Today, being a health consumer encompasses more than being knowledgeable about traditional medicine and health practice but also includes the necessity to be well informed about the expanding field of complementary and alternative medicine. Consumer Health and Integrative Medicine: Holistic View of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Practices, Second Edition was written to expand upon the many alternative modalities that many other consumer health texts overlook. It includes chapters on the major alternative medicine systems and healing modalities, including Ayurvedic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, naturopathy, homeopathic medicine, chiropractic medicine, massage, reflexology, and herbals or botanicals. The authors mission is to increase reader’s knowledge base, not make up their mind, as we all make better choices related to our own personal health care practices when we are informed consumers.

Updates to the Second Edition include:

– NEW! – The title of the book has changed from Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Health Professionals to Consumer Health and Integrative Medicine to place a greater light on the consumer health and integrative medicine aspects of the text.
– REVISED! – Chapter 5, Conventional Medicine and Health Care, has brand new information on health insurance coverage and cost of personal health in lieu of the Affordable Care Act. All new considerations on how the ACA has impacted American heath care.
– REVISED! – A new section in Chapter 14 addresses Mindfulness and its role in Mind-Body Intervention
– REVISED! – A new section in Chapter 15 regarding the human biofield, as well as a whole new section of classroom activities
– REVISED! – Chapter 16 now addresses the Ephedra controversy of the early 2000s, and also addresses more specific types of quackery by topic area.
– UPDATED! – New research and statistics has been incorporated throughout the book regarding the various complementary and alternative methodologies, as well as strengthen information on evidence-based research into CAM and incorporated more information related to how these fit into current Western medicine environments.