Complementary Healthcare: A Guide for Patients - Chiro.org

Complementary Healthcare: a guide for patients

Complementary Healthcare: a guide for patientsThe Prince of Wales’s Foundation for Integrated HealthLondon, England

Written and Produced by Margot Pinder, Lev Pedro, Georgia Theodorou andKate Treacy, with additional contributions from Wendy Miller.

Edited by Margot Pinder

The Prince of Wales’s Foundation for Integrated Health12 Chillingworth Road LondonN7 8QJTelephone: 020 7619 6140Email: [email protected]: www.fihealth.org.uk

© The Prince of Wales’s Foundation for Integrated HealthFirst published 2005ISBN 0 9539453 8 3

All rights are reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of privatestudy, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright,Designs and Patent Act 1988, no part of this publication may be reproduced,stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior permissionin writing of the publishers. Enquiries should be addressed to The Prince ofWales’s Foundation for Integrated Health.

Photographs were taken by:Jacky ChapmanBridget JonesJanine Wiedel

Photo on p. 35 by Libby Welch, with permission of The Wellcome TrustMedical Photographic Library

Thank you to The British Chiropractic Association and The South East CancerHelp Centre for the loan of their photographs. We are very grateful to thefollowing organisations, their practitioners and patients, for allowing us tophotograph their work: the Healthy Living Centre, St. Paul’s Road, London,N1; the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital, Greenwell Street, London, W1;Women and Health, London, NW1; Glastonbury Health Centre, Wells Road,Glastonbury; Napiers, Goodge Street, London, WC1

The Prince of Wales’s Foundation for Integrated Health gratefullyacknowledges funding support for this book from the Department of Health,the Scottish Executive and the Welsh Assembly.

The Prince of Wales’s Foundation for Integrated Health has made every effortto ensure that the information in this guide is correct at the time of printing.The Prince of Wales’s Foundation for Integrated Health does not assume andhereby disclaims any liability to any party for loss or damage caused by errorsin this guide.

Designed by Axiom Partners, 01787 882 619Printed by Giltedge Printers, 154 Mount Pleasant, Wembley, Middx, HA0 1SD

ContentsSection A General Information

1 About this guide 72 Important points to be aware of before having treatment 83 How to find out which therapy to use 94 Standards and safety 125 Where to find a complementary healthcare practitioner 146 Questions to ask a practitioner before going for treatment 167 What if I’m unhappy with the treatment? 17

Section B Complementary TherapiesStatutorily regulated

8 Chiropractic 229 Osteopathy 23

Proposals made for statutory regulation10 Acupuncture 2511 Herbal medicine 28

Other therapies12 Aromatherapy 3113 Craniosacral therapy 3314 Healing 3415 Homeopathy 3616 Hypnotherapy 3817 Massage therapy 3918 Naturopathy 4119 Nutritional therapy 4320 Reflexology 4421 Reiki 4622 Shiatsu 4723 Yoga therapy 49

Section C Further Information24 Sources of further information 5125 References 53

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General Information6

Section AGeneral Information

1 About this guide

What is included?The aim of this guide is to give you enoughinformation to help you choose acomplementary therapy that is right for youand find a properly trained and qualifiedpractitioner of that therapy. It includesinformation about:• important things to be aware of before

going for treatment• how to find out what might be helpful • how to find a properly qualified and

competent complementary practitioner• what to do if you are unhappy with

treatment• 16 of the most widely used

complementary therapies • where you can find further informationLooking at various healthcare options ispart of taking more responsibility for yourown health. It is important that you havethe right information to help you do this.

There is not space in this booklet toinclude information on all thecomplementary therapies available in theUK, so we have concentrated on some ofthe therapies that are most widely used.The general information in this guide isrelevant whatever therapy you areinterested in. If you want to use a therapynot mentioned in this guide, please contactThe Prince of Wales’s Foundation forIntegrated Health for information.

We have not been able to include all theexisting complementary medicineprofessional organisations in this guide.Our policy is to include in our publicationsthe organisations that are working togetherto form a single regulatory body for theirprofession.

To make reading the guide easier, whenwe want to use the pronouns ‘he’ or ‘she’instead of saying ‘the practitioner ’or ‘thechiropractor’, we say ‘she’ in one chapterand ‘he’ in the next and so on, throughoutthe guide. We are not suggesting that inreality all chiropractors are women or, forexample, that all massage therapists aremen.

General precautionsThis booklet is about using complementaryhealthcare provided by a qualified,competent practitioner. It is not abouttreating yourself with products you can buyin shops or over the internet. You shouldget advice from an appropriate practitionerbefore doing so, unless it is for minorillnesses like coughs and colds that you cannormally buy medicines at the chemist for.An appropriate practitioner could be atrained and qualified complementarypractitioner, your doctor, nurse orpharmacist. If you do buy products over thecounter read the patient information thatshould come with them and take note ofthe safety information in this guide.

It is important to remember thatanything that has the power to help youcould also cause harm if takenunnecessarily or provided by an untrainedor insufficiently trained person. In addition,some complementary treatments that maybe helpful when used properly, can affectother medicines if taken at the same time.For example, St John’s Wort can makesome prescription medicines or the birthcontrol pill work less well and it could bedangerous to take St John’s Wort at thesame time as anti-depressants. That is whywe emphasise the importance of tellingyour doctor about all complementarytreatments you are taking and telling yourcomplementary healthcare practitionerabout all other medication you are taking. Aproperly trained, qualified and regulatedcomplementary practitioner should ask youabout this.

Never change or stop taking prescribedmedication without talking to your GP first.

Please note that the aim of this bookletis to provide general information aboutcomplementary healthcare and to point youin the direction of sources of furtherinformation. Inclusion in this guide does notimply recommendation or endorsement.Please be aware that the information in thisbooklet should not be taken as a substitutefor medical advice and that decisionsabout healthcare and treatment should bemade in consultation with a healthcarepractitioner and based on your ownindividual needs.

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2 Importantpoints to beaware ofbefore havingtreatment

Have you seen your doctor first?If you are planning to see a complementarypractitioner because you feel unwell, youshould see your doctor first about anysymptoms you have. It is important thatyour doctor has the chance to rule out anydangerous or life threatening illness and todiscuss treatment options with you. It isalso important that your complementarypractitioner is aware of any medicalconditions you are known to have (see alsothe next section: Keep everyone informed). Awell-trained complementary practitionershould tell you to see your doctor if sherealises you might have something seriousthat your doctor does not know about. Sheshould also know when she cannot helpyou and suggest you see someone else.

Keep everyone informed This is very important for your safety andincludes telling your doctor whatcomplementary treatments you are taking,letting your complementary practitionerknow about any medicines your doctor hasprescribed for you and any othercomplementary treatments you are having.Don’t forget to mention any product orsupplement you may have bought foryourself. Different treatments cansometimes have an effect on each other,which could make them work less well,cause unpleasant side effects or bepossibly dangerous for you. This isparticularly important for herbal remedies,as there are some you should not take atthe same time as certain medicinesprescribed by your doctor. There is moreinformation about this in Chapter 3: How tofind out which therapies to use and Chapter11: Herbal medicine.

Always try to discuss your decisions aboutusing complementary medicine with your GP,practice nurse or hospital doctor (including

your midwife or obstetrician, if you arepregnant). It can be helpful to talk about yourideas with others before making a choice.

Ideally, you should keep all healthcareprofessionals involved in what you aredoing so they can work together to helpyou get the best healthcare. Yourcomplementary practitioner may tell yourdoctor, with your permission, about thetreatment you are having and whatprogress you are making.

Claims about curesA reputable practitioner will not tell you, norsay in advertisements, that she can cure aspecific disease or condition. You should,therefore, be suspicious of any one whodoes. Such claims can lead patients to haveunrealistic expectations of their treatmentand are not legal unless they can be proved.The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)oversees advertising in newspapers,magazines and direct mail and providesinformation about what can be said about theeffectiveness of products and treatments.The ASA says that unqualified claims such as“cure” are generally not acceptable.

Medical historyWhen you see a complementarypractitioner for the first time, she shouldtake a medical history from you. Thisshould include finding out what othermedication, conventional andcomplementary, you are taking. You shouldtell her about everything you are taking,whether it has been prescribed for you orwhether you have bought a productyourself. You should also let her knowabout any other complementary treatmentsyou are having. She should ask whatillnesses or medical conditions you haveand whether you are pregnant. If thepractitioner does not ask you about allthese things, you should tell her.

CostBefore you start treatment find out exactlywhat you will have to pay.

NHS treatmentIn some areas you may be able to getcomplementary treatment on the NHS. Thismay be at no extra cost or you may be


asked to pay something towards it. At thehomeopathic hospitals (see Chapter 5), yourtreatment is on the NHS but you will beasked to pay a prescription charge for yourhomeopathic remedies. If your doctor hasrecommended you to a complementarypractitioner, either in a GP practice oroutside, check beforehand how much youwill be expected to pay.

Private treatmentIf you are seeing a complementarypractitioner privately and paying all the costyourself, bear in mind that the firstconsultation may be longer, and so costmore. What you are paying for is thepractitioner’s time but with some therapiesthere may be extra costs for herbs ornutritional supplements. Some private healthinsurance schemes and medical cash planscover the cost of some complementarytherapies, so if you belong to one of thesecheck beforehand what it covers.

In the chapters on each therapy we givean idea of how much you might expect topay a private practitioner. This is usually theminimum you could pay, as the costs willvary depending on the practitioner andwhere you live. London, other large citiesand the south of Britain are likely to bemore expensive.

Low cost treatmentComplementary healthcare is sometimesavailable in healthy living centres, voluntaryorganisations or charities (see Chapter 5). Inthese cases, you might be able to get freeor subsidised treatment. Some practitionersoffer reduced rates for small children,pensioners or people on income support.

Length of treatmentThe total cost of your treatment will dependalso on how long your course of treatmentis and how often you see the practitioner.After your first appointment with apractitioner she should be able to give youan estimate of how long your treatment islikely to continue.

3 How to find outwhich therapyto use

Use of complementaryhealthcare

An estimated 5.75 million people a year inthe UK go to see a complementarypractitioner for treatment.1 People with longstanding illnesses are more likely thanothers to use complementary healthcare,2

although the majority of people who dohave complementary treatment see theirdoctor about their illness first.3 Somestudies that looked at the use ofcomplementary medicine found thatmusculoskeletal problems, especially backpain; stress relief; anxiety and depression;and the maintenance of good health areamong the most common reasons given forseeing a complementary practitioner. 4 5 6 7

In the chapters in this guide onindividual therapies, we give an indicationof the conditions each therapy can be usedto treat, along with examples of some ofthe evidence available from research aboutwhat they might be helpful for.

What information is there?

A friend of yours may tell you that herarthritis got better after she was treatedwith a particular complementary therapy.This is interesting and good news for yourfriend, but you should really have moreinformation before you make a decisionabout which complementary therapy touse. In this chapter we give examples ofthe kinds of information you can look at. Inthe last chapter of the book we list someother sources of further information youcould use.

While there hasn’t been as muchresearch into complementary medicine incomparison with conventional medicine,there is an increasing amount of evidenceavailable. The government has started tofund more research into complementarymedicine and to increase the opportunitiesfor research and raise the standards ofresearch being done.

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There are a number of ways in whichcomplementary therapies can be tested tosee how well they work and different viewsabout which are best. One method is therandomised controlled trial, a clinical trialthat is seen as the ‘gold standard’ inresearch. Many researchers believe thatrandomised controlled trials produce themost scientific and best quality results.Some complementary therapies have beenshown to be helpful when tested in this way.8

In a randomised controlled trial the patientstaking part in the research study are dividedinto groups in a random way. Patients inone group get the treatment being tested,while those in other groups are given adifferent treatment or a dummy treatment.

You might be interested in looking at otherkinds of evidence in addition to that fromrandomised controlled trials. For example,observational studies look at the results ofa large group of patients having the sametreatment over a period of time9 andsystematic reviews and meta-analyses ofclinical trials bring together and analysetogether the results of previous research.

Information about reading and usingresearchLooking at research may sometimes beconfusing, because there is often somethat contradicts other research you havealready read. Here are details of a book andwebsites that have information about usingresearch.

The Which? Guide to ComplementaryTherapies (Consumers’ Association, 2002)by Helen Barnett has a chapter aboutresearch.

The Best Treatments website, which isrun by the publishers of the British MedicalJournal, explains how to use research tosupport your treatment decisionswww.besttreatments.co.uk/btuk/decision_index.html

The Research Council forComplementary Medicine has anintroduction to research on their website.www.rccm.org.uk/static/Research_intro.aspx?m=4

The US National Center forComplementary and Alternative Medicinehas information about clinical trials andcomplementary medicine.

http://nccam.nih.gov/clinicaltrials/factsheet/index.htm

Making Sense of Medical Research: AnAlternative and Complementary MedicineResource Guide by the Alternative MedicineFoundation in the USA.http://www.amfoundation.org/medresearch.htm

Informed Health Online, produced by theHealth Research and Education FoundationLtd in Australia has information aboutresearch and understanding research atwww.informedhealthonline.org//item.aspx?tabid=26

Information about safetyThis guide provides information about howeach complementary therapy can be usedsafely.

The Medicines and Healthcare productsRegulatory Agency (MHRA) points out thatthe standards of production of someunlicensed traditional Chinese herbalremedies vary. Some have been found toinclude substances, often undeclared onthe label, that could be harmful and thatare illegal. The MHRA publishes a webpage Herbal Safety News which providesinformation and advice for the public aboutthe safety of herbal medicines andtraditional Chinese medicines. You canread Herbal Safety News via the home pageof the MHRA web site www.mhra.gov.uk.

The Desktop Guide to Complementary andAlternative Medicine (Mosby, 2001), editedby Edzard Ernst contains safety informationrelevant to most of the complementarytherapies included in this booklet and abouta wide range of herbal and non-herbalmedicines.

The UK Medicines Information websitewww.ukmi.nhs.uk has a section oncomplementary therapies with factsheets,including safety information, on someherbal remedies.

Research evidenceThe book and websites below giveinformation about the results of researchinto complementary medicine.

The Desktop Guide to Complementary andAlternative Medicine (Mosby, 2001), editedby Edzard Ernst.

In the United States there is agovernment agency, the National Center forComplementary and Alternative Medicine,

that provides information on its website(http://nccam.nih.gov) aboutcomplementary medicine and research.The website includes a database, CAM onPubMed, of references to research intocomplementary medicine:www.nlm.nih.gov/nccam/camonpubmed.html

MedlinePlus is a website for the publicgiving health information. It is run by theAmerican National Library of Medicine andNational Institutes for Health and includessome information, including safety andresearch, about complementary medicineincluding acupuncture, herbal medicine,chiropractic and homeopathy. www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/complementaryandalternativetherapies.html

www.besttreatments.co.uk has someinformation about complementarytherapies that have been shown to behelpful for specific conditions and whetherthey can affect prescribed medicines.

Bandolier, located at Oxford University, isa journal and website offering evidencebased healthcare information. It specialisesin putting information from a range ofresearch sources (including systematicreviews, meta-analyses, randomised trialsand observational studies) into simplebullet points. The websitewww.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/index.html isfree to search.

Informed Health Online, produced by theHealth Research and Education FoundationLtd in Australia, has information for thepublic about research into complementarymedicinewww.informedhealthonline.org//item.aspx?topic=1208

www.positivehealth.com is the websiteof the journal Positive Health. The websiteincludes updates of research intocomplementary therapies and into thetreatment of particular conditions.

When you are looking at research “Itshould be noted that stating that there is alack of compelling evidence for a treatmentdoes not imply that the treatment isineffective.”

Ernst E (ed). The Desktop Guide toComplementary and Alternative Medicine.Mosby, 2001

Other informationNHS Direct OnlineNHS Direct Online has some information on

acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathy,homeopathy and safety.www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk

Patients’ experiencesOther patients’ experiences can be a helpfuladditional source of information. DIPEx.org(www.dipex.org) is a website that includespatients telling you about their experiencesof particular illness and treatments. Thisincludes experiences with complementarymedicine in relation to cancers, heartdisease, mental health and neurologicalconditions, which are the areas covered byDIPEx at present. There are plans for anumber of other topics in the future.

Patient organisationsSome patient support organisations, suchas the Parkinson’s Disease Society(www.parkinsons.org.uk), Breast CancerCare (www.breastcancercare.org.uk) andArthritis Research Campaign(www.arc.org.uk) have leaflets about usingcomplementary medicine. You can finddetails of patient support organisations andself-help groups on the websitewww.patient.co.uk

You can find organisations that havetelephone helplines through the TelephoneHelplines Association, which publishes adirectory of helplines. The directory can besearched via the Telephone HelplinesAssociation website www.helplines.org.uk

Using healthcare information The information sources we list in thischapter are reputable and should containreliable, up-to-date information. If you arelooking at other websites on the internet,you should remember the general advice inChapter 2 and be aware that while someinformation on the internet is reliable, a lotis not. A recent survey of websites givinginformation about complementarymedicine for cancer concluded that “Themost popular websites on complementaryand alternative medicine for cancer offerinformation of extremely variable quality.Many endorse unproven therapies andsome are outright dangerous.”10 You canread the survey athttp://annonc.oupjournals.org/cgi/content/full/15/5/733

Quality guidelinesThere are guidelines to help people findand assess health information on the

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internet. The Judge project has developedguidelines for judging the quality of healthweb sites. You can find these atwww.judgehealth.org.uk/consumer_guidelines.htm

DISCERN is a brief questionnaire thatcan be used to assess the quality of healthinformation. It was originally developed foruse with printed consumer healthinformation but it is also useful forinformation on the internet. You can find itat find www.discern.org.uk

The Hi Quality website also hasguidance on its website atwww.hfht.org/hiquality/default.htm to helpyou check the quality of health information.

The US website MedLine Plus has aguide to looking for health information onthe internet atwww.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthywebsurfing.html

The National Center for Complementaryand Alternative Medicine in the USA has alist of questions you can ask called 10Things To Know About Evaluating MedicalResources on the Web athttp://nccam.nih.gov/health/webresources/index.htm

4 Standards andsafety

Healthcare and regulationWhen we see a healthcare professional weexpect high quality care and treatment.Therefore, it is important that the practitioneris well trained and that there is a system foroverseeing how she does her work. This shouldinclude a way of ensuring that something canbe done if we are unhappy with treatment orif something goes wrong. An organisationwhich does this is called a regulatory bodyand its purpose is to protect the public.

In the UK, the work of conventionalhealthcare professionals, such as doctors,nurses, dentists and physiotherapists, isgoverned by the regulatory body for eachprofession. Most conventional healthcarepractitioners must be registered with theregulatory body for their profession in orderto work. To become registered, practitionershave to complete a suitable course oftraining and show that their work meetsagreed standards. Regulatory bodies likethese, which have been set up by Acts ofParliament, are called statutory regulatorybodies. In the rest of this booklet we use thephrase ‘regulated by law’ to mean statutorilyregulated by an Act of Parliament.

A healthcare regulatory body should:• ensure that practitioners are trained and

practise to agreed minimum standards• keep a list (a register) of practitioners

who meet those standards• have a code of ethics and behaviour to

ensure that practitioners practiseproperly and professionally

• ensure that practitioners are insured topractise, so that you can becompensated if anything goes wrongwith the treatment or if you have anaccident on their premises

• ensure that practitioners take part in on-going training, and keep up-to-date withdevelopments in their profession

• have a system for patients to make acomplaint if they are unhappy with theirtreatment (complaints procedure)

• have a system through which practitionerscan be dealt with if their work is notsatisfactory, which could include beingtaken off the register if they become unfitto practise (disciplinary procedure)


How complementaryhealthcare professions areregulatedOsteopaths and chiropractors are regulatedby law, like doctors and nurses. The othercomplementary healthcare professions areat different stages of developing voluntarysystems of regulation.

A voluntary system of regulation can givepatients most of the benefits that a statutorysystem provides, but it does not have theweight of the law behind it and practitioners donot have to register with the regulatory body.In fact, for a particular profession or therapy,there may be more than one associationkeeping lists of practitioners and they may allhave different standards of training andpractice. That is why we suggest you askpractitioners the questions in Chapter 6.

All healthcare practitioners have a legalduty of care towards their patients, whetherthey are practising a therapy that is statutorilyregulated or voluntarily regulated. This meansthat a practitioner has a duty not to harmpatients and, if a patient does suffer harm dueto a practitioner’s negligence, the practitionercan be sued in a court of law by the patient.11

Osteopathy and chiropracticThe General Osteopathic Council is thestatutory regulatory body for osteopathyand has a register of all osteopaths in theUK. The General Chiropractic Councilregulates chiropractors and has a registerof all chiropractors in the UK. To get on theregisters practitioners must meet particularstandards of training and practice and onlythose on the registers are allowed to callthemselves osteopaths and chiropractors.

The regulatory bodies have codes of ethicsthat govern how their practitioners work andpractitioners must have insurance. There arecomplaints procedures that will be followed ifyou have a complaint against an osteopath orchiropractor. There are also disciplinaryprocedures to deal with practitioners whosework is not satisfactory. Ultimately,practitioners could be taken off the register,which means they could not legally practiseas osteopaths or chiropractors.

Acupuncture and herbal medicineThe different professional associationsregistering acupuncturists are workingtogether to develop common standards of

training and practice. In September 2003they published a report proposing how theymight become regulated by law. A numberof doctors, nurses and physiotherapistspractise acupuncture and they are alreadystatutorily regulated as doctors, nurses andphysiotherapists.

Herbal medicine practitioners have alsobeen working together, through theirprofessional associations and under theumbrella of the European HerbalPractitioners Association (EHPA) to developcommon standards of training and practice.In the UK, the EHPA represents, through itsmember professional associations,approximately 2,000 practitioners workingin Ayurveda, Chinese, Tibetan and Westernherbal medicine. In September 2003, aworking group that included the EHPA andother relevant organisations maderecommendations about how herbalpractitioners should be regulated.

In March 2004 the governmentpublished a consultation document askingfor views about the future statutoryregulation of acupuncturists and herbalmedicine practitioners. At the time thisbooklet was printed, the government wasabout to publish an analysis of theconsultation responses. For up-to-dateinformation please look at our websitewww.fihealth.org.uk or check with theprofessional associations listed in Chapter10 and Chapter 11.

Other complementary therapiesThe other complementary therapies are notregulated by law, although somecomplementary practitioners are alsodoctors, nurses, midwives,physiotherapists and pharmacists who areregulated by law as registered members oftheir medical professions.

Within each complementary professionthere are usually several professionalassociations that practitioners can belong to.Practitioners are not required to join or registerwith a professional association in order topractise, but many do. However, standardsof training can vary, which is why wesuggest you ask the questions in Chapter 6.

The professional associations withinsome of the complementary therapies notregulated by law are now working togetherto develop common standards of trainingand practice for their therapy. In some

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cases they are working towards having oneregister of all practitioners of that therapywho meet a required standard. Thisprocess takes time. For up-to-dateinformation please see our websitewww.fihealth.org.uk or contact our office.

Training, qualifications andregistrationIn addition to finishing their trainingsatisfactorily, which gives them a qualification,practitioners should also be registered witha professional association or regulatorybody, which should mean they haveinsurance and that there is a way for you tomake a complaint, if you are not happy withyour treatment.

Practitioners often use letters after theirname to show their qualifications and/orwhich professional association or regulatorybody they belong to or are registered with.For example, MBAcC means ‘Member of theBritish Acupuncture Council’ (see Chapter 10)and MFHom means ’Member of the Facultyof Homeopathy’ (see Chapter 15). TheWhich? Guide to Complementary Therapies(see Chapter 24, Sources of FurtherInformation) has information about whatsome letters mean, but if you are not certainyou can ask the practitioner to explain.

Letters after the name of practitionerswho are not statutorily regulated may notnecessarily mean that their training orpractice meet minimum standards. It isimportant that the practitioner has aqualification, is a current member of aprofessional organisation and hasprofessional insurance. However, the levelof qualifications and the length of trainingvary. For instance, there are some coursesthat are not suitable for people wishing tobecome practitioners.

You might not be able to tell this fromthe letters alone, so always ask thepractitioner what her qualification is, howlong her training was and what associationshe is part of. You can check hermembership by contacting the association.Some professional associations say theyregister practitioners but do not actuallyrequire the practitioners to show that theymeet high standards. That is why wesuggest you ask the questions in Chapter 6.

5 Where to find acomplementaryhealthcarepractitioner

Where practitioners work

Charities and communityorganisationsMany charities and community healthservices, such as those for people withalcohol or drug-related problems, mentalhealth issues, cancer or HIV, offercomplementary therapies as part of theirprogramme and treatments may be givenat lower cost. You can find out about theseservices by asking your GP or local library,or by looking in the local yellow pages orbusiness directory.

Healthy living centresHealthy living centres are lottery-fundedprogrammes that offer a range of healthservices to local people. As part of theirpromotion of good health, many healthyliving centres provide complementarytherapies to people who otherwise couldnot afford to benefit from them.

NHSHalf the GP practices in England nowprovide access to complementary therapiesin some way.12 Sometimes practitionerswork alongside the GPs in the surgerybuilding and some GPs practisecomplementary therapies themselves. Ifthis is not the case, GPs or other staff in thesurgery can sometimes help patients tofind a practitioner working nearby. If yourGP practice does provide somecomplementary healthcare you may findthat you are asked to pay somethingtowards the cost of the treatment. Ingeneral, however, not everyone will findcomplementary treatment on the NHS inhis or her local area. Each primary caretrust, local practice or hospital trust decidesindividually whether or not to providecomplementary healthcare.

Complementary therapies are providedin many hospices and palliative careservices and in some hospitals and pain


clinics. There are five NHS homeopathichospitals in the UK which offer outpatientcomplementary therapy services, in Bristol,Glasgow, Liverpool, London and TunbridgeWells. Glasgow also offers inpatienttreatment. You will need to get a referralfrom your GP to attend these hospitals. Ifyou need help with this, or if your GP hasquestions or concerns about referring tothese hospitals, you can contact the BritishHomeopathic Association for their leafletHow to Get Homeopathic Treatment on theNHS.13

Having complementary healthcareavailable alongside conventional medicine,the treatment you normally receive at yourdoctor’s surgery or local hospital, is calledintegrated healthcare. It gives you morechoice of treatments. Integrated healthcareis also offered at some private medicalpractices.

Some statutorily regulated conventionalhealthcare practitioners, such as doctors,nurses and dentists, also practisecomplementary therapies includingacupuncture, homeopathy, hypnotherapyand reflexology. They may work in the NHSor as private practitioners.

Private practiceMost complementary practitioners are self-employed, and run their own practices.They may be based in complementaryhealth clinics or have a clinical practiceroom in their home. There might be a clinicnear you that you have seen or you can findlistings of complementary health clinicsand individual practitioners in your localtelephone directory. However, please bearin mind the guidance in this booklet if youchoose a practitioner this way.

Finding a practitionerWhen you have decided whichcomplementary therapy you would like touse, the next step is to find a practitioner ofthat therapy. As explained in Chapter 4,standards of training and practice ofcomplementary therapies can vary and thedifferent therapy professions are atdifferent stages in the development ofregulatory systems.

In each of the chapters in this bookabout individual therapies (Chapters 8-23),we give a list of the associations that

register practitioners of that therapy. Forosteopathy and chiropractic, which areregulated by law, we give the contactdetails of the one regulatory body for each.For therapies in which the differentprofessional associations that registerpractitioners are working together todevelop common standards of training andpractice, we give the contact details for thejoint organisation. If you contact therelevant organisation for the therapy youare interested in, you should be able to getinformation about practitioners near you.

It is a good idea to ring a fewpractitioners and talk to them about whyyou want to see them before finally makingup your mind about which one you feelmost comfortable with. You can ask themthe questions suggested in the nextchapter before deciding.

Word of mouthIt can be very useful if someone you knowrecommends a complementary practitionerhe or she found helpful. However, youshould still check that the practitioner istrained and registered with a professionalassociation or regulatory body and you canstill ask him the questions in Chapter 6.

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6 Questions to ask apractitionerbefore goingfor treatment

It is important that you see a practitioner withappropriate training and qualifications, andthat the practitioner has the experience andfacilities to help you. You can check thesethings by asking the practitioner a number ofquestions. Feel free to ask a practitioneranything that will help you to decide whetheror not she is the right professional to workwith you. If you are thinking of seeing apractitioner who works from a clinic orcentre, along with other practitioners, theclinic should have details of training,qualifications and experience.

Even if you are going to see apractitioner who has been recommendedby someone you know, you can still ask thefollowing questions. When you havespoken to a practitioner on the phone don’tfeel obliged to make an appointment withher if you don’t feel comfortable; it is finefor you to speak to several if you need tobefore making a decision.

Is the practitioner regulated?Is the practitioner registered with astatutory regulatory body or professionalassociation? The practitioner should beable to give you contact details for herregulatory body or professional association.You can contact the organisation to checkthis. You can also ask what the practitionerhad to do to become registered. Thepractitioner may have her registrationcertificate displayed in the consulting roomor she should be able to show it to you.

Training and qualificationsThe length of training courses can vary, soyou can ask how long the practitioner hastrained for and what qualification(s) shehas. Weekend or very short courses are notsuitable for people wishing to practise

professionally with patients. It is alsoimportant that practitioners carry onlearning and keep up with developments intheir profession. The practitioner may haveher certificate of qualification displayed inthe consulting room or she should be ableto show it to you.

ExperienceDoes the practitioner have experience intreating people with your condition? In somecircumstances, for instance if you have cancerand are interested in having complementarytreatment in addition to your conventionaltreatment, it may be best to see a practitionerwith special training. If there is an organisationor society for people with your condition, theymay give advice about this.

InsuranceYou should check that the practitioner isinsured so that you can be compensated ifanything goes wrong with the treatment orif you have an accident on her premises.Again, practitioners should have acertificate showing that they are insured.

What will it cost?What is the charge for a treatment? Doesthe first appointment cost more?Sometimes practitioners charge more forthe first appointment because they needto spend longer taking details of yourmedical history. Will there be extra costsfor the remedies or supplements theygive you?

How long will the course oftreatment be?After your first visit a practitioner shouldusually be able to give you an idea of howmany treatments you might need.


InformationDoes the practitioner have any informationabout her practice and therapy she cansend you before you see her?

Is there anything you need todo beforehand?Are there any preparations you need tomake before treatment, such as not eatingfor a short time, or wearing particularclothing?

How might you feelafterwards?How might you feel after treatment? Arethere any precautions you need to takestraight after a treatment, such as notdriving? Are you likely to feel discomfort orpain and, if so, how long is this likely tolast?

Do you have particularneeds?If you have a disability, make sure thepractitioner has what you need, such aswheelchair access.

7 What if I’munhappy withthe treatment?

You have the right to make your feelingsknown if you are unhappy with thetreatment you have received. Reasons youmay not feel happy include not liking thetreatment, being hurt or injured duringtreatment or while you were in thepractitioner’s clinic, or the practitioner’sbehaviour towards you. Some things arerelatively simple to sort out.

• I didn’t like the treatment. It may be thatthe treatment is not the best one for you.But before you decide to stop, talk to thepractitioner and explain what you did notlike and why. Feedback from you isimportant in helping a practitionerdecide how to treat you. He may be ableto adapt the treatment if you discussyour concerns.

• I didn’t get along with the practitioner.The professional relationship betweenyou and your practitioner is veryimportant in getting the best out of yourtreatment. Relationships don’t alwayswork. If you feel that you can’t work wellwith a practitioner, it is best to gosomewhere else for treatment.

However, if the reason you did not get onwith the practitioner was because you werenot happy about his behaviour towards you,you may want to do something about it.The Prevention of Professional AbuseNetwork (POPAN) says that “when aprofessional takes advantage of their clientor patient's trust….does not act in theirbest interests and fails to keep professionalboundaries,”14 the practitioner’s behaviourcan be called professional abuse.

• I’m unhappy about what thepractitioner tells me to do. Reputablecomplementary healthcare practitionersshould not tell you what to do. Theyshould not tell you to stop seeing yourdoctor or another complementary

17

practitioner, or to stop taking anymedication prescribed by your doctor.Any decisions you take should be yours,made after thinking about the issues andwith full information. You should feelhappy with the decisions you makeabout your treatment. If you are nothappy, you could talk it over with a friendand, if you can, with the practitioner. Ifyou still feel he is trying to get you to dothings you have doubts about, youshould stop seeing him. You may decideyou want to take the matter further.

• I’m unhappy with the way thepractitioner behaved. If you feeluncomfortable about the way apractitioner behaved towards you, stopseeing him. You might find it helpful totalk it over with a friend, if you can. Youmay decide that you want to dosomething about it.

What can I do?In many cases, when you are not satisfiedwith your treatment, you can sort it outinformally by talking with the practitionerand other relevant people. Who you cantalk to and what they are able to dodepends on whether the practitioner isemployed by the NHS and whether he isregulated by law or not.

Where you have serious concerns aboutyour practitioner’s behaviour towards you,you may wish to speak with someone otherthan the practitioner. You can speak withyour doctor, the NHS complementaryhealthcare service manager, if relevant, thepractitioner’s regulatory body or theprofessional organisation he is registeredwith. You may also wish to contact thePrevention of Professional Abuse Network(POPAN), a national charity that assistspeople who have concerns about abusivehealth professionals. You can visit theirwebsite at www.popan.org.uk or ring theirconfidential helpline on 08454 500 300.

If you find that talking it through has notbeen enough you may decide to make aformal complaint. You should be aware thatmaking a complaint can be stressful ordistressing, depending on the reason whyyou are complaining. It is, therefore, veryhelpful to have someone who can supportyou during the process.

When the practitioner isemployed by the NHSIf the practitioner you see is employed bythe NHS and you have been referred to himby your GP or another doctor, you shouldmake sure that you raise your concernswith the doctor and/or the manager of thecomplementary healthcare service, if thereis one. If your GP sends you for treatmentto a complementary practitioner who is notstatutorily regulated, the GP is stillresponsible for your treatment so youshould always discuss any concerns withyour GP. Other people in the NHS whomight be able to help are the:• NHS trust patient and advice liaison

(PAL) officer (England)• trust or local health board complaints

manager (Wales)• trust or health board patient liaison or

complaints officer (Scotland)• local health and social services board

(Northern Ireland) If you don’t feel that talking it over has

been enough and you decide to make acomplaint you can do so using the localNHS complaints procedure.

Making a complaintYour GP; the practice manager; themanager of the complementary therapyservice; the local health board or trustpatient liaison officer or complaintsmanager; or, in England, the NHS trustpatient and advice liaison service (PALs)should be able to give you informationabout how to do this. You can also getinformation about how to make a complaintfrom the places below.

EnglandFor information on how to complain aboutNHS treatment in England see the NHSwebsite atwww.nhs.uk/england/aboutTheNHS/complainCompliment.csmxor phone NHS Direct on 0845 46 47. To findyour local NHS trust in England phone NHSDirect or use the NHS website atwww.nhs.uk/england/authoritiestrusts/pct/default.aspx

ScotlandAs this guide went to print the complaintssystem in Scotland was being revised.However, information will be available from


your NHS board’s patient liaison officer orcomplaints officer or from the NHS Helplinein Scotland 0800 224488. To find your localNHS board phone NHS 24 on 08454 24 2424 or look on the Scottish NHS website atwww.show.scot.nhs.uk

WalesFor information on how to complain aboutNHS treatment in Wales phone NHS DirectWales on 0845 46 47 or look on the NHSWales website atwww.wales.nhs.uk/documents/complaints-leaflet-e.pdf You can find your local healthboard or trust by telephoning NHS DirectWales or looking at the NHS Direct Waleswebsite atwww.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/nhsdirect.asp?id=22

Northern IrelandThe local health and social services boardscan give information on how to complainabout NHS services in Northern Ireland. Youcan get contact details for your local boardby asking at your GP’s surgery or on theInternet at www.n-i.nhs.uk/ You can alsofind out how to make a complaint bylooking on the Central Services Agencywebsite at www.centralservicesagency.n-i.nhs.uk/display/how_to_make_a_complaint

Help with making a complaintthrough the NHSSometimes making a complaint may notfeel straightforward and you may need helpor support.

Help from inside the NHSIn England, patient advice and liaisonservices, based in NHS trusts, give advice andsupport to patients, carers and their familiesand can help if you want to make a complaint.In Scotland NHS boards have patient liaisonor complaints officers who can help.

Help from outside the NHS If your complaint is about an NHS service,your local independent complaintsadvocacy service (ICAS) will be able to helpyou. You can find your local advocacyservice by contacting NHS Direct inEngland on 0845 46 47.

There is also a list of the independentcomplaints advocacy services in Englandon the complaints policy section of theDepartment of Health websitewww.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/OrganisationPolicy/ComplaintsPolicy/fs/en

In Wales the local community healthcouncil runs the independent complaintsadvocacy service. You can find your localcommunity health council by telephoningthe Board of Community Health Councils inWales on 0845 644 7814 or looking on thewebsite www.patienthelp.wales.nhs.uk

In Scotland the local health councilshave been supporting people makingcomplaints. From 1 April 2005, localbranches of the new Scottish HealthCouncil will take over responsibility fordoing this. You will be able to find out howto contact your local branch by telephoningNHS 24 on 08454 24 24 24.

In Northern Ireland the local health andsocial services councils give advice andsupport on making a complaint. You canfind your local council on the NorthernIreland NHS website at www.n-i.nhs.uk/index.html

The National Association of CitizensAdvice Bureaux website has informationabout how to complain about NHS servicesin England, Scotland, Wales and N Irelandat www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/family_parent/health/nhs_complaints.htmincluding a self-help pack to support youwhen making a complaint www.adviceguide.org.uk/icas_self_help_pack.pdf

Local citizens advice bureaux in the UKmay also be able to provide help to make acomplaint. You can find out where yourlocal citizens advice bureau is by looking inthe local telephone directory or on theinternet atwww.citizensadvice.org.uk/index/getadvice

The Public Law Project has a guide tohelp people making a complaint aboutNHS treatment. It is available from thePublic Law Project, 266-268 HollowayRoad, London N7 6NE. Telephone 0207697 2190. The guide is free but you needto send an A4 size envelope with yourname and address and a 54p stamp foreach copy you order.

When you are seeing thepractitioner privatelyIf the practitioner is regulated by law andtalking to him has not helped, or you don’tfeel you can do that, you can talk tosomeone at his regulatory body about yourconcerns. It may be that the matter can be

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sorted out in this way. If not, the regulatorybody will have a complaints procedure andthe practitioner may also have a localcomplaints procedure for his clinic. Theseshould be available for you to see but if youprefer not to talk directly to the practitioneryou can get a copy from the regulatorybody.

Sometimes the complaints procedure isavailable on the regulatory body’s website.If not, you will have to telephone them orwrite to them for a copy. You will need tomake the complaint in writing and includeas much relevant information as possible.The regulatory body should give you adviceabout making a complaint. Practitionerswho are found unfit to practise by theirregulatory body may be taken off thatbody’s register.

The practitioner will have insurance sothat if you have been hurt or injured bytreatment or by an accident in the clinic,you should be able to get compensation ifthe practitioner or the clinic areresponsible.

If the practitioner is not regulated bylaw and talking to him has not helped, oryou don’t feel you can do that, the stepsyou can take depend on the standards ofthe professional association he isregistered with.

Many of the professional associationsthat register practitioners of therapies notregulated by law do have complaintsprocedures that are easily available, eitherthrough the practitioner or directly from theassociation and do require theirpractitioners to have professionalindemnity insurance. Some will also beprepared to listen to your concerns beforeyou make a complaint and give youinformation about how to make acomplaint.

However, as explained in Chapter 4,Standards and safety, standards can vary soyou may find that not all professionalassociations have appropriate complaintsprocedures or will help you make acomplaint. This is one reason we suggestyou ask the questions in Chapter 6 beforehaving treatment; you could also askwhether the practitioner has available acomplaints procedure from the associationhe is registered with.

If you do make a complaint, you willneed to do it in writing and include as much

relevant information as possible.Practitioners who are found unfit to practiseby their professional association may betaken off that association’s register, butthey could still practise or join anotherassociation.

If you see a practitioner who is not amember of a professional association youwill not be able to talk to, or complain to, aprofessional association if things go wrong.If the practitioner is not insured and you arehurt or injured by treatment or by anaccident on the practitioner’s premises,you will be most unlikely to get anycompensation.

If the professional association will nothelp you, or the practitioner does notbelong to a professional association it willbe very hard for you to get help if you areunhappy with your treatment. If thepractitioner’s behaviour towards you hasbeen abusive, then the Prevention ofProfessional Abuse Network (website:www.popan.org.uk; tel: 08454 500 300)may be able to help. In other cases, if thepractitioner has been negligent and youhave been harmed, going to court may bean option. However, this can be a difficult,expensive and stressful process and itcould be very hard to prove your case. Alocal law centre or citizens advice bureaumay be able to advise you but there isalways a big demand for their services. You may also be able to get advice fromAction against Medical Accidents, a charitythat helps people who have been harmedduring healthcare treatment. Tel: 0845 1232352; website: www.avma.org.uk


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Section BComplementary Therapies

8 Chiropractic Chiropractic is concerned with thediagnosis, treatment and prevention ofmechanical disorders of themusculoskeletal system and the effects ofthese disorders on the function of thenervous system and general health. Inother words, chiropractors believe that thehealth of the spine and the nervoussystem running through it can influencethe health of the whole body. Manualtreatments, such as spinal manipulation oradjustment,15 are usually used.

There are about 2000 chiropractorsregistered with the General ChiropracticCouncil. Many chiropractors do not think of themselves as complementarypractitioners. They are regulated by law and prefer to call themselves primaryhealthcare practitioners. In 2001, about23% of doctors’ surgeries were providingchiropractic or osteopathic treatment at the surgery or making NHS referrals tochiropractors or osteopaths.16

What is chiropracticcommonly used for?Chiropractic is used mainly for disordersof the musculoskeletal system such asspine, neck and shoulder problems;migraine and tension headaches; joint,posture and muscle problems; sciatica;sports injuries; whiplash and repetitivestrain injury. It may also be used forasthma; digestive disorders; menstrualpain and infant colic.17

A Medical Research Council clinicaltrial, reported in the British MedicalJournal in 1990, found that chiropractictreatment of back pain was 29% moreeffective than hospital outpatienttreatment. A follow-up trial in 1995confirmed these results and found thatchiropractic patients were, on the whole,more satisfied than those who hadconventional hospital outpatient treatmentfor back pain.18 The Royal College ofGeneral Practitioners recommendsmanipulation for acute and sub-acute backpain.19

What will happen when I seea chiropractor?Your first visit will last between 30 minutesand 11/2 hours. The chiropractor will take afull case history and ask about yourcondition, which illnesses and injuries youhave had, the kind of work you do and evenabout the type of bed you sleep on. You willbe asked to take most of your clothes off,except your underwear, and be given agown to put on. You will be able to do thisin private. The chiropractor will ask you toagree to a physical examination and mayalso check your pulse, heart, bloodpressure and lungs. If she thinks it isnecessary, the chiropractor may alsorequest an x-ray.

Before your treatments start thechiropractor should explain what theexamination found, how she plans to treatyou and whether there are any risksassociated with your condition or thetreatment. Treatments usually last around15-20 minutes, and involve the chiropractormaking adjustments to the spine.

Your chiropractor can also suggest waysyou can help yourself, such as exercise anddiet. Most health conditions are treatedwithin 4 to 12 sessions, depending on thenature of the complaint and how long youhave had it. The chiropractor may suggestfollow-up treatments at regular intervals.20

PrecautionsIt is quite common to feel some milddiscomfort or tiredness straight aftertreatment. If these go on longer or you feelmuch worse you should tell yourchiropractor straight away.

You should not use chiropractictreatment if you have severe osteoporosis,malignant or inflammatory spine conditionsor recent fractures, or if you are on anti-clotting drugs or some steroids.21

Complementary Therapies22

There has been some discussion aboutthe potential risks associated withmanipulation of the upper spine at theneck, which is one element of chiropractictreatment and is also used by doctors,physiotherapists and osteopaths. TheBMJ’s clinical evidence website puts therisk of a stroke at between 1 and 3 in 1million manipulations.22 A review whichlooked at the relative risks associated withthe use of spinal manipulation for neck painand the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs concluded thatmanipulation was much safer (by as muchas several hundred times) than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.23

CostTreatment costs from between £25 and £45a session. The first appointment will costmore, from between £30 to £60 upwards,because it will usually be a longerappointment. Some health insuranceschemes and medical cash plans coverchiropractic treatment.

Finding a chiropractor The chiropractic profession is regulated bylaw. The General Chiropractic Council isthe regulatory body and, in the UK, onlychiropractors who are registered with theGeneral Chiropractic Council are allowed tocall themselves chiropractors. To findchiropractors in your area contact theGeneral Chiropractic Council or look in yourlocal telephone directory.

General Chiropractic Council44 Wicklow StreetLondon WC1X 9HLTel: 020 7713 5155Fax: 020 7713 5844Email: [email protected]: www.gcc-uk.org

9 Osteopathy Osteopaths work with the body’smusculoskeletal system, which is made upof the bones, joints, muscles, ligamentsand connective tissue. They use their handsto diagnose and treat abnormalities in theway the body is working and damagecaused by disease.24 25

Treatment techniques that osteopathsuse include muscle manipulation, jointmovements and ‘high velocity thrusts’,which are short, sharp movements.26 27

These techniques are designed to reducejoint stiffness along with tension in themuscles, and to help the spine and joints tomove more freely. Osteopaths believe thatthis can improve circulation and promotethe body’s own healing processes. Thetreatment also includes advice aboutlifestyle.

An American doctor, Andrew Taylor Still,believed that some illnesses could becaused by parts of the body becoming evena little out of place. In the 1870s hedeveloped osteopathy to help the bodyreturn to normal. The first school ofosteopathy in Britain was opened inLondon in 1917.

Today there are around 3,600 osteopathson the General Osteopathic Councilstatutory register, and more than six millionconsultations every year.28 Osteopathy isbecoming widely recognised by themedical profession, and is now madeavailable by one quarter of GP practices.29

Many osteopaths do not think ofthemselves as complementarypractitioners. They are regulated by law andprefer to call themselves primaryhealthcare practitioners. In 2001, about23% of doctors’ surgeries were providingosteopathic or chiropractic treatment.30

What is osteopathy commonlyused for?Osteopathy is often used for low back painand there is some evidence that it is helpfulfor this.31 32 The Royal College of GeneralPractitioners recommends manipulation foracute and sub-acute back pain.33

Osteopathy is also used for neck pain,

23

muscle, joint and postural problems, painduring pregnancy, sports and repetitivestrain injuries, sciatica, headaches,osteoarthritis, digestive disorders andmenstrual pain.

Some osteopaths use cranialosteopathic techniques, involving verygentle movements on the head and thesacrum bone, which sits at the bottom ofthe spine.34 It is often used for children withcolic, glue ear, sinus problems and constantcrying, but it can also be used for adults,particularly for face, neck and jaw pain,problems following shock and injury,headaches and sinus problems.35 36

What will happen when I seean osteopath?When you visit an osteopath for the firsttime, he will take a full case history and giveyou an examination. You will normally beasked to remove some of your clothing andto perform some simple movements. Theosteopath will then use a highly developedsense of touch, called palpation, to identifyany points of weakness or strainthroughout the body. He may needadditional investigations such as x-rays orblood tests. This will allow a full diagnosisand suitable treatment plan to bedeveloped for you.

Treatments usually take 30-45 minutes.Osteopaths say that most people get mostbenefit from between 3 to 6 sessions,depending on the condition being treated.37

At the first session, your osteopath shouldbe able to give you an indication of howmany treatments you might need. For someacute pain one or two treatments may beall that is necessary. Chronic conditionsmay need ongoing treatments from time totime.

PrecautionsYou may feel a little soreness, tiredness orhave a mild headache for a day or two after

treatment. Always tell your osteopath ifyou feel worse or are in pain for longerthan this.

The use of a technique known as a highvelocity thrust is not advisable if you havecertain conditions including: osteoporosis;tumours; broken bones; infections;ligament damage; inflammatory jointdisease; aneurysm; haemophilia or otherbleeding disorders; active multiplesclerosis; or you are taking anticoagulantdrugs or are between eight and twelveweeks pregnant.38 39 However, there areother osteopathic techniques that theosteopath can use, if appropriate,40 so it isvery important that he knows if you arepregnant or have a serious health condition.

He should find this information outwhen he takes your case history. It isimportant, too, that you tell your doctor(and midwife or obstetrician if you arepregnant) if you are planning to haveosteopathic treatment.

There has been some discussion aboutthe potential risks associated withmanipulation of the spine, such as possiblespinal trauma after high velocity thrusts orstroke after manipulation of the upper spineat the neck. These techniques may beused, if appropriate, as part of osteopathictreatment and are also used by doctors,physiotherapists and chiropractors. TheBMJ’s clinical evidence website puts therisk of a stroke at between 1 and 3 in 1million manipulations.41 A review whichlooked at the relative risks associated withthe use of spinal manipulation for neck painand the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs concluded thatmanipulation was much safer (by as muchas several hundred times) than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.42

CostTreatments cost from approximately £25-£50 and upwards for a 30–40 minutesession. The first session is usually longer


and may cost more. Some health insuranceschemes and medical cash plans coverosteopathy.

Finding an osteopathThe osteopathy profession is regulated bylaw. The General Osteopathic Council isthe regulatory body for osteopathy and itkeeps one register of all osteopaths. In theUK, only practitioners who are registeredwith the General Osteopathic Council areallowed to call themselves osteopaths. Tofind osteopaths in your area contact theGeneral Osteopathic Council or look in yourlocal telephone directory.

General Osteopathic CouncilOsteopathy House176 Tower Bridge RoadLondon SE1 3LUTel: 020 7357 6655Email: [email protected]: www.osteopathy.org.uk

10 AcupunctureAcupuncture is the insertion of very fineneedles into the skin at particular points onthe body, to prevent or treat ill health ormaintain good health.43 This is thought tostimulate the body's ability to heal.44 Thereare about 7,500 acupuncturists practising inthe UK,45 and one in three GP surgeries aremaking acupuncture available to patients.46

Two main styles of acupuncture arepractised in the UK today: traditionalChinese acupuncture and western medicalacupuncture.

Traditional ChineseacupunctureChinese acupuncture is one element of thewider system of traditional Chinesemedicine, which developed in China around4,000 years ago and is used to bothdiagnose and treat illness. TraditionalChinese medicine also includes herbalmedicine, massage, exercise and diet.

Chinese medicine is based on the theorythat energy (known as qi, pronounced chee)flows through pathways in the body. Qiconsists of equal and opposite qualities -yin and yang - and when these becomeunbalanced, illness may result. By insertingfine needles into the channels of energy, anacupuncturist can stimulate the body's ownhealing response and help restore itsnatural balance.

Western medical acupunctureWestern medical acupuncture is a form ofacupuncture that has developed over thelast 30 years. It is similar to traditionalacupuncture, but is based on the principles ofmodern conventional medicine. Practitionersof western medical acupuncture are usuallyconventional healthcare professionals suchas doctors, nurses and physiotherapists.47

What is acupuncturecommonly used for?Acupuncture is used to treat a wide rangeof illnesses.48

Pain: most types of pain; including back; neck;shoulder; dental or leg pain; low back pain;49

25

general aches and pains; headaches;rheumatic or arthritic pain; sports injuries;sciatica or trapped nerves; chronic musclestrain; migraines; plantar fasciitis; shinglesand trigeminal neuralgia; and pain relieffollowing surgery. 50 51 52 53

Other medical problems: including nauseaand vomiting; menstrual or menopauseproblems; bladder, bowel or digestiveproblems; anxiety states; stress anddepression; hay fever and rhinitis;circulatory problems; skin problems;infertility; fibrositis; ulcers; allergies; sinusproblems; chronic catarrh; dry mouth oreyes; angina; insomnia; chronic fatiguesyndrome and general tiredness; postoperative nausea and vomiting. 54 55 56 57 58 59 60

Addictions: acupuncture is beingincreasingly used for people trying toovercome addictions to alcohol, drugs andsmoking.61 Auricular acupuncture (puttingneedles into the ear) is often used.

Maternity: acupuncture is used duringpregnancy, particularly for nausea andvomiting, for back and pelvic pain and toturn a breech baby62 and for pain reliefduring childbirth, but should only be givenby a properly trained and qualifiedpractitioner.

What will happen when I seean acupuncturist?Your first appointment will last from about30 minutes to an hour and a half. Theacupuncturist will ask you about yourcurrent symptoms; medical history and anyother medication you are currently taking;diet and digestion; sleep patterns andemotional state. A traditional acupuncturistwill also feel your pulses on both wrists andlook at your tongue. These tests help her todecide where to put the needles.

The acupuncturist will then insert veryfine needles into the surface of your skin ina number of different places, calledacupuncture points. The needles will be leftthere for an appropriate length of timebefore they are gently removed. Somepeople don't feel anything duringacupuncture, while others may feel tinglingor a slight sensation.

The needles may be manipulated fromtime to time, or stimulated electrically. Heatmay be applied either to the needles ordirectly to the point by burning a herbcalled moxa. Points may be stimulatedusing other methods, such as massage orlow level laser.

Follow-up treatments usually lastbetween 30 minutes and one hour. Thenumber of treatments you need willdepend on the health condition that you areseeking treatment for. For most complaints,you can expect to notice improvementswithin about five or six sessions.63 To beginwith, the acupuncturist may recommendthat you receive treatment once or twice aweek. Patients with chronic (long-term)illnesses may need top-up treatments everyfew weeks with the aim of stopping themgetting worse.

PrecautionsSometimes symptoms can temporarily getworse after a treatment, though that isgenerally nothing to be concerned about, oryou may feel tired, light headed or,occasionally, dizzy. It is best not to plan todo anything too strenuous immediatelyafter an acupuncture treatment. If you dofeel dizzy or drowsy you should not driveuntil you are sure you feel better. If youcarry on feeling dizzy or worse, or you feelill in a different way after the treatment youmust tell your practitioner. Very occasionallythere may be pain during treatment or alittle bleeding or bruising after treatment.Occasionally, certain patients may faint,particularly with their first treatment.64

Serious side effects can occur afteracupuncture but the risk has beenestimated as less than one per 10,000treatments.65 Serious harm, includingpneumothorax (a collection of air or gas inthe chest or pleural space that causes partor all of a lung to collapse), damage to heartor blood vessels and nerve damage can becaused by poor practice. An article in theBritish Medical Journal said that in thehands of a competent practitioner,acupuncture is a very safe treatment.66

Properly trained and qualifiedacupuncturists should use sterile,disposable needles.

For your own safety, you should tell youracupuncturist if you have ever had a fit or


fainted or if you have a heart pacemaker,damaged heart valves, if you are taking anti-coagulants or other medication. Youracupuncturist will ask you about anyserious condition you may have, so makesure you tell her everything, even if youthink it is not important. This includes lungdisease; severe arterial disease; cancer or ableeding disorder. Make sure also that youtell her about any other medication you aretaking, including complementarymedicines. If you have certain illnesses orare taking particular medicines,acupuncture may not be suitable for you orthe acupuncturist may need to avoidputting needles in certain places or avoidusing particular techniques.67

CostTreatments cost from between £15 and £60upwards per appointment, depending onwhere the acupuncturist is based.68 Thefirst consultation may cost more as it oftentakes longer than a follow-up appointment.Some health insurance schemes andmedical cash plans cover acupuncturetreatment, and acupuncture is sometimesavailable as part of NHS physiotherapytreatment and in NHS pain clinics.

Finding an acupuncturist The professional organisations listed beloware working together and have madeproposals about becoming regulated bylaw. The government then published aconsultation document asking for viewsabout the future regulation of acupunctureand herbal medicine. At the time thisbooklet was printed the government waslooking at the views it had received andpreparing to publish a further report. For up-to-date information about regulationcontact The Prince of Wales’s Foundationfor Integrated Health or see theDepartment of Health websitewww.dh.gov.uk

Acupuncture Association of CharteredPhysiotherapists (AACP)(for physiotherapists who use acupunctureas part of their treatment)AACP SecretariatPortcullisCastle StreetMereWiltshireBA12 6JEEmail: [email protected] Website: www.aacp.uk.com

British Academy of Western MedicalAcupuncture (BAWMA)(for nurses, doctors and physiotherapistswho practise acupuncture)12 Poulton Green CloseSpitalWirral CH63 9FSTel: 01747 861151 Email: [email protected] Website: www.westernacupuncture.co.uk

British Acupuncture Council (BAcC)(practitioners of traditional acupuncture)63 Jeddo RoadLondon W12 9HQTel: 020 8735 0400Fax: 020 8735 0404Email: [email protected] Website: www.acupuncture.org.uk

British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS)(for medical practitioners who practiseacupuncture)BMAS House3 Winnington CourtNorthwichCheshire CW8 1AQTel: 01606 786 782Fax: 01606 786 783Email: [email protected] Website: www.medical-acupuncture.co.uk

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11 Herbalmedicine

In herbal medicine the healing properties ofplants are used to treat illness and maintaingood health. It is one of the most ancientforms of treatment known and there areherbal medicine traditions in various partsof the world. In Britain today, the two mainsystems of herbal medicine practised arewestern and Chinese.69

Western herbal medicine is largelybased on the use of plant remedies nativeto Britain, Europe and North America,70

though practitioners may also useremedies from other places, such as Asia.Practitioners look at the condition andhealth of the patient as a whole and theirprescriptions usually contain a mixture ofherbs made up individually for each patient,aimed at restoring the balance of the bodyand stimulating its own healing powers.71

Chinese herbal medicine is part oftraditional Chinese medicine (TCM), whichincludes acupuncture, massage, tai chi(exercise using controlled movement) and qigong (breathing exercises). Somepractitioners are trained in, and practise, bothChinese herbal medicine and acupuncture.Traditional Chinese medicine is based on thetheory that energy (known as qi, pronouncedchee) flows through pathways in the body. Qiconsists of equal and opposite qualities - yinand yang - and when these becomeunbalanced, illness may result. Practitionersusually prescribe a particular mixture of herbsfor each patient, aimed at putting the balanceright and improving the patient’s health.72

Other forms of herbal medicinepractised include Ayurvedic (Indian) andTibetan.

What is herbal medicinecommonly used for?Herbal medicine practitioners treat a widerange of conditions including anxiety anddepression; arthritis; chronic fatiguesyndrome; eczema and other skin problems;fibromyalgia; hay fever; headaches andmigraine; insomnia; digestive problemsincluding irritable bowel syndrome;menstrual and menopausal problems.

Some of the research into herbalmedicine has looked at the use of singleplants for particular conditions. There isgood clinical evidence for the effectivenessof saw palmetto for benign enlargedprostate; ginkgo biloba for intermittentclaudication,73 dementia and memoryimpairment;74 and St John’s Wort for mild tomoderate depression.75 There is someevidence that ginkgo biloba might behelpful for tinnitus. There is also someevidence that Chinese herbal medicinecould be helpful for irritable bowelsyndrome76 and for eczema.77

What will happen when I seea herbal medicinepractitioner?At the first consultation the practitioner willask about your current health, your historyof illnesses, your diet and how you arefeeling in yourself. He will also do aphysical examination. Chinese herbalpractitioners will usually feel your pulsesand look at your tongue. The practitionerwill then make up a prescription. Usuallythis is done during the consultation.

The herbs may come as a tincture (aconcentrated solution of herbs extracted inwater and alcohol) or in tablet form. For skincomplaints, the preparation might be in theform of an ointment. Chinese medicinepractitioners often use ‘raw herbs’, whichhave to be boiled in water and then drunkas a tea. This is time-consuming for thepatient and practitioners may give the sameprescription as a tincture or freeze driedpowder instead.

Herbal medicine practitioners may alsogive advice about diet and exercise, if thisis appropriate.

Your second appointment is likely to bebetween 2-4 weeks later and the length ofyour course of treatment will depend onthe reason you are having herbal medicinetreatment. The practitioner will probablyadjust your herbal prescription at timesduring the course of treatment.

PrecautionsHerbal medicines, like other medicines,have an effect on the body and should beused with care. Sometimes people


mistakenly assume that simply because aproduct is natural it must be safe; thereare many plants that are poisonous tohumans. There are some safety issues tobe aware of.

• Some herbal medicines can interact withother prescribed medicines, so youshould not take them at the same time.For example, St John’s Wort andantidepressants; St John’s Wort anddrugs for high blood pressure and forheart conditions; St John’s Wort andanticoagulants such as Warfarin; ginkgobiloba and anticoagulant drugs.78

• Herbal medicines made to poorstandards may be a health risk. TheMedicines and Healthcare productsRegulatory Agency (MHRA) is thegovernment body responsible for thesafety of medicines in the UK. It collectsinformation about any harmful effects(called adverse drug reactions) and it haswarned the public that the standards ofproduction of unlicensed traditionalChinese medicines can varyconsiderably. Some have been found toillegally contain pharmaceuticalingredients, heavy metals or toxic herbs.For example, some ‘herbal’ creams forskin complaints have been found tocontain steroids that are not listed asingredients.

• Poor labelling of medicines can be a riskas this can lead to patients using theproduct incorrectly.

It is important that you discuss all yourmedical treatments with your herbalmedicine practitioner and tell your doctor ifyou are taking or planning to take herbalremedies. This is particularly important ifyou are about to have an operation, havehad a liver complaint or are pregnant.Pharmacists can also give advice on safety.

If you feel worse or unwell in a differentway while taking herbal medicines, youshould tell your herbal medicinepractitioner, your doctor or pharmaciststraightaway. They can report any harmfuleffects of medicines, including herbalmedicines, to the MHRA. To check whetherthe MHRA has issued advice aboutparticular herbal products or ingredients,you can check Herbal Safety News on theagency’s website www.mhra.gov.ukPhytonet (www.escop.com/phytonet.htm)also collects information about harmfuleffects of herbal medicines.

The Medical Toxicology Unit at St Guy’sand St Thomas’ NHS Trust suggests thatpatients ask for a list of the ingredients inany herbal product they buy or are given. Ifthey later suffer any ill effects and needmedical treatment, doctors will know whatthey have taken.79

In some parts of the world, Chinesemedicine practitioners use products thatare made from endangered species ofanimals. This is illegal in the UK and the banis strongly supported by the UK herbalmedicine profession.

It has not been easy for members of thepublic to tell if an unlicensed herbalmedicine (whether supplied over thecounter in a shop or made up by a herbalpractitioner) has been made to acceptablestandards. The MHRA is planning changesin regulation and, from autumn 2005onwards, will run a scheme for registeringover-the-counter traditional herbalmedicines. These products will have tomeet assured standards of safety, qualityand patient information. Advice will beavailable on the MHRA web site on how toidentify these products.

There are some licensed herbalmedicines on the market, which are madeto assured standards and can be identifiedby the PL number on the product.

The MHRA also carried out aconsultation in 2004 about possible

29

changes to regulations governingunlicensed herbal medicines which aremade up by practitioners to meet the needsof individual patients. The aim of thesechanges is to give the public greaterassurance about standards. The MHRA isconsidering the results of the consultationand information about any furtherdevelopments will be on its website.

Some herbal remedies should not betaken during pregnancy because if they aretaken in large amounts there is a possiblerisk of miscarriage. These include feverfew;golden seal; juniper; mistletoe; nutmeg;rosemary and sage. It is also advisable notto take any herbal medicines in the firstthree months of pregnancy, unless you aregoing to see a registered herbal medicinepractitioner about a specific problem.80

CostAppointments cost from between £40 - £50and upwards for the first consultation andfrom around £30 upwards for follow-ups,which are shorter. You will normally have topay for the herbs in addition to the cost ofthe consultation.81

Finding a herbal medicinepractitionerThe professional associations listed belowhave been working together, as theEuropean Herbal Practitioners Association(EHPA), to develop common standards oftraining and practice. The EHPA was astakeholder in the working group on theregulation of herbal medicine practitioners,which made proposals about herbalmedicine practitioners being regulated bylaw. This would include having one registerof practitioners, all of whom meet arequired standard, which would also givemembers of the public a single point ofcontact for finding practitioners.

At the time this booklet was printed, thegovernment had consulted people aboutthese proposals and was about to publishthe results. For up-to-date informationabout regulation contact The Prince ofWales’s Foundation for Integrated Health.

European Herbal Practitioners Association45a Corsica StreetLondon N5 1JTTel: 020 7354 5067Email: [email protected]: www.euroherb.com

Association of Master HerbalistsAssociation of Traditional Chinese MedicineAyurvedic Medicine AssociationBritish Association of Traditional TibetanMedicineCollege of Practitioners of PhytotherapyInternational Register of ConsultantHerbalistsMaharishi Ayurvedic PractitionersAssociationNational Institute of Medical HerbalistsRegister of Chinese Herbal MedicineUnified Register of Herbal Practitioners


12 Aromatherapy Aromatherapy uses the healing propertiesof essential oils, which are extracted fromplants, to improve health and help preventillness.

Essential oils can be used in differentways, including:• massage (most commonly used

method)• baths• inhalation (not if you have asthma)• creams and lotions

Different oils are thought to affect the bodyin different ways. For instance, they can becalming, relaxing, uplifting or energising.Some oils are believed to have propertieswhich fight infections. Tea tree oil, forexample, is used as an antiseptic or torelieve fungal infections such as thrush.

What is aromatherapycommonly used for?Aromatherapy is used for a wide range ofproblems, including pain relief; anxiety andstress related conditions; insomnia;headaches;82 arthritis; rheumatism andmenstrual problems.83 It is sometimesavailable in maternity services and is widelyused in palliative and cancer care inhospitals and hospices.84

Research indicates that aromatherapymassage may be helpful for the short-termrelief of anxiety85 and that certain essentialoils may relieve some symptomsassociated with dementia.86 There is somepromising evidence that tea tree oil couldbe useful in treating acne and fungalinfections.87

What will happen when I seean aromatherapist?A session normally lasts from around 45 to90 minutes. The aromatherapist will askquestions about your medical history,general health and lifestyle. She will thenchoose a blend of oils and a way ofapplying them specifically for your needs.The essential oils are concentrated, so formassage treatment they are diluted withvegetable-based oil.

During a massage, the aromatherapistwill massage the blend into your bodyusing either a full-body massage ormassage of particular areas as agreed withyou, while you lie on a therapy couch. Iflying down is difficult for you, you can bemassaged in another position. Thepractitioner will cover the parts of yourbody she is not working on with towels.

The massage section of this booklet(Chapter 17) will tell you more about howmassage is practised. The practitioner mayalso suggest ways in which you can usearomatherapy at home, such as in the bath,or by using an oil burner, and willrecommend which oils are best for yourpresent condition.

For some health problems, thearomatherapist may advise having a courseof treatment, so that the benefits build upover time.88

PrecautionsEssential oils could be harmful if not usedproperly. They should always be diluted in avegetable-based oil before being used onthe skin and they should not be swallowedor used internally. Your aromatherapist willexplain this to you if she suggests you usethe oils at home. Like all medicines,essential oils should be kept out of reach ofchildren.89

• Essential oils must never be swallowedor used internally.

• If using essential oils at home, avoidputting them on damaged skin, such asburns or dermatitis.

• Make sure you tell your practitioner ifyou have heart problems, high bloodpressure, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy ora skin irritation, as some aromatherapyoils should be avoided for people withthese conditions.

• It is thought that some essential oilscould interact with particular prescribedmedicines, including antibiotics,antihistamines, anticoagulants andtranquillisers, making their effectsstronger or weaker. It is important,therefore, to check with your GP orpharmacist and the aromatherapist ifyou are taking any other medication.

• Certain oils, such as orange, lemon andbergamot, may make your skin more

31

sensitive to light so you might getsunburnt more easily. If you have hadthese oils on your skin, you should notexpose it to direct sunlight, sunbeds orsunlamps afterwards.90

• There is a possibility that some essentialoils might be carcinogenic.91 Theyinclude basil and fennel, which arewidely used and other oils which are notgenerally used in normal practice.92

• There may be interactions betweensome aromatherapy oils andhomeopathic remedies, so tell youraromatherapist if you are also seeing ahomeopath.

• Pregnant women are advised to consultan aromatherapist and their midwife orGP before using any essential oils. It isgenerally advised that essential oils arenot used in the first 14-16 weeks ofpregnancy and some oils should not beused at all during pregnancy.

CostAn aromatherapy appointment usuallycosts from between £20 and £45 upwards.Some charitable organisations or hospicesmake aromatherapy available more cheaply,or free of charge.93

Finding an aromatherapistAt the moment, there is no single body thatregulates the aromatherapy profession.There are a number of professionalassociations that practitioners can chooseto belong to but an aromatherapist is notrequired by law to belong to a professionalassociation nor to have completed aspecified course of training, although manydo belong to the organisations listed below.

These organisations are workingtogether as the Aromatherapy Consortiumto develop common standards of training

and practice and one register ofpractitioners who all meet a requiredstandard. When this happens, members ofthe public will have a single point of contactfor finding practitioners. However, thisprocess takes time and at presentstandards of training can vary, which is whywe suggest you ask the questions inChapter 6.

The Aromatherapy ConsortiumPO Box 6522Desborough KetteringNorthants NN14 2YXTel/Fax: 0870 7743477Email: [email protected]: www.aromatherapy-regulation.org.uk/

Aromatherapists SocietyAromatherapy and Allied PractitionersAssociationAssociation of Medical AromatherapistsAssociation of Natural MedicineAssociation of Physical and NaturalTherapistsBABTACBritish Complementary MedicineAssociationEnglish Society de l’Institute PierreFranchommeInstitute of Complementary MedicineInternational Federation of AromatherapistsInternational Federation of ProfessionalAromatherapistsInternational Guild of ProfessionalPractitionersInternational Holistic AromatherapyFoundationProfessional Association for ClinicalTherapistsRaworth Guild of Graduates


13 Craniosacraltherapy

Craniosacral therapy is a gentle treatment,which involves a practitioner applying verylight touch to the body. The craniosacralsystem consists of the membranes andcerebrospinal fluid that surround andprotect the brain and spinal cord. It extendsfrom the bones of the skull, face and mouththat make up the cranium, down the spineto the sacrum and tailbone area.

Practitioners believe that imbalancesand restrictions in the flow ofcerebrospinal fluid reflect physical, mental,emotional or psychological injuries andtensions anywhere in the body. The aim oftreatment is to encourage the body’s ownhealing process.94

Craniosacral therapy is related to cranialosteopathy (see Chapter 9), but craniosacralpractitioners are not trained as osteopaths.

What is craniosacral therapycommonly used for?Craniosacral therapists treat a wide rangeof conditions from acute to chronic (long-term) health problems, including:• physical aches and pains• emotional or psychological disturbances

and stress-related problems• low vitality and recurrent infections• migraine, eye difficulties, digestive

problems• jaw pain• persistent colic in babies, developmental

disorders and behavioural problems

What will happen when I seea craniosacral practitioner?The practitioner will take your case history,including details of any medication andother treatments or therapies. Treatment iscarried out with the patient fully dressedand in a relaxed position.

PrecautionsCertain serious head conditions such asbleeding inside the head and raisedpressure or an aneurysm within the skull,have been noted as indications againsthaving craniosacral therapy.95 People withrecent head injuries have also beenadvised to be cautious about havingtreatment.96

Patients may sometimes feel a milddiscomfort or a temporary worsening ofsymptoms after treatment and, accordingto John Upledger, who developedcraniosacral therapy, there is a possibilitythat treatment can increase the effects ofmedicines for diabetes and epilepsy.97

CostThe cost of a 30 to 60 minute session startsfrom £30 to £70 in cities and £20 to £50 inrural areas.

Finding a craniosacralpractitionerAt the moment, there is no single body thatregulates the craniosacral profession.There are a number of professionalassociations that practitioners can chooseto belong to but a craniosacral practitioneris not required by law to belong to aprofessional association nor to havecompleted a specified course of training,although many do belong to theorganisations listed below.

These organisations are workingtogether as the Cranial Forum to developcommon standards of training and practiceand one register of practitioners who allmeet a required standard. When thishappens, members of the public will have asingle point of contact for findingpractitioners. However, this process takes

33

time and at present standards of trainingcan vary, which is why we suggest you askthe questions in Chapter 6.

The Cranial ForumTel: 07000 272 646Website: www.cranio.org.uk

Cranio Sacral Society Craniosacral Therapy Association of the UK Craniosacral Therapy Association ofChartered Physiotherapists International Association of CraniosacralTherapists International Cranial Association International Guild of ProfessionalPractitioners

14 HealingHealing is an ancient practice that has beenused for thousands of years and issometimes referred to as the laying on ofhands. It aims to promote better health bychannelling energy through the healer tothe patient.98 Healers may put their handsnear patients or sometimes on them. Somehealers also work at a distance or throughprayer, although there is no need forpatients to have religious beliefs to receivehealing. Some healers call themselvesspiritual healers, while others prefer to say‘hands-on healers’ or ‘healers’.

What is healing commonlyused for?Healing is used for a wide range of physicaland emotional conditions. Research hasshown some benefit in many areas,including: • healing of wounds• chronic conditions such as migraine or

irritable bowel syndrome • reducing side-effects of chemotherapy

and radiotherapy for people with cancer• contributing to pain relief• helping relaxation• improving sleep patterns• reducing tension, stress and anxiety• providing emotional and spiritual support• contributing to a sense of well-being99

What will happen when I seea healer?Some healers work in a voluntary settingsuch as a church or charitable organisation,others work within the NHS. The healermay see you privately or in the same roomwith other people. If you see a healer on anindividual basis, you would normally beasked for some personal details and yourmedical history.

The healer will ask you to sit in a chair orlie on a treatment couch, fully clothed(removing shoes only). The healing itselfwill usually take place in silence.Sometimes practitioners play relaxingmusic in the background.

The healer will place her hands either onyou, or at a short distance away. You might


feel various sensations including heat,coolness or tingling or nothing at all. Somepatients feel very relaxed and may fallasleep, whilst others may find emotionscome to the surface.

PrecautionsYou should not plan to undertake anystrenuous activity after a healing session.You should tell the healer if you are havingother complementary or conventionalmedical treatments.

CostHealers working in a voluntary or charitablecapacity may provide their healing free or inreturn for a donation to the organisation.Other healers working as practitioners maycharge between about £15 and £60 ormore, depending on where the practitioneris working.

Finding a healer At the moment, there is no single body thatregulates the healing profession. There area number of professional associations thatpractitioners can choose to belong to but ahealer is not required by law to belong to aprofessional association nor to havecompleted a specified course of training,although many do belong to theorganisations listed below.

These organisations are workingtogether as the UK Healers to developcommon standards of training and practiceand one register of practitioners who allmeet a required standard. When thishappens, members of the public will have asingle point of contact for findingpractitioners. However, this process takestime and at present standards of trainingcan vary, which is why we suggest you askthe questions in Chapter 6.

UK HealersPO BOX 207 LEEDSLS16 5WXTel: 0845 6030 137Email: [email protected]: www.ukhealers.info

Association for Therapeutic HealersAssociation of Spiritual HealersBritish Alliance of Healing AssociationsBritish Association of Therapeutic TouchBritish Healers AssociationCauseway HealersCollege of HealingCommunity Healing ProjectConfederation of Healing Organisations Fellowship of HealersFoundation of Spiritual Healing andGuidanceGreater World Association Trust Harry Edwards SanctuaryHolistic Healers AssociationInternational Self Realisation HealingAssociationJewish Association of Spiritual HealersJoseph Carey Psychic Foundation Kent Healers Association Lancs & District Healers Association Lincolnshire Healers Association Mudita International Foundation & School ofHealing National Federation of Spiritual HealersCharitable TrustNorthern Healers ForumPeacehaven Natural Healing CentreQuaker Spiritual HealersResearch & EnlightenmentRosemary Altea Association School of Insight & Intuition Scottish Association of Spiritual HealersSeekers TrustSelf Realization Meditation Healing CentreSpectrum TrustSpiritualists' National UnionSurrey Spiritual Healers Association United SpiritualistsUniversal Spiritualists Association Warwickshire Spiritual Healers Association Westcountry Natural Healing FellowshipWhite Eagle LodgeWhite Rose FoundationWorld Federation of Healing

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15 HomeopathyThe basic principle of homeopathy is ‘likecures like’. This means that a substancethat would produce certain symptoms in ahealthy person can be used to treat a sickperson with very similar symptoms. Forexample, raw onion makes people’s eyeswater. It can also cause a stinging or runnynose. A homeopathic remedy made fromonion, allium cepa, can be used to treatpatients who have a complaint like a cold100

or hay fever along with watering eyes and astinging or runny nose.

Homeopathic prescriptions are tailoredto match the particular symptoms of eachindividual patient, so if two patients havethe same illness, but show differentsymptoms, they are likely to be treated withdifferent remedies. Homeopathic remediesare given in very diluted doses. They aremade from many different things includingplants, minerals and some animal products.The remedy usually comes in the form of awhite sugar-tablet although it can also begiven as a liquid. The tablets have very littletaste and are taken by letting them meltunder the tongue.

Homeopathy was developed more thantwo hundred years ago by SamuelHahnemann, a German doctor, who wantedto find a better, gentler way of treating illpeople than was usual at that time. Hisideas gradually spread and in Britainhomeopathy has been used for over 150years.

Some homeopaths in the UK are alsoconventional healthcare professionals suchas doctors, nurses, dentists andpharmacists, although not all of thesepractise homeopathy within the NHS. Thereare five NHS homeopathic hospitals in theUK (see Chapter 5).

What is homeopathycommonly used for?Homeopathy is most often used to treatchronic conditions such as asthma;eczema; arthritis; fatigue disorders like ME;headache and migraine; menstrual andmenopausal problems; irritable bowelsyndrome; Crohn’s disease;101 allergies;repeated ear, nose, throat and chest

infections or urine infections; depressionand anxiety.

Children are more often treated with homeopathy than with othercomplementary therapies.102 Homeopathsalso treat many patients who feel unwellbut whose doctor can not find anythingspecifically wrong.103 Patients who have hadunpleasant side-effects from drugs, or whocannot take drug treatments, may alsochoose homeopathic treatment.104

A limited range of remedies are availableover the counter in many pharmacies andhealth food shops. Your homeopath orpharmacist can advise you on the use ofthese remedies to treat first aid problemssuch as cuts, stings, minor burns, bruisesand minor ailments.

What will happen when I seea homeopath?A consultation usually lasts for between30 to 45 minutes. The first appointmentwill probably last longer, as thepractitioner will take a detailed medicalhistory and talk to you in depth about yourcurrent state of health. The homeopathwill also ask about things like your eatingand sleeping patterns, your moods, andhow you feel at various times of the day.Your answers will help him to find the rightremedy for you.

At the end of the consultation thehomeopath will normally give you ahomeopathic remedy and will tell you whenand how to take it. Long-term conditionsmay require several visits. The homeopathshould give you an idea of roughly howlong the course of treatment will last andhow often he will need to see you.

After taking your remedy you may noticesome changes. For instance yoursymptoms might appear to get worse for ashort time. Homeopaths believe this showsthat the remedy is taking effect.Sometimes a cold, a rash or some form ofdischarge may appear as a sign that yoursystem is going through a cleansing stage.At the follow-up consultations, you will beasked to describe any changes that youhave noticed in your condition, so youmight want to make a note of these as theyhappen.


PrecautionsSome homeopaths think that particularmedical treatments or strong smellingsubstances, including certain aromatherapyoils or mint toothpaste, can affecthomeopathic remedies.

CostThe cost of homeopathy appointmentsstart at anything from £20 to £60 upwards,depending on the practitioner (medicallyqualified homeopaths may charge more)and where in the country you live. The firstappointment will usually cost more,anything from £35 to £95 upwards,because it will be longer.

The remedy is normally included in thecost of the appointment. If you havetreatment at one of the NHS homeopathichospitals, the homeopathic remedy will beon prescription. To go to one of thehomeopathic hospitals, you will need to bereferred by your GP; see Chapter 5 fordetails. If you see a medically qualifiedhomeopath outside the NHS, you may haveto pay extra for the remedies. Some healthinsurance schemes and medical cash planscover homeopathy.

Finding a homeopathAt the moment, there is no single body thatregulates the homeopathy profession.

The Faculty of Homeopathy is thenational organisation for statutorilyregistered conventional healthcareprofessionals, including doctors, nurses,dentists and pharmacists, who practisehomeopathy. The Faculty of Homeopathyoversees training and gives diplomas atdifferent levels, including LFHom (basiclevel), MFHom and FFHom (specialist level).To find a homeopath who is a member ofthe Faculty of Homeopathy contact theBritish Homeopathic Association.

British Homeopathic AssociationHahnemann House29 Park Street WestLutonLU1 3BETel: 0870 444 3950Fax: 0870 444 3960Website: www.trusthomeopathy.org

There are a number of professionalassociations that other homeopaths canchoose to belong to but homeopaths arenot required by law to belong to aprofessional association nor to havecompleted a specified course of training,although many do belong to theorganisations listed below.

These organisations are working togetheras the Council of OrganisationsRegistering Homeopaths to developcommon standards of training and practiceand one register of practitioners who allmeet a required standard. When thishappens, members of the public will have asingle point of contact for findinghomeopaths who are not also registered asconventional healthcare practitioners.However, this process takes time and atpresent standards of training can vary,which is why we suggest you ask thequestions in Chapter 6.

Council of Organisations RegisteringHomeopaths11 Wingle Tye RoadBurgess HillWest SussexRH15 9HRTel: 01444 239494Email: [email protected]: www.corh.org.uk

Alliance of Registered HomeopathsAssociation of Natural MedicineBritish Register of ComplementaryPractitioners

37

Fellowship of HomeopathsHomeopathic Medical AssociationInternational Guild of ProfessionalPractitionersInternational Register of ConsultantHerbalistsInternational Society for HomeopathyScottish Association of ProfessionalHomeopaths Society of Homeopaths

16 HypnotherapyThe mental state where a person is sorelaxed that they become more open tosuggestion is called hypnosis.Hypnotherapists use the state of hypnosisto help people with health problems.105

Once the patient is in this deeply relaxedstate the practitioner gives therapeuticsuggestions, which are aimed atinfluencing behaviour or relievingsymptoms.106

What is hypnotherapycommonly used for?Hypnosis is used to treat stress, anxiety,obesity, phobias, addictions,107 depression,irritable bowel syndrome and asthma. It isalso used for pain relief, for pain associatedwith cancer treatments and for other sideeffects of cancer treatment, such asnausea and vomiting.108 Hypnosis can beused to help people relax, especially whengoing for medical treatment or dentaltreatment.109

What will happen when I seea hypnotherapist?During a hypnotherapy appointment youwill usually sit in a comfortable chair. Thepractitioner will take details of your medicalhistory and find out why you have come forhypnotherapy treatment. She will then putyou into a hypnotic state and give youtherapeutic suggestions.

PrecautionsHypnosis is not advisable for people withpsychosis, personality disorders orepilepsy, as there is concern that it mightcause attacks or episodes of the disorders,or for children under five years old.110

People with mental health problems andserious illnesses, such as cancer, shouldsee practitioners who have experience ofworking in these areas.111


CostThe cost of a hypnotherapy session startsfrom between £30 to £60 upwards.

Finding a hypnotherapistA patient can be very vulnerable in thehands of someone who does not usehypnosis in a responsible way, so it isimportant that the practitioner is properlytrained. At the moment, there is no singlebody that regulates the hypnotherapyprofession. There are a number ofprofessional associations that practitionerscan choose to belong to but ahypnotherapist is not required by law tobelong to a professional association nor tohave completed a specified course oftraining. We therefore suggest you ask thequestions in Chapter 6.

The British Society of Medical andDental Hypnosis (BSMDH) is a group ofdoctors, dentists, psychologists and otherhealthcare professionals who usehypnotherapy in their practice.

Website: www.bsmdh.org

London area, tel: 07000 560 309Email: [email protected]

Rest of England and Wales Tel: 020 8905 4342Email: [email protected]

ScotlandEmail: [email protected]

17Massagetherapy

Massage therapy is a system of treatmentof the soft tissue of the body. It involvesstroking, kneading or applying pressure tovarious parts of the body, with the aim ofalleviating aches, pains and musculoskeletalproblems (problems relating to the boneand muscle structure of the body, such asheadaches and back pain).

What is massage commonlyused for?Massage is used for pain relief, muscular orjoint problems such as arthritis or sportsinjuries, to aid relaxation and for moregeneral health improvement. Researchindicates that therapeutic massage mayhelp with stress-related conditions, such asinsomnia, irritable bowel syndrome andchronic fatigue,112 and with constipation andfibromyalgia.113 It can also be effective forpersistent back pain.114 A guideline for thetreatment of multiple sclerosis, issued bythe National Institute for Clinical Excellencesays that there is some evidence tosuggest that massage might be of benefitfor people with the condition.115

Massage may also be used for peoplewith depression or acute or short-termanxiety. This includes patients in intensivecare, psychiatric institutions and hospices.Massage is increasingly being used for painrelief during childbirth and partners can betrained to use massage techniques duringlabour. Massage can be used to helppremature babies achieve more rapidweight gain and development.116

What will happen when I seea massage practitioner?Before carrying out the massage, thepractitioner will ask questions about yourmedical history, diet, lifestyle, and whetheryou have specific aches, pains or tensionsthat you are concerned about.

The most common way of giving amassage is on a therapy couch. The patientlies on the couch, usually face down for half

39

the session and face up for the other half.As the practitioner will generally work onmost areas of the body you will normally beasked to remove most of your clothes, apartfrom underwear, and you will be givenprivacy to do this. The practitioner will coveryou and keep you warm with large towels.

The intensity of massage can vary andthe practitioner should check that you arehappy with the pressure. If you feeluncomfortable for any reason with themassage you should tell the practitionerand you can ask him to stop. Noprofessional practitioner should evermassage the genital area, or touch thepatient in a way that is sexual. If thishappens you should leave. See Chapter 7,What if I’m unhappy with the treatment?

PrecautionsMassage is not advisable on the affectedareas if you have certain physicalcomplaints such as varicose veins, deepvein thrombosis, bone fractures, swelling,bruising, cuts or infections. It is veryimportant to tell your massage therapistabout any physical problems you have,even if you don’t think they are relevant toyour current health situation.

Massage can be used with pregnantwomen and babies, but should be carriedout by a specially trained practitioner.

People with cancer are advised to seespecially trained massage practitioners.Deep massage on any part of the body isnot advisable for those with activecancer;117 massage should be gentle. If youhave cancer the massage therapist shouldavoid any wounds, recent scars that are stillhealing, broken skin or infected areas. Ifyou have lymphoedema or a swollen arm,you should not have massage on that armor shoulder area and if you are havingradiotherapy treatment you should not bemassaged on the area being treated,although it is safe to have it on other areasof your body.118

CostThe cost of therapeutic massage starts ataround £20 to £60 a session, depending onthe length of the session, and where youlive. Some charitable organisations orhospices make massage available morecheaply, or free of charge.

Finding a massage therapistAt the moment, there is no single body thatregulates the massage therapy profession.There are a number of professionalassociations that practitioners can chooseto belong to but a massage therapist is notrequired by law to belong to a professionalassociation nor to have completed aspecified course of training, although manydo belong to the organisations listed below.

These organisations are workingtogether as the General Council forMassage Therapy to develop commonstandards of training and practice and oneregister of practitioners who all meet arequired standard. When this happens,members of the public will have a singlepoint of contact for finding practitioners.However, this process takes time and atpresent standards of training can vary,which is why we suggest you ask thequestions in Chapter 6.

General Council for Massage Therapy(GCMT)Whiteway HouseBlundells LaneRainhillPrescot L35 6NBTel: 0151 430 8199Email: [email protected]: www.gcmt.org.uk

International Federation of ProfessionalAromatherapistsInternational Guild of ProfessionalPractitioners


London and Counties Society ofPhysiologists Register of RemedialMasseursMassage Therapy Institute of Great BritainMassage Training InstituteProfessional Association of ClinicalTherapists Scottish Massage Therapists Organisation

There is also a separate organisation forpractitioners of sports massage. Sportsmassage is used before and after sportsevents, and to treat injuries and problemsrelated to physical activity.

Sports Massage AssociationPO BOX 4437LondonSW19 1WDTel: 020 8545 0851Fax: 020 8404 8261Email: [email protected]:www.sportsmassageassociation.org

18 NaturopathyNaturopathy is the practice of using naturaltreatments to help the body to heal itself.Naturopaths use a range of methodsincluding:• Nutrition and dietary advice• Breathing exercises and stretches• Hydrotherapy (hot and cold baths,

mineral spas and douches), herbalcompresses and dry skin brushing areused to stimulate circulation and thelymphatic system

• Physical therapies such as osteopathy (ifthe practitioner is appropriately trained)and massage

What is naturopathycommonly used for?Naturopaths treat people with a wide rangeof complaints, including digestive andbowel problems, skin complaints, hormonalproblems, arthritis and stress problems.119

What will happen when I seea naturopath?At the first consultation, a naturopath willask you about your medical history and testyour blood pressure and lung function. Youmight also need to have a blood test orother medical tests. The practitioner willuse this information to plan a programmeof treatment for you. She will also give yousome diet recommendations, or suggest ashort cleansing diet or a fast. A fast is aplanned programme where you eat certainfoods only for a short period of time.

The practitioner will usually want to workwith you over a period of time, and you willbe asked to come back for regularconsultations, every 2-3 weeks, for anagreed period of time.

PrecautionsIt is important to have proper supervision ifyou try a fast or a special diet. Suddenchanges to diet can cause physicalchanges, so it is important to keep in touchwith your practitioner if anything concernsyou. Fasting is not advisable duringpregnancy or while breastfeeding.

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CostA first consultation will usually cost from£35-£40 upwards, although in London it ismore likely to be from £50-£60 upwards.Follow-up visits are shorter and likely tocost from £20-£30 upwards.

Finding a naturopathAt the moment, there is no single body thatregulates the naturopathy profession.There are a number of professionalassociations that practitioners can chooseto belong to but a naturopath is notrequired by law to belong to a professionalassociation nor to have completed aspecified course of training, although manydo belong to the organisations listed below.

These organisations are workingtogether as the General NaturopathicCouncil to develop common standards oftraining and practice and one register ofpractitioners who all meet a requiredstandard. When this happens, members ofthe public will have a single point of contactfor finding practitioners. However, thisprocess takes time and at presentstandards of training can vary, which is whywe suggest you ask the questions inChapter 6.

General Naturopathic Council15b Warrington AvenueSloughBerkshire SL1 3BGEmail: [email protected]

British College of Naturopathy andOsteopathyBritish Naturopathy AssociationCollege of Natural TherapyCollege of OsteopathsComplementary Medical AssociationEuropean Federation of NaturopathsGeneral Council and Register ofNaturopathsGuild of Naturopathic IridologistsIncorporated Society of RegisteredNaturopathsLondon College of Naturopathic MedicineThames Valley University


19 Nutritionaltherapy

Nutritional therapy uses food and diet tohelp the body’s own healing ability tomaintain good health and to prevent oralleviate illness. Practitioners look fornutritional deficiencies, allergies orintolerances to food, or for factors that cancause poor digestion or absorption in thestomach or intestine. Treatment involvesdietary change and may include the use ofnutritional supplements, such as vitaminsand minerals.120 121

What is nutritional therapycommonly used for?Nutritional therapists often work withpatients who have long-term healthproblems that conventional medicine findsdifficult to treat. These include allergies,digestive and bowel disorders, hormonalimbalances, fatigue, depression or stress,migraine and skin disorders.122

What will happen when I seea nutritional therapist?On the first visit, the nutritional therapistwill ask about your current health problems,your medical and family history and yourdiet and lifestyle. He may ask you to fill in aquestionnaire about these things before orduring the consultation. You might beasked to keep a food diary over a period oftime so the practitioner can get a betteridea of what you are eating. Thepractitioner may also carry out some teststo find out if you are allergic to any foods orlacking any nutrients.

He will then make recommendationsabout diet, supplements or herbal remediesand may also talk to you about physicalexercise, or other ways in which you canpromote your own good health. You may begiven these recommendations at the firstappointment, or the nutritional therapistmight wait until the results of your tests areavailable.

The first session may last for about onehour, with follow-up appointments lastingbetween about 15-30 minutes. The

practitioner will probably want to see youfor a course of treatment over a period oftime and should be able to advise you onthe length of the course of treatment afterthe first consultation. Your practitioner willmonitor your progress and make changesto the therapeutic diet if necessary.

PrecautionsSome vitamins can be toxic when taken inlarge doses, so always follow yourpractitioner's advice or the guidelines onsupplement packaging.

Pregnant and breast-feeding women,children and people with a serious illnessshould get medical advice before followinga nutritional therapy programme or goingon a restricted diet.

CostThe cost of nutritional therapyconsultations can range from £40 to over£100 per appointment, depending on thelocation. You will probably have to pay extrafor tests and nutritional supplements.123

Finding a nutritional therapistAt the moment, there is no single bodythat regulates the nutritional therapyprofession. There are a number ofprofessional associations that practitionerscan choose to belong to but a nutritionaltherapist is not required by law to belongto a professional association nor to havecompleted a specified course of training,although many do belong to theorganisations listed below.

These organisations are workingtogether as the Nutritional TherapyCouncil to develop common standards oftraining and practice and one register ofpractitioners who all meet a requiredstandard. When this happens, members ofthe public will have a single point of contactfor finding practitioners. However, this

43

process takes time and at presentstandards of training can vary, which is whywe suggest you ask the questions inChapter 6.

Nutritional Therapy CouncilBritish Association for Nutritional TherapyWebsite: www.bant.org.uk

International Guild of ProfessionalPractitionersWebsite: www.igpp.co.uk

Register of Nutritional Therapists Website: www.nutritionalmed.co.uk

Wholistic Nutritional Medicine Society

20 ReflexologyReflexology is based on the principle thatcertain points on the feet and hands, calledreflex points, correspond to various parts ofthe body and that by applying pressure tothese points in a systematic way, a practitionercan help to release tensions and encouragethe body’s natural healing processes.

Foot treatments have been used in manycultures, including India, Egypt and China,for thousands of years. Reflexology in itscurrent form was developed by EuniceIngham in the 1930s, based on thediscoveries of the American ear, nose andthroat specialist, William Fitzgerald in theearly 20th century. It was brought to Europeby Doreen Bayly and has become verypopular in the UK. It is offered in manyspecialist centres such as pain clinics andcancer units.

What is reflexology commonlyused for?Some people see a reflexologist to helpwith a specific symptom; others use thetherapy regularly to maintain good health.Many people find reflexology relaxing anduse it to help reduce anxiety, stress andphysical tension.

Reflexologists work with a wide range ofconditions including certain types of pain,particularly back and neck pain, migraineand headaches, chronic fatigue, sinusitis,arthritis, insomnia, digestive problems suchas irritable bowel syndrome, andconstipation, stress-related disorders andmenopausal symptoms.

There is some evidence that reflexologycan be effective in treating premenstrualsymptoms,124 and headache.125 A guidelinefor the treatment of multiple sclerosis,issued by the National Institute for ClinicalExcellence, says that there is someevidence to suggest that reflexology mightbe of benefit for people with thecondition.126

What will happen when I seea reflexologist?A complete treatment will usually lastaround 45 minutes to one hour. The


practitioner will take a case history, askingquestions about your symptoms, yourlifestyle, and medical history. She willexamine your feet and/or the palms of yourhand. For this, you will be asked to liedown, usually on a specially designedreflexology chair. The practitioner will thenapply pressure to points on the feet and/orhands, using special thumb and fingertechniques to release tension or unblock‘stuck’ energy. This aims to help the bodyto stimulate its own natural healing ability.

After the first treatment, the practitionerwill have an idea of what your specificneeds are, and how she needs to work withyour feet or hands in the future. Thepractitioner will then see you for a courseof treatment, usually 6-8 sessions.

PrecautionsAfter treatment you may feel tired, light-headed, relaxed or weepy; have tenderfeet; need to go to the toilet more often orhave flu-like symptoms.

People taking medicines for diabetesshould talk to their doctors before havingreflexology as treatment may interfere withtheir medication.127 Reflexology may not besuitable for people with gout, foot ulcers orcirculatory problems affecting their feet,128

or for people who have epilepsy or thyroidor depressive disorders.129 People withcancer should see a reflexologist who istrained to treat people with cancer as thereare particular places on the feet that shouldbe avoided or treated particularly gently.Some blood specialists advise that peoplewith very low blood platelet counts shouldnot be treated with reflexology.130

It is advisable not to have reflexologyduring the first three months of pregnancy.

CostReflexology appointments cost from £25 to£60 and upwards, depending on the lengthof the treatment and where you live.

Finding a reflexologistAt the moment, there is no single body thatregulates the reflexology profession. Thereare a number of professional associationsthat practitioners can choose to belong tobut a reflexologist is not required by law tobelong to a professional association nor tohave completed a specified course oftraining, although many do belong to theorganisations listed below.

These organisations are workingtogether as the Reflexology Forum todevelop common standards of training andpractice and one register of practitionerswho all meet a required standard. Whenthis happens, members of the public willhave a single point of contact for findingpractitioners. However, this process takestime and at present standards of trainingcan vary, which is why we suggest you askthe questions in Chapter 6.

The Reflexology ForumDalton House60 Windsor AvenueLondonSW19 2RR

Tel: 0800 037 0130 (free-phone) Email: [email protected]: www.reflexologyforum.org

Association of ReflexologistsBritish Reflexology AssociationCentre for Clinical ReflexologyInternational Federation of ReflexologistsInternational Guild of ProfessionalPractitionersInternational Institute of ReflexologyProfessional Association of ClinicalTherapistsReflexologists’ SocietyReflexology Practitioners AssociationScottish Institute of Reflexology

45

21 ReikiReiki is a method of healing that originatedwith Mikao Usui in Japan in the early part ofthe 20th century. The word reiki meansuniversal life energy in Japanese.

A reiki practitioner uses this energy toencourage the body to heal itself. Reiki isnot part of a specific belief system andanyone can use it. There are differentlevels of reiki practitioners. Level one isfor people who have learnt reiki so thatthey can treat themselves, or use reikiinformally with their friends and family.Level two is practitioner level: peoplestudy to a higher level and are able to givereiki treatments to patients. The third levelis reiki master or teacher. This level issometimes split in two: masterpractitioner level and master teacherlevel.

What is reiki commonly usedfor?Reiki is used for a wide range of physical,mental and emotional conditions, includingthe relief of stress and tension.

What will happen when I seea reiki practitioner?Reiki takes place in a peaceful and relaxingenvironment. You will be asked to sit, or lieon a couch and the practitioner will takeyour medical history. Apart from your coatand shoes, it is not necessary to take offany clothes. The practitioner will thengently place his hands on or over yourbody. Treatments can last for up to 11/2

hours.You may feel a flow of energy, mild

tingling, warmth, coolness or nothing atall. The course of reiki treatment will varyin length according to your condition. Yourpractitioner should discuss yourtreatment plan with you and review it asnecessary.

PrecautionsIt is advisable to rest after a reiki treatmentand drink lots of water. You should tell

your practitioner if you are having anyother complementary or conventionalmedical treatments.

CostReiki treatment can cost from between £15and £60 upwards, depending on where youlive.

Finding a reiki practitioner At the moment, there is no single bodythat regulates the reiki profession. Thereare a number of professional associationsthat practitioners can choose to belong tobut a reiki practitioner is not required bylaw to belong to a professionalassociation nor to have completed aspecified course of training, althoughmany do belong to the organisationslisted below.

These organisations are workingtogether as the Reiki Regulatory WorkingGroup to develop common standards oftraining and practice and one register ofpractitioners who all meet a requiredstandard. When this happens, membersof the public will have a single point ofcontact for finding practitioners. However,this process takes time and at presentstandards of training can vary, which iswhy we suggest you ask the questions inChapter 6.

Reiki Regulatory Working Group Tel: 07939 533 084 Email: [email protected]: www.reikiregulation.org.uk

British Complementary MedicineAssociation Federation of Holistic Therapists Independent Professional TherapistsInternational Reiki Alliance


Reiki Association Reiki Healers & Teachers Society Tera-Mai Reiki & Seichem HealersAssociationUK Reiki AllianceUK Reiki Federation

22 ShiatsuShiatsu is a Japanese therapy, based on theprinciple that vital energy (known inJapanese as Ki) flows throughout the bodyin a series of channels called meridians.According to this principle, symptoms canbe caused when this energy stops flowingfreely. Shiatsu practitioners use thumb andpalm pressure, stretching and othertechniques to restore the balance ofenergy.

What is shiatsu commonlyused for?Shiatsu is used for a wide range ofconditions, from injuries to more generalsymptoms of poor health. Conditionstreated by shiatsu practitioners includeback pain; headaches and migraine;whiplash injuries and neck stiffness; jointpain and reduced mobility; menstrual anddigestive problems; asthmatic symptoms;sports injuries and depression. Shiatsumay also be used to help symptomsassociated with pregnancy and childbirth,although special care needs to be takenduring the first three months ofpregnancy.131

What will happen when I seea shiatsu practitioner?Treatment is usually given on a specialmattress, or futon, on the floor. Thepractitioner should advise you to wearloose, comfortable clothing, like track-suittrousers and a t-shirt. Before the treatmentthe practitioner will ask about your medicaland family history, your diet and lifestyle.This information will help the practitionerwork out the best way to treat you. After atreatment, some people find they haveincreased vitality and you may feelinvigorated yet relaxed.

PrecautionsShiatsu is not recommended for peoplewith osteoporosis or low blood plateletcounts. In the first three months ofpregnancy certain points should be avoided

47

by the practitioner, particularly if the womanhas a history of miscarriage.132 Olderpeople or people with disabilities may findit difficult to lie down on the floor, butshiatsu is adaptable and can be given in achair or wheelchair.

CostShiatsu treatments can cost from between£25 to £60 upwards, depending on whereyou live.

Finding a shiatsu practitionerAt the moment, there is no single body thatregulates the shiatsu profession. There area number of professional associations thatpractitioners can choose to belong to but ashiatsu practitioner is not required by law tobelong to a professional association nor tohave completed a specified course oftraining, although many do belong to theorganisations listed below.

These organisations are workingtogether as the General Shiatsu Council todevelop common standards of training andpractice and one register of practitionerswho all meet a required standard. Whenthis happens, members of the public willhave a single point of contact for findingpractitioners. However, this process takestime and at present standards of trainingcan vary, which is why we suggest you askthe questions in Chapter 6.

The General Shiatsu CouncilGlebe CottageHolywell RoadCastle BythamGranthamNG33 4SLTel: 01780 410072Email: [email protected]: www.generalshiatsucouncil.org

Accelerated Professional TrainingBritish Register of ComplementaryPractitionersCollege of Oriental MedicineIndependent Professional TherapistsInternationalInternational Guild of ProfessionalPractitioners International Shiatsu AssociationShiatsu InternationalShiatsu SocietySouth West College of Oriental MedicineZen School of Shiatsu


23 Yoga therapyYoga is an ancient tradition of mental andphysical exercises, which started in Indiaover 5,000 years ago and is now widelypractised in the UK. There are manydifferent styles of yoga. Some arephysically more demanding, some aregentler, some focus more on physicalpostures, while others focus more onbreathing and meditation.

Yoga therapy involves the use of yoga todeal with and prevent illness and tomaintain good health. It includes physicalexercises, breathing techniques andrelaxation.133

What is yoga therapycommonly used for?Yoga aims to strengthen the body and calmthe mind. People who practice it regularlysay that it helps them to feel well and stayfit and healthy, and that the benefitsincrease over time.134 Yoga is considered toreduce stress and encourage relaxation.135

Research suggests that yoga may behelpful for hypertension, asthma andreducing joint stiffness in osteoarthritis.136

There is also some evidence to suggestthat it may be useful in epilepsy (Sahajayoga),137 some kinds of irritable bowelsyndrome,138 for reducing cholesterollevels139 and for mild depression.140

There are yoga therapy classes for awide range of conditions including arthritis,asthma, back pain, cancer, diabetes,depression, digestive problems, fatigue,hypertension, heart disease, HIV & AIDS,ME, menstrual problems, multiplesclerosis, respiratory problems and stress.There are also classes for women beforeand after childbirth.

What will happen when I seea yoga therapy practitioner?When you begin yoga therapy for the firsttime, you should have an initialassessment. This would include givinginformation about your medical history andlifestyle and a 30-60 minute consultationwith a yoga therapy practitioner. After this

the practitioner will be able to recommenda course of action, which might be one-to-one sessions with a yoga therapypractitioner or special yoga therapy classes.

PrecautionsCheck with your practitioner before doingany yoga postures on your own at home.You should only practice yoga at home afteryou have learned the postures andtechniques properly, as you could injureyourself if you try a yoga postureincorrectly. Some yoga postures should notbe used by pregnant women.141

CostCosts are from about £50 per hour inLondon. Sessions usually cost less outsideLondon.

Finding a yoga therapypractitionerAt the moment, there is no single body thatregulates the yoga therapy profession.There are a number of professionalassociations that practitioners can chooseto belong to but a yoga therapy practitioneris not required by law to belong to aprofessional association nor to havecompleted a specified course of training,although many do belong to theorganisations listed below.

These organisations are workingtogether as the British Council for YogaTherapy to develop common standards oftraining and practice and one register ofpractitioners who all meet a requiredstandard. When this happens, members ofthe public will have a single point of contactfor finding practitioners. However, thisprocess takes time and at presentstandards of training can vary, which is whywe suggest you ask the questions inChapter 6.

49

British Council for Yoga TherapyEmail: [email protected] Website: www.yogatherapyforum.org.uk

BirthlightBritish Wheel of Yoga Friends of Yoga Society International Integrative Yoga Therapy Life Force Healing and Yoga Phoenix Rising Yoga TherapyReal YogaSatyananda YogaViniyoga BritainYoga Anubhava Yoga Biomedical Trust Yoga Clinical Interest Group forPhysiotherapists Yoga For Health Foundation Yoga Therapy and Training Centre


24 Sources offurtherinformation

Here are a selection of books, websites andorganisations, in addition to thosementioned earlier in this guide, that you canuse for further information. There is onlyroom here to list a few, but if you use themthey will lead you to others. There will befurther lists of useful sources ofinformation on the Foundation’s websitewww.fihealth.org.uk

Please remember the guidance inChapter 3 about reading health information,particularly on the internet.

At the time this guide was printed, mostof the books listed can be ordered frombookshops. If publications are not availablethrough those outlets, we give details ofhow you can get copies.

General Information

BooksBarnett, H. The Which? Guide toComplementary Therapies. Consumers’Association, 2002.

Glenville, Marilyn. The Natural HealthHandbook for Women. Piatkus Books, 2001.

Institute of Ideas. Alternative Medicine: shouldwe swallow it? Hodder & Stoughton, 2002.

Lewith, G. Understanding ComplementaryMedicine. Family Doctor Publications, 2002.

Peters, David and Woodham, Anne. TheComplete Guide: Integrated Medicine. DorlingKindersley, 2000. This book is now out ofprint but you might find copies in publiclibraries. A new edition is planned forsummer 2005.

Vickers, A & Zollman, C, ABC ofComplementary Therapies. BMJ Books, 2000.

WebsitesThe National electronic Library for Health(www.nelh.nhs.uk) is an NHS library forhealthcare professionals, patients and

carers in England. It currently includessome information about complementaryhealthcare treatments and plans to launch aspecialist complementary medicine libraryin the middle of 2005.

NHS Scotland runs the e-Library(www.elib.scot.nhs.uk), which has a list ofcomplementary medicine resources.

Omni, www.omni.ac.uk, has links to a widerange of information sources aboutcomplementary medicine and someindividual therapies. You can search thewebsite using keywords such ascomplementary medicine; complementarytherapies; complementary and alternativemedicine; acupuncture; herbal and so on.Resources listed are selected according toa set of standards and you can look atthese by going tohttp://biome.ac.uk/guidelines/eval/cam.htmlThere is also a leaflet on the website givinginternet sources of information for healthand medicine that you can download athttp://biome.ac.uk/about/publications.html#booklet

The British Medical Journal website has acollection of all articles relating tocomplementary medicine published in theBritish Medical Journal since 1998:http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/collections/

As well as information about patientsupport organisations, as mentioned inChapter 3, www.patient.co.uk lists somesources of information aboutcomplementary therapies, has patientinformation leaflets about a wide range ofmedical conditions, some of which includea little information about complementarytreatments, and sources of informationabout medicines.

Specific aspects ofcomplementary health

Life stagesDooley, Michael and Stacey, Sarah. YourChange, Your Choice: the integrated guide tolooking and feeling good through themenopause. Hodder and Stoughton, 2004.

51

Herzberg, Eileen Inge. Know yourComplementary Therapies. Age ConcernEngland, 2001. £9.99 + £1.25 p + p. Orderfrom the Age Concern England website atwww.ace.org.uk or by telephoning 0870 4422 120 or by writing to Age Concern Books,Unit 6, Industrial Estate, Brecon, Powys,LD3 8LA (cheques/postal orders madepayable to ‘Age Concern England’).

McIntyre, A. The Herbal for Mother and Child.Thorsons, 2003.

For people with cancerMacmillan Cancer Relief has some generalinformation about complementarytherapies on its websitewww.macmillan.org.uk and has links toother sources of information. Macmillanalso publishes a directory ofcomplementary therapy services for peoplewith cancer and you can find out what isavailable in your area by telephoning theMacmillan CancerLine on Freephone 0808808 2020 or by [email protected]

The Macmillan website has helpfulguidance on looking for information on theinternet.

Individual therapiesBook: Understanding the Bowen Techniqueby John Wilks. First Stone Publishing, 2004.

The British Chiropractic Associationprovides information about chiropractic to the public. Address: Blagrave House, 17 Blagrave Street, Reading, Berkshire RG11QB. Tel: 0118 950 5950 Email: [email protected]: www.chiropractic-uk.co.uk

Book: Understanding Craniosacral Therapy,by John Wilks. First Stone Publishing, 2004.

Book: The NHS Healer by Angie Buxton-King. Virgin Books, 2004.

HerbMed, accessible through its websitewww.herbmed.org is a free, searchableelectronic database, for use by the public,of links to research and other informationabout the use of herbs for healthcare. It isrun by the US based Alternative MedicineFoundation: www.amfoundation.org/

Herbal medicine information over thetelephone: Herbal Health Advice Line, runby the National Institute of MedicalHerbalists. Tel: 01392 426022

The Herb Society aims to increaseunderstanding and appreciation of herbsand their health benefits. There isinformation on the society’s website andbenefits for members include a quarterlynewsletter. The Herb Society, SulgraveManor, Sulgrave, Banbury OX17 2SD Tel:01295 768899Email: [email protected] Website: www.herbsociety.org.ukThe Homeopathic Trust. How to GetHomeopathic Treatment on the NHS.Booklet available from the BritishHomeopathic Association, HahnemannHouse, 29 Park Street West, Luton LU13BE. Tel: 0870 444 3950 Email: [email protected]: www.trusthomeopathy.org

The Homeopathy Action Trust promoteshomeopathy and provides information tothe public. Members receive a quarterlynewsletter. The Homeopathy Action Trust,PO Box 5497, Northampton NN6 0ZH Tel: 08702 407014 Website: www.homeopathyactiontrust.org

Legal informationAdvertising Standards Authority2 Torrington PlaceLondon WC1E 7HWTel: 020 7580 5555Fax: 020 7631 3051Email: [email protected]: www.asa.org.uk

Book: Stone, Julie and Matthews, Joan.Complementary Medicine and the Law.Oxford University Press, 1996.

Training as a complementarypractitionerWilliams, L. Choosing a Course inComplementary Healthcare. The Prince ofWales’s Foundation for Integrated Health,London, 2003. Available to download freefrom The Prince of Wales’s Foundation forIntegrated Health websitewww.fihealth.org.uk or order through abookshop or from the Foundation.

Further Information52

25 References1 Thomas K & Coleman P. Use of complementary or

alternative medicine in a general population inGreat Britain. Results from the National OmnibusSurvey. Journal of Public Health 2004; 26(2):152-157

2 Ernst E. Complementary medicine. PDS Informationsheet FS35. Parkinson’s Disease Society, 2003

3 Thomas K & Coleman P. Op cit, 20044 Thomas KJ et al. Use and expenditure on

complementary medicine in England: a populationbased survey. Complementary therapies in medicine2001; (9):2-11

5 Ong C-K & Banks B. Complementary and alternativemedicine: the consumer perspective. The Prince ofWales’s Foundation for Integrated Health, 2003

6 Barnes P, Powell-Griner E, McFann K, Nahin R.Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use AmongAdults: United States, 2002. CDC Advance DataReport #343. National Center for Health Statistics,2004

7 ZollmanC & Vickers A. ABC of complementarymedicine: users and practitioners ofcomplementary medicine. BMJ 1999; 319:836-838

8 Justins, Dr Douglas. Vice President, Royal Collegeof Anaesthetists, response to consultation onComplementary Healthcare: a guide for patients, 21April 2004

9 Vincent C & Furnham A. Complementary Medicine: aresearch perspective, p. 152. Wiley, 1997

10 Schmidt K, Ernst E. Assessing websites oncomplementary and alternative medicine forcancer. Annals of Oncology 2004; 15:733-742

11 Stone J & Matthews J. Complementary medicine andthe law. Oxford University Press, 1996

12 Thomas KJ, Coleman P & Nicholl JP. Trends inaccess to complementary and alternativemedicines via primary care in England: 1995 –2001. Results from a follow-up national survey.Family Practice 2003; 20: 575-577

13 The British Homeopathic Association. How to getHomeopathic Treatment on the NHS. Available todownload from www.trusthomeopathy.org

14 www.popan.org.uk 11/10/0415 World Federation of Chiropractic, 1999, taken from

General Chiropractic Council website www.gcc-uk.org November 2003

16 Thomas KJ, Coleman P & Nicholl JP. Op cit, 200317 General Chiropractic Council. What can I expect

when I see a chiropractor? 200318 Meade et al. Low back pain of mechanical origin:

randomised comparison of chiropractic andhospital outpatient treatment. BMJ, 2 June 1990;300: 1431-1437 and Meade et al. Randomisedcomparison of chiropractic and hospital outpatienttreatment for low back pain; results from extendedfollow up. BMJ, 5 August 1995; 311: 349-351

19 Royal College of General Practitioners. Clinicalguidelines for the management of acute low backpain. RCGP, 1996

20 General Chiropractic Council. What can I expectwhen I see a chiropractor? 2003

21 British Chiropractic Association, consultationresponse, April 2004

22 www.clinicalevidence.org/ceweb/conditions/msd/1103/1103_I2_harms.jsp 20/20/04

23 Dabbs V, Lauretti WJ. A risk assessment of cervicalmanipulation vs. NSAIDs for the treatment of neckpain. Journal of Manipulative Physiological Therapy.1996; 19(3):220-221

24 Zollman C & Vickers A. ABC of ComplementaryMedicine. BMJ Books, 2000.

25 General Osteopathic Council websitewww.osteopathy.org.uk October 2003

26 Rowlands B. Op cit, 1997, 204-20927 Vickers A & Zollman C. ABC of complementary

medicine: the manipulation therapies: osteopathyand chiropractic. BMJ 1999; 319:1176-1179

28 General Osteopathic Council,www.osteopathy.org.uk 26/05/04

29 Thomas KJ, Coleman P & Nicholl JP. Op cit, 200330 Thomas KJ, Coleman P & Nicholl JP. ibid31 Ernst E (ed). The Desktop Guide to Complementary

Medicine. Mosby, 200132 Williams NH, Wilkinson C, Russell I, Edwards RT,

Hibbs R, Linck P, Muntz R. Randomized osteopathicmanipulation study (ROMANS): pragmatic trial forspinal pain in primary care. Family Practice 2003;20(6): 662-9

33 Royal College of General Practitioners. Clinicalguidelines for the management of acute low backpain. RCGP, 1996

34 Vickers A & Zollman C. ABC of complementarymedicine: the manipulation therapies: osteopathyand chiropractic. BMJ 1999; 319:1176-1179

35 Rowlands B. 1997. Op cit, 1997 204-20936 Vickers A & Zollman C. Op cit, BMJ 1999; 319:1176-

117937 Rowlands B. Op cit, 1997, 204-20938 British Medical Association. Complementary

medicine: new approaches to good practice. BMA,1993

39 Ernst E (ed). Op cit, 200140 Vickers A & Zollman C. Op cit, BMJ 1999; 319:1176-

117941 www.clinicalevidence.org/ceweb/conditions/msd/

1103/1103_I2_harms.jsp 20/10/0442 Dabbs V, Lauretti WJ. A risk assessment of cervical

manipulation vs. NSAIDs for the treatment of neckpain. Journal of Manipulative Physiological Therapy.1996; 19(3):220-221

43 Acupuncture Regulatory Working Group. TheStatutory Regulation of the Acupuncture Profession.The Prince of Wales’s Foundation for IntegratedHealth, 2003

44 Acupuncture Association of CharteredPhysiotherapists. What is acupuncture?www.longbo.demon.co.uk

45 Acupuncture Regulatory Working Group. Op cit,2003

46 Thomas KJ, Coleman P & Nicholl JP. Op cit, 200347 British Medical Acupuncture Society, Dr Mike

Cummings, by email, November 2003 (adapted)48 Rowlands B. The Which? guide to complementary

medicine. Which? Books, 200249 Thomas KJ, MacPherson H, Thorpe L, Brazier J,

Fitter M, Campbell M, Roman M, Walters S, NichollJ. Longer term clinical and economic benefits ofoffering acupuncture to patients with chronic low backpain. Final report to NHS Health TechnologyAssessment Programme, 2004

50 British Medical Association (BMA) members' surveyon complementary medicine, 1999. BMA,Acupuncture: efficacy, safety and practice. HarwoodAcademic Publishers, 2000

51 Woodham A, Dr Peters D. Encyclopedia of NaturalHealing. Dorling Kindersley, 1997

52 Ernst E (ed). Op cit, 200153 British Acupuncture Council, Carol Horner,

November 200354 British Medical Association (BMA) members' survey

on complementary medicine, 1999. BMA,Acupuncture: efficacy, safety and practice. HarwoodAcademic Publishers, 2000

55 Vickers A & Zollman C . ABC of ComplementaryMedicine: acupuncture. BMJ 1999 319; 973-976

56 Woodham A & Dr Peters D. Encyclopaedia of NaturalHealing. Dorling Kindersley, 1997

57 Dr Foster. Good Complementary Therapist guide.Vermilion, 2002

58 Rowlands B. Op cit, 199759 British Medical Acupuncture Society, London

Teaching Clinic, www.medical-acupuncture.co.uk28/10/02

60 British Acupuncture Council, About Acupuncture,www.acupuncture.org.uk 28/10/02

61 British Acupuncture Council, Briefing Paper 7,Substance Abuse and Acupuncture: the evidence foreffectiveness, www.acupuncture.org.uk 28/10/02

62 Cardini F, Weixin H. Moxibustion for correction ofbreech presentation: a randomized controlled trial.JAMA 1998 Nov 11; 280(18):1580-4

63 MacPherson H, Fitter M. Factors that influenceoutcome: an evaluation of change withacupuncture. Acupuncture in Medicine 1998; 16(1):33-39

64 White A, Cummings M, Hopwood V, MacPhersonH. Informed Consent for Acupuncture – AnInformation Leaflet Developed by Consensus.Acupuncture in Medicine 2001; 19(2):123-129

65 White A, Cummings M, Hopwood V, MacPhersonH. Op cit, 2001.

66 Vincent C. The safety of acupuncture. BMJ 2001;323: 467-468

67 White A, Cummings M, Hopwood V, MacPhersonH. Op. cit, 2001.

68 Rowlands B. Op cit, 199769 Zollman C & Vickers A. ABC of Complementary

Medicine. BMJ Books, 200070 European Herbal Practitioners Association website

www.euroherb.com 31/10/0471 National Institute of Medical Herbalists website

www.nimh.org.uk 31/10/0472 European Herbal Practitioners Association website

www.euroherb.com 31/10/0473 Fisher, Dr P. Consultation response, 23/04/04

53

74 Birks J, Grimley Evans J. Ginkgo Biloba for cognitiveimpairment and dementia. The Cochrane Databaseof Systematic Reviews 2002, Issue 4

75 Ernst E (ed). Op cit, 200176 Ernst E (ed). Ibid77 Sheehan MP, Rustin MH, Atherton DJ, Buckley C,

Harris DW, Brostoff J, Ostlere L, Dawson A, HarrisDJ. Efficacy of traditional Chinese herbal therapy inadult atopic dermatitis. The Lancet 1992; July4;340:13-7 and Sheehan MP, Stevens H, Ostlere LS,Atherton DJ, Brostoff J, Rustin MH. Follow-up ofadult patients with atopic eczema treated withChinese herbal therapy for 1 year. Clin Exp Dermatol.1995; 20(2):136-40

78 Ernst E (ed). Op cit, 200179 Medical Toxicology Unit, Guy’s and St Thomas’

Hospital Trust, response to consultation 22/04/0480 McIntyre, A. The herbal for mother and child.

Thorsons, 200381 European Herbal Practitioners Association,

November 2003, by email82 Ernst, E (ed). Op cit, 200183 Barnett H. The Which? Guide to Complementary

Therapies. Consumers’ Association, 200284 Kohn, Dr M. Complementary therapies in cancer

care. Macmillan Cancer Relief, 200085 Ernst E (ed). Op cit, 200186 Burns A, Byrne J, Ballard C, Holmes C. Sensory

stimulation in dementia. BMJ 2002; 325:1312-1313 87 Ernst E (ed). Op cit, 200188 International Federation of Aromatherapists

website www.ifaroma.org November 200389 Rowlands B. Ibid 92-9390 Barnett H. Op cit, 200291 Ernst E (ed). Op cit, 200192 Aromatherapy Consortium, email communication,

27/10/0493 Rowlands B. Op cit, 9494 All information supplied by Cranial Forum

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(ed). The Complete Reference to Complementary andAlternative Medicine. Mosby, 2000

98 National Federation of Spiritual Healers websitewww.nfsh.org.uk, November 2003

99 Tavares M. National Guidelines for the Use ofComplementary Therapies in Supportive and PalliativeCare. The Prince of Wales's Foundation forIntegrated Health, 2003

100 Past, Present and Future Medicine. Society ofHomeopaths, 1998

101 Faculty of Homeopathy. Homeopathy: a guide forGPs. 2003

102 Zollman C & Vickers A. ABC of ComplementaryMedicine: homoeopathy. BMJ 1999; 319: 1115-1118

103 Ibid104 Bonnet J. Complementary Medicine: information pack

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105 Bonnet J. Ibid106 Williams L. Choosing a Course in Complementary

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107 Ernst E (ed). Op cit, 2001108 Tavares M. Op cit, 2003109 British Society of Medical and Dental Hypnosis

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systematic review. Journal of Pain SymptomManagement 1999; 17:65-69

115 National Collaborating Centre for ChronicConditions. Multiple sclerosis: national clinicalguideline for diagnosis and management in primaryand secondary care. Royal College of Physicians,2004 p.132

116 Zollman C & Vickers A. ABC of ComplementaryMedicine. BMJ Books, 2000, 32-33

117 Tavares M. Op cit, 2003, p.39118 Complementary therapies. Breast Cancer Care

factsheet, 2002.www.breastcancercare.org.uk/Publications/Factsheets/3692, 6/11/04

119 Naturopathic Healthcare, www.naturopathy.org.ukOctober 2003

120 www.bbc.co.uk/health/complementary/therapies_nutrition.shtml by Jacqueline Young, 28/07/04

121 An introduction to nutritional therapy. BritishAssociation for Nutritional Therapy, 2003

122 Nutritional Therapy Council PR & EducationCommittee response to consultation, 21/04/ 04

123 Marilyn Glenville, response to consultation124 Peters D, Chaitow L, Harris G, Morrison S.

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Further Information54

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the following for theirresponses during the consultation about thisbooklet:Amrit Ahluwalia, European Herbal PractitionersAssociationGordon Bagshaw, The Fellowship of HealersKen Baker, UK HealersDr. Maureen Baker, Royal College of GeneralPractitionersLina BakhsiPhilippa Barton-Hanson, The General ChiropracticCouncilEmerson BastosTracey Beaney, The Reflexology ForumDr. Tom BellRon BishopDr. Jenny BoyleAngela Bradbury, Guild of Naturopathic IridologistsWilliam Broom, The General HypnotherapyStandards CouncilF.H.G BrownGordon Brown, Department of HealthDavid ButcherDaniel Casley, Self Realisation Meditation HealingCentresHelen Caton-Hughes, Forton Bank Consulting LtdJanet Clarke, Hadrian Clinic, Newcastle GeneralHospitalDr. John Clements, Royal Pharmaceutical SocietyJonathan Coe, Prevention of Professional AbuseNetworkMartin CollinsDr. Mike CummingsGeorge Cunningham, General Council for MassageTherapistsMichael DooleyElaine ElliotJonathan Ellis, Help the AgedProf. Edzard Ernst, Peninsula Medical SchoolSimon FieldingDr. Peter Fisher, Royal London HomeopathicHospitalKathleen Glancy, Scottish ExecutiveMarilyn GlenvilleStephen GordonPatty Hemmingway, Alliance of RegisteredHomeopathsProf. Stephen Holgate, University of SouthamptonDr. Val Hopwood, Acupuncture Association ofChartered PhysiotherapistsCarol Horner Dr. Richard James, University of WestminsterAlison Jones, Healthy Living Project, HaltonDr. Douglas Justins, Royal College of AnaesthetistsCharles Kemp, International Self Realisation HealingAssociationTom Litten, General Shiatsu CouncilDr. Andrew LockieDr. Andrew Manasse, Cavendish Centre for CancerCare

Clare Maxwell-HudsonBridget McCall, Parkinson’s Disease SocietyDr. David McGavin, Anthroposophical HealthProfessions CouncilSue McGinty, Nutritional Therapy CouncilMichael McIntyre, European Herbal PractitionersAssociationHeather MoleRuth Morozzo, The Scottish Institute of ReflexologyDr. Vivienne Nathanson, British Medical AssociationGeorge Nieman, British Academy of WesternMedical AcupunctureGill Oliver, Macmillan Cancer ReliefJulie Parkes, International Institute of Reflexology(UK)Kate ParrinderJacqueline Partridge, UK Reiki AllianceSally Penrose, Faculty of Homeopathy and BritishHomeopathic AssociationPeter Platt, Northern Healers Forum Carole Preen, Aromatherapy ConsortiumDr. David Reilly, Glasgow Homeopathic HospitalPenelope Robinson, The Chartered Society ofPhysiotherapyLindsey Rostron, Breakthrough Breast CancerJoanne Rule, Cancer BACUPW.S. SharpsDebbie Shaw, Medical Toxicology Unit, Guy's & St.Thomas' NHS TrustDr. Sheila Shribman, Royal College of Paediatricsand Child HealthRebecca Sidwell, Department of HealthIan Smith, The International Federation ofProfessional AromatherapistsMari Stevenson, Reiki Regulatory Working GroupSusan Stirling, International Guild of ProfessionalPractitionersJulie Stone, Council for Healthcare RegulatoryExcellencePeter Swain, General Medical CouncilMarianne TavaresDr. Elizabeth Thompson, Bristol HomeopathicHospitalDr. Andrew TressiderSue Wakefield, British Chiropractic AssociationTom Walley, British Pharmacological SocietyMark Walport, The Wellcome TrustSue Ward, National Eczema SocietyJohn WilksRichard Woodfield, Medicines and Healthcareproducts Regulatory AgencySusan Wynn, Welsh AssemblyApologies to anyone whose name we mayinadvertently have omitted.

Particular thanks are due to all Foundation staff fortheir comments advice and help: Valerie Cadoret;Patricia Darnell; Diana Dunrossil; Ann Eardley; JoEede, Michael Fox; Dione Hills; Sally Hughes; NicholeHussey; Clare Isaac; Pamela Jack; Hazel Russo; AnnaThomson; Lorraine Williams; and to the members ofthe Foundation’s Delivery Advisory Group: Dr. MichaelDixon, Dr. Sian Griffiths, Ian Hayes, Mike O’Farrell,Peter Mackereth, Professor David Peters, Greg Sharp,Dr. Peter Smith, Kate Thomas, Dr. Roy Welford.

55

Complementary Healthcare: a guide for patients

With an increasing number of people usingcomplementary healthcare, the need for reliable andaccessible information for patients is crucial. This guideprovides patients with the information they need to makefully informed decisions about their healthcare. It takesreaders through the process of deciding on a suitabletherapy and details how to find a well qualified andregistered practitioner. The guide is a simple, conciseand easy to use reference source.

The Prince of Wales’s Foundation for Integrated Health iscommitted to the concept of integrated healthcare. Thisincludes encouraging conventional and complementarypractitioners to work together to integrate theirapproaches. One of the Foundation’s key objectives is theprovision of clear and reliable information to patients,practitioners and the public.

www.fihealth.org.uk

ISBN 0 9539453 8 3£5.99

Complementary Healthcare: A Guide for Patients - Chiro.org

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