "Nature's Medicines" section discusses more than 40 herbs and supplements.

The book describes each therapy and how it is used, presents scientific evidence and expert opinion, and gives tips on how to find a practitioner and information on costs, advice, cautions, and resources in a helpful and reader-friendly style. There are also guidelines for working with your doctor, choosing a therapist, and avoiding rip-offs. Author Judith Horstman, a two-time Fulbright Scholar and award-winning editor of Arthritis Today magazine, makes the point that complementary therapies cannot "cure" arthritis or replace proven medical treatments. They can, however, ease symptoms and improve your outlook, and may even enhance the effects of your conventional treatment. This is an extremely useful and beautifully illustrated book for arthritis sufferers seeking to expand their treatment as informed consumers. --Joan Price

From Library Journal

No longer content with merely warning patients about possibly dangerous treatments, the Arthritis Foundation has compiled a valuable guide "to the most-used complementary therapies for arthritis." Many experts in the fields of arthritis and alternative therapies contributed information to this thorough and well-organized book, which stresses the combination of conventional Western medicine and alternative therapies. Each chapter "describes the therapy and how it is used, the scientific evidence about the therapy, expert opinion of the therapy, how to find a practitioner, what the therapy costs, [and] resources on how and where to learn more." The work relies heavily on biomedical scientific data, which should appeal to health professionals seeking information on the efficacy of specific therapies. Appendixes cover basic information on different forms of arthritis and provide extensive lists of citations, recommended readings, and web sites. Nicely illustrated and neatly laid out, this is recommended for all consumer health collections.ALisa McCormick, Jewish Hosp. Lib., Cincinnati
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 285 pages
• Publisher: Arthritis Foundation (October 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0912423234
• ISBN-13: 978-0912423234
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #98,806 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #3 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Diets & Weight Loss > Special Conditions > Arthritis
  #26 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Alternative Medicine > Massage > Reflexology
  #40 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Disorders & Diseases > Musculoskeletal Diseases

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Separates hype from hope, again and again, September 24, 2001

By	Patricia Thomas (Arlington, MA United States) - See all my reviews

When this book was first released, I gave a copy to my 75-year-old mother, who has osteoarthritis. Over and over, she's told me about consulting this book when trying to decide whether or not to try some remedy that a friend has suggested. She feels that it has kept her from spending a fortune on snake oil, and has made her bold enough to try alternative approaches that have been helpful, such as glucosamine-chondroitin supplements. Obviously it was the perfect gift.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars De-mystifying arthritis help, December 8, 1999

By	Joan Schirle (California) - See all my reviews

Horstman's book is full of great information about what different alternative therapies can and cannot do--takes the mystery out of getting help for the varieties of arthritis problems. It is well-researched and beautifully presented.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great resource, March 12, 2000

By	Dr. Theo (Tucson, Arizona USA) - See all my reviews

Overall, a finely-written and much needed compendium of arthritis information. Judith Horstman did a wonderful job of sifting through the medical literature to produce an easy-to-access resource for the (often) confusing world of alternative arthritis treatments.