CAMLAW: Complementary and Alternative Medicine Law Blog : Complementary, Alternative, & Integrative Medicine Law, Regulation, Ethics & Policy (Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Medical Spa Information, Holistic Health Attorney, and Legal Resources)

Holistic pet care using CAM is profiled:

In our westernized society, alternative forms of therapy and medicine are often viewed with suspicion and, occasionally, outright disbelief. Practices like acupuncture, acupressure or even homeopathy have many critics. Still, when it comes to resolving their pets’ ills, some pet owners are willing to take a chance on a nontraditional treatment....

Holistic medicine is generally defined as medical care of the whole pet — including environmental, social and personal factors — as opposed to the focus of treating just the disease. Integrative medicine embraces both conventional Western styles with holistic practices. Many people refer to nontraditional medicine as alternative or even complementary medicine.

These nonconventional approaches include therapies as diverse as acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic care and traditional Chinese veterinary medicine.

For some pet owners and even some veterinarians, thinking about alternative medicine for their pets has come about from personal experiences. Although practices such as herbal medicine and homeopathy might be recognized by the public, other therapies might sound a little more exotic.

UPMC hosts an integrative medicine fair:

A one-day holistic medicine workshop will be held April 10 at UPMC Shadyside.

The event will feature lectures on topics ranging from nutrition and supplements to pain management and hormone therapy. The program will run from noon to 3 p.m. It will kick off with a keynote address by Dr. Wayne B. Jonas, CEO of the Samueli Institute in Alexandria, Va.

The workshop, sponsored by the UPMC Shadyside Center for Integrative Medicine, is being held in memory of Dr. Amy Ruth Stine of Ohio Township. Stine, a holistic medicine physician, died in 2008 while rock climbing. For more information, call Jeannette Adams at 412-623-1203.

AAIM releases accreditation information:

 

March 22, 2010, Springfield, MO – The American Association of Integrative Medicine, the medical society for the 21st century, has announced a landmark accreditation program. An extension of the organization’s mission to promote standardization in order to advance the profession, this new program seeks to establish a high standard of quality in the integrative medicine industry through an organization's adherence to nationally established criteria, policies and standards. 

Integrative medicine has grown immensely over the last 20 years, resulting in thousands of organizations devoted to educating complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners and caring for patients. Faced with greater options, consumers are confused about who and where to turn to for quality care. In addition, high-quality educational providers and health-care institutions have found it increasingly difficult to make themselves stand out from the rest. 

Recognizing the confusion that exists today in integrative medicine, as well as the significant impact CAM can have on health care, with accreditation the American Association of Integrative Medicine (AAIM) is seeking to promote efficient and effective voluntary standardization in the field of integrative medicine in order to advance national standards, support sustainable development and benefit the health, safety and welfare of the general public. For integrative medicine training, certification programs and clinics, accreditation will provide a reliable indicator of quality, an external source of motivation through which to improve educational programs, show concern for consumer protection and demonstrate an organization's commitment to pursuing high standards. 

“This program has been under development for the last year by top experts in the field,” said Dr. Zhaoming Chen, chief spokesman and board chairman for AAIM. “We are excited to be bringing this to the CAM community and look forward to it elevating the industry as we know it.” 

To be eligible for AAIM accreditation, institutions must operate lawfully under state and federal regulations. AAIM is currently accepting applications for an accreditation pilot program. Interested organizations should visit www.aaimedicine.com for more information.

About the American Association for Integrative Medicine

Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, the American Association for Integrative Medicine (AAIM) educates and certifies practitioners in the integration of Eastern and Western medicine with the goal of improving clinical outcomes for patients. For more information, visit www.aaimedicine.com.

My colleague Kathi Kemper has published a book on integrative mental health:

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – A new book by a nationally renowned Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center pediatrician and director of the Center for Integrative Medicine offers natural, practical, common-sense and safe approaches for mental and emotional health.

Mental Health, Naturally: The Family Guide to Holistic Care for a Healthy Mind and Body (American Academy of Pediatrics) by Kathi J. Kemper, M.D., M.P.H., is a comprehensive guide for those who seek natural methods of treatment to attain optimal mental and physical health for themselves and their families.

Kemper, the Caryl J. Guth Chair for Holistic and Integrative Medicine and professor of pediatrics, public health sciences, and family and community medicine at Wake Forest Baptist, is considered a leading international authority on complementary therapies for children.

Using up-to-date research, examples and a practical approach for individuals and families, Mental Health, Naturally provides an overview of mental health conditions, outlines specific strategies for improving mental health, and offers detailed approaches for those suffering from conditions such as ADHD, anxiety, stress and substance abuse.

Kemper covers fundamental techniques to support mental health, such as maintaining proper nutrition, rest and exercise, while also detailing stress-management practices and methods such as meditation, acupuncture, homeopathy, massage and chiropractic and osteopathic therapies. A chapter on advocacy and a section with action plans and additional resources also are provided.

C. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D., author of the e-newsletter “Youthful Aging,” calls Mental Health, Naturally, “a best buy, 621 pages of non-prescription therapies for mental well-being! Here are practical, common-sense and safe approaches for mental, emotional and ultimately physical problems. Essential for every parent and grandparent.” In an online review this week, Publishers Weekly said, “For those investigating alternative medicine for mental health, this makes an informative and reliable resource.”

Kemper is also the author of The Holistic Pediatrician, considered an important resource for health care practitioners, medical educators and families.

Media Contacts: Mark Wright, mwright@wfubmc.edu, (336) 716-3382; Paula Faria, pfaria@wfubmc.edu, or Bonnie Davis, bdavis@wfubmc.edu, (336) 716-4587.

Editors: Download a photo of Kemper at http://www2.wfubmc.edu/pr/photos/Kemper,Kathi.jpg

Review copies: To request a copy to write a review of Mental Health, Naturally, contact Kathy Juhl at the American Academy of Pediatrics kjuhl@aap.org or (847) 434-7392.Supplies are limited.

Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center (www.wfubmc.edu) is an academic health system comprised of North Carolina Baptist Hospital, Brenner Children’s Hospital, Wake Forest University Physicians, and Wake Forest University Health Sciences, which operates the university’s School of Medicine and Piedmont Triad Research Park. The system, which includes Lexington Memorial Hospital, comprises 1,069 acute care and rehabilitation beds and has been ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report since 1993. Wake Forest Baptist also holds the Gold Seal of Approval™ from the Joint Commission, the nation’s esteemed standards-setting and accrediting body for health care quality. Wake Forest Baptist is ranked 32nd in the nation by America’s Top Doctors for the number of its doctors considered best by their peers. The institution ranks in the top third in funding by the National Institutes of Health and fourth in the Southeast in revenues from its licensed intellectual property.

Kombucha tea gets a review:

Dr. Andrew Weil, a doctor and leader in alternative health writes on his Web site: “I don’t recommend kombucha tea at all. I know of no scientific studies backing up the health claims made for it.” He goes on to warn of home brews contaminated with aspergillus, a toxin-producing fungus, and cautions pregnant women, the elderly, children and anyone with a compromised immune system against drinking it.

This most recent growth in popularity is actually the tea’s second act in the United States. In the early 1990s, before commercially bottled varieties were available, the drink became popular with health food enthusiasts and those with H.I.V. and AIDS who believed it would help compromised immune systems and increase T-cell counts. Several mail order companies shipped “mothers” across the country.

In 1995, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a report linking kombucha to the death of an Iowa woman and the illness of another woman. Both experienced severe metabolic acidosis, excessive acid buildup in the body that health officials thought may have been related to their daily use of kombucha. Though the federal center did not definitively cite the tea as the problem, the incident put a damper on kombucha consumption.

But kombucha has cycled back into vogue. The tipping point in the tea’s return came around 2003 or 2004, pushed by the low-carbohydrate craze that had those people on the Atkins diet looking for a healthy, fizzy drink to replace sugary soda and juice.

In 2003, orders for GT’s Kombucha surpassed the company’s production capabilities. The next year Whole Foods supermarkets began distributing the tea nationally.

These days in college towns and cities like Portland, Ore., around the country small-batch kombucha brewing has become something of a cottage industry.

The Bay Area has at least a half-dozen kombucha start-ups, selling their products at farmers’ markets, health food stores, yoga studios, on blogs and on Twitter. Flavors range from cayenne and mango to fennel and watermelon jalapeño. It’s not uncommon to overhear people talking about their devotion to the products, all of which prompted a San Francisco food blogger, Tamara Palmer, to say recently that kombucha was on its way to becoming “the new bacon.”

But the drink’s standing as the cure-all of the moment was not the attraction for some..

New trial software is promoted for integrative medicine:

Finding an affordable practice management software solution for natural medicine providers like naturopathic doctors, acupuncturists, chiropractors and massage therapists has always been very difficult. OfficePro is practice management software developed by a practicing Naturopathic Doctor for integrated medical clinics featuring powerful scheduling, accurate inventory management, patient information management and electronic documentation.

Glenwood Springs, CO (PRWEB) March 19, 2010 -- NaturaeSoft is now offering a 45 day free trial of OfficePro to get integrative medical providers enjoying a system built specifically for their needs. Tucker S. Meager, ND is the founder and co-owner of Naturaesoft and the lead developer of OfficePro. When asked about the free trial Dr. Meager had this to say:

"I designed OfficePro because I needed a practice management system that really addressed the needs of my integrated clinic and my needs specifically as a Naturopathic Doctor and there just wasn't one available out there. We have created OfficePro to allow providers and clinics to work efficiently and save time and money by eliminating or streamlining repetitive tasks. We are confident that when users get an opportunity to try our OfficePro practice management software, they are going to really enjoy not only all the features for effective scheduling and inventory, but how intuitive and easy it is to use. There are so many clinics and providers out there that have to use 3 or 4 different systems to schedule, track inventory, invoice and communicate with their customers. OfficePro has been designed to allow this to be done in one system. We are very excited about the success that this system can help support integrated clinics and integrative medical providers to achieve."

 

“I designed OfficePro because I needed a practice management system tat really addressed the needs of my integrated clinic ... and there just wasn't one available out there.”

In a field that has for so long needed to search for software solutions that never quite completely fit their needs, OfficePro is a welcome advancement in business tools. NaturaeSoft compliments their practice management software by offering an electronic charting system that integrates into OfficePro as well. This system is also allowed as part of the OfficePro free trial for anyone interested in electronic medical charting. To get an OfficePro free trial you can go to www.NaturaeSoft.com/Trial or call 970-947-9170.

Soldiers get blissed out at Fort Bliss:

FORT BLISS, Texas -The Army remains committed to providing the best Soldier care by staying on the forefront of new medical research and procedures. It has also expanded its spectrum of care to include integrative medicine or holistic healing.

More than six years ago, the first physical health and integrative medicine clinic in the Department of Defense opened at Fort Bliss. It offered chiropractic services and acupuncture, which is a procedure that is used to relieve pain by inserting filiform needles into different points of the body. Since then, programs that feature integrative medicine have spread across the Army and are utilized in combat environments to relieve the pain associated with minor sprains and help alleviate combat stress.

Integrative medicine differs from "traditional" medicine because it focuses on an improved quality of life rather than a distinct result; for example, the best patient outcome is not to be cured but to be empowered with tools to lessen pain or stress.

"Integrative medicine emphasizes the self," said Col. Richard Petri, Fort Bliss Physical Medicine and Integrative Health Services chief. "It emphasizes the patient, as a person, who has a condition that they need to be actively involved in for healing."

Petri knew from a young age that he wanted be a doctor, but his journey toward integrative medicine wasn't as clear a path. He began his medical career with a focus on orthopedic surgery but soon transitioned into physical medicine and rehabilitation. During that phase of his career, Petri said he really began to see the connection between the mind and the body, as well as the patient and their environment.

"I continued to treat patients and work with but with involvement from them and their family," said Petri. "I realized it was the path for me."

Under the guidance of Petri, the integrative medicine clinic at Fort Bliss transitioned into a center that houses several holistic disciplines in one location. Soldiers, family members, and retirees can now also benefit from a variety of services that include massage and meditation.
...
Petri's biggest goal is to open a three-pronged integrative medicine institution comparable to the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Washington, D.C., that explores research, education, and clinical practice, at Fort Bliss.

He would also like to see integrative medicine taught to combat medics and combat lifesavers for increased use in a deployed environment. The next step for the center is to incorporate a "group room" for family treatment and martial arts movements like tai chi that work on proper breathing and balance.

Although acupuncture is available on a walk-in basis, Soldiers must have a referral from their primary care doctor for all other treatments to ensure good health and proper diagnosis. Integrative medicine is an accent to but not a replacement for traditional medicine.

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