Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook [Paperback]

Some Christians have feared the growing interest in alternative medicine, thinking that the Bible condemns techniques such as biofeedback, meditation, herbal remedies and acupuncture. This comprehensive guide should put their minds at ease. Geared for Christians with little or no experience of alternative therapies, this book examines chiropractic care, hypnosis, T'ai Chi, yoga, visualization, homeopathy and aromatherapy, among other practices. O'Math£na, a professor of bioethics and chemistry, and Larimore, a physician who hosts a nationally syndicated television program, navigate a middle ground, approving of some therapies while advising caution on others. The Hallelujah Diet (a popular vegetarian Christian diet), for example, earns high marks for its emphasis on biblical nutrition, while marijuana is not recommended, despite beneficial results in treating some diseases. Yoga is fine as a complementary practice that "can improve general well-being," but it "is antithetical to biblical Christianity" when used "as a deeply religious practice with the goal of union with the divine." Throughout, the authors discuss affinities between alternative and traditional medicine, showing, for example, that prescription drugs are sometimes derived from herbal remedies (such as aspirin from willow bark). They caution readers to give more credence to therapies that have been clinically tested in randomly controlled trials. Always, they promote the theological idea that Christians' bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Many readers will appreciate straight talk on health that is informed by both medical science and the Bible. (June)Forecast: Larimore's name recognition as host of the cable TV show Ask the Family Doctor (America's Health Network) should boost sales for this manual, which taps into a growing market in Christian health books. Expect to see knockoffs from other Christian publishers.

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The Definitive Resource on Alternative Medicine for Christians Herbal remedies, supplements, and alternative therapies - Their specific uses - Which ones really work (and which ones don't) - What to watch out for Christian versus non-Christian approaches to holistic health Clinically proven treatments versus unproven or quack treatments Truths and fallacies about supernatural healing Ancient medical lore: the historical, cultural, and scientific facts And much, much more

In today's health-conscious culture, options for the care and healing of the body are proliferating like never before. But which ones can you trust? Some are effective, some are useless, some are harmful. Some involve forms of spirituality that the Bible expressly forbids. Others that are truly helpful have been avoided by some Christians who draw inaccurate conclusions about them.

Alternative Medicine is the first comprehensive guidebook to non-traditional medicine written from a distinctively Christian perspective. Here at last is the detailed and balanced coverage of alternative medicine that you've been looking for. Professor and researcher Dónal O'Mathúna, Ph.D., and national medical authority Walt Larimore, M.D., draw on their extensive knowledge of the Bible and their medical and pharmaceutical expertise to answer the questions about alternative medicine that you most want answered-and others you wouldn't have thought to ask.

This massively informative resource includes: Two alphabetical reference sections: - Alternative therapies - Herbal remedies Entries include an analysis of claims, results of actual studies, cautions, recommendations, and further resources. A handy cross-reference that links specific health problems with various alternative therapies and herbal remedies reviewed in this book. Five categories of alternative medicine defined and then applied to every therapy and remedy evaluated in this book.