"Do alternative medical techniques - acupuncture, homeopathy, herb therapy, folk remedies, bio-feedback, aromatherapy - really work? Growing numbers of doctors have become open to alternative medicine, and much of what was once thought to be on the fringe of medical science is entering the mainstream. Here, respected physician Oscar Janiger and journalist Philip Goldberg present the astonishing results of interviews with 250 traditionally trained doctors about their surprising successes with a wide variety of unconventional treatments." "The doctors speak candidly of remarkable cures and dramatic recoveries, describe their alternative treatment methods in detail, and tell of their own personal transformations, which in many cases accompanied a radical departure from their medical training. They represent the "new" physician, whose activity is rooted in pragmatism with a remarkable openness to alternative methods." "The authors give these stories context by providing the history of alternative medicine and its emergence as a vital force in America's healthcare system. They offer fresh ideas about how doctors should be educated and what patients can do to obtain the best treatments available." "Unhappy with the high cost and impersonality of much of conventional medical practice, consumers are demanding more information about less high-tech, less expensive, and more personal procedures and treatment methods. Alternative medicine has caught the attention of the United States government, which in 1992 established the Office for the Study of Unconventional Medical Practices at the National Institutes of Health - the first national office set up for the scientific study of an array of alternative treatments." "A Different Kind of Healing offers new ideas for dealing with chronic ailments and acute disorders. With its panoramic picture of tomorrow's health care, it will help readers make intelligent, informed choices in the complex and costly world of today's medicine."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved