Healing, Hype or Harm?

The scientists, academics and practitioners writing this book are not 'against' complementary or alternative medicine (CAM), but they are very much 'for' evidence-based medicine and single standards. They aim to counter-balance the many uncritical books on CAM and to stimulate intelligent, well-informed public debate.

Introduction: 1. What is CAM?, 2 Why is CAM so popular; General issues: 1 Evidence in healthcare - what it is, and how we get it, 2 Reclaiming compassion, 3 Teaching CAM at university level, 4 Healing but not curing: alternative medical therapies should be considered part of New Age spirituality, 5 Research on CAM: the importance and frailty of impartiality, 6 An amateur's view of the CAM scene, CAM in court; Specific issues: 1 Ethics and CAM, 2 Politics and CAM, 3 Integrated medicine?, 4 Homeopathy in context, 5 Chiropractic: Science, religion or political movement?, 6 Concepts of holism in orthodox and alternative medicine, 7 Vitalism is dead: long live vitalism, 8 Placebo, deceit and CAM, 9 CAM and the media, 10 Patient choice.