Abstract
This essay describes leukemia as a cancer that affects the blood production in bone marrow and the role that stem cells place in the growth of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets (which are clotting agents). The essay then considers three approaches to treatment of acute leukemia, and explores alternative treatments at the micro-cellular level as the most promising method of curing leukemic cancer.

Tags:leukemia, alternative, treatments

Abstract
This paper discusses types of alternative treatments available and their effectiveness and outcomes, including treatment choices, quality of life, treatment side effects and cancer reduction.

From the Paper
"Cancer, a chronic disease caused by multiple factors, is the selected public health issue that will be evaluated with regard to alternative treatment options. The effectiveness of a program designed to assess the usefulness of alternative treatments for treatment of cancer and provide this information to patients will be evaluated for effectiveness regarding short, intermediate and long-term outcomes. Program Objectives and Methodology with a Data Collection Plan for evaluation of the program are presented. Data collection plan descriptions will include methodological research, design sample..."

Tags:evaluation plan, cancer, disease, treatments

Abstract
This paper explains that there is nothing inherent in many alternative medical therapies that specifically distinguishes them from the way contemporary drugs and surgery are employed because these are simply tools in the hands of a practitioner. The author makes a clear and compelling case for the establishment of a national clearinghouse for alternative health care system information for the general public and health care practitioners alike. The paper points out that regulatory constraints may keep important information about the potential benefits of alternative treatment modalities from consumers.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Background and Overview
Research Design
Seven Fields of Practice and Their Features
Mind Body Interventions
Definition
Underlying Theory/Philosophy
Major Features
Common Areas
Unique Features
Primary Applications
Evidence of Effects of Practice
Cost Effectiveness
Controversial Issues
Bioelectromagnetics Applications
Definition
Underlying Theory/Philosophy
Major Features
Practice Modalities (Specific Therapies)
Common Areas
Unique Features
Primary Applications
Evidence of Effects of Practice
Cost Effectiveness
Controversial Issues
Alternative Systems
Definition
Underlying Theory/Philosophy
Major Features
Practice Modalities (Specific Therapies)
Unique Features
Primary Applications
Evidence of Effects of Practice
Cost Effectiveness
Controversial Issues
Manual Healing Systems
Definition
Underlying Theory/Philosophy
Major Features
Practice Modalities (Specific Therapies)
Common Areas
Unique Features
Primary Applications
Evidence of Effects of Practice
Cost Effectiveness
Controversial Issues
Pharmacological & Biological Treatments
Definition
Underlying Theory/Philosophy
Major Features
Practice Modalities (Specific Therapies)
Common Areas
Unique Features
Primary Applications
Evidence of Effects of Practice
Cost Effectiveness
Controversial Issues
Herbal Medicine
Definition
Underlying Theory/Philosophy
Major Features
Practice Modalities (Specific Therapies)
Common Areas
Unique Features
Primary Applications
Evidence of Effects of Practice
Cost Effectiveness
Controversial Issues
Diet & Nutrition
Definition
Underlying Theory/Philosophy
Major Features
Practice Modalities (Specific Therapies)
Common Areas
Unique Features
Primary Applications
Evidence of Effects of Practice
Cost Effectiveness
Controversial Issues
Literature Review
Critique of Research
Data analysis, including statistical procedures used
Conclusions and Recommendations
Replicability

From the Paper
"The comparative efficacy of acupuncture and electroacupuncture can be measured using a sample of rats. Though unable to self-report pain, rats have still been shown to respond to acupuncture treatments versus control groups. This study was able to induce a hypoglycaemic effect in rats when applied to abdominal acupoints. However, this and other studies provide a basis for further research and should not influence the decision for treatment of human diabetes by acupuncture. However, this research does suggest that electroacupuncture is not a placebo effect, as rats do not respond to such effects."

Tags:nonthermal, ethnomedicine, herbal, ayurveda, homeopathic

Abstract
This paper examines how, by focusing on the disease process, the hypothesis of the thesis that acupuncture, herbal remedies and other parallel medicine approaches can promote the rapid healing of diabetes-related wounds, while supporting the overall health of the individual in the process. It analyzes how the studies reviewed show that these alternative treatment modalities can be invaluable tools in the treatment of these diabetes-related wounds.

Outline
Introduction
Etiology and Treatment of Diabetes: A Comparison of Western and Eastern Traditions
Thesis Statement
Review of Literature
Treatment of Diabetes and Neuropathy in Western Medicine
Treatment of Diabetes and Neuropathy Using Acupuncture
Treatment of Diabetes and Neuropathy Using Herbal Remedies
Treatment of Diabetes and Neuropathy Using Homeopathy
Treatment of Diabetes and Neuropathy Using Massage
Treatment of Diabetes and Neuropathy Using Naturopathy
Treatment of Chronic Ulcers Using Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
Assessing the Efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Acceptance of Traditional Chinese Medicine by Western Society
Discussion
Conclusion

From the Paper
"As medicine in the 20th century became more focused on expensive medicines and complicated machines, a trend arose throughout the world and particularly in the United States as people attempted to take control of their own health, largely through preventive medical practices, and to understand more about normal and diseased bodily function. To some extent the countermovement also expressed a distrust of the orthodox medical establishment. The efficacy of the parallel medicines is discussed in an article entitled "Enhancing the Accountability of Alternative Medicine," January 1998. The author indicates that alternative medicine " . . .carries both risks and benefits; it can relieve or increase pain, hasten or postpone death. Interest in complementary and alternative medicine among regulators and health professionals is higher than it has ever been" (Milbanks, 1999)."

Tags:aromatherapy, naturopathy, massage, chinese

Abstract
This paper explores the conventional, alternative and combined treatments for irritable bowel syndrome. This paper discusses the risks and benefits associated with each of the therapies, and with a combination of all three therapies.

From the Paper
"Irritable bowel syndrome is a common gastrointestinal disorder which affects up to 20 percent of the North American adult population. The condition is characterized by chronic symptoms of pain and changed bowel habits. Irritable bowel syndrome produces a serious impact on quality of life, and also creates an enormous drain on healthcare resources. The use of alternative medicine either alone or in combination with conventional medicine is effective in resolving these issues."

Tags:alternative, conventional, medicine

Abstract
The paper identifies the key issues related to alternative medicine therapies in today's society, whereby nurses are required to provide care and treatment that does not always emphasize the alleviation of pain and suffering. The paper explains how alternative therapies serve as an effective means of offering patients with new treatment regimens for alleviating symptoms and illness.

From the Paper
"In today's society, it is strongly evident that medical care is comprised of a wide variety of techniques and therapies that are designed to promote health and wellness. However, alternative therapies are also available, which encourage well being without many of the side effects of chemical and technological interventions. In the modern world, evidence suggests that many traditional therapies tend to cause more harm than good to patients and therefore it is strongly recommended that other alternatives must be considered in order to promote improved health and wellness. I believe that alternative therapies are the key to future success for many individuals as a means of eradicating illness and its symptoms; however, this is not the only choice for some patients, as traditional therapies are deemed more effective in treating some types of illnesses on a long-term basis."

Tags:alternative, therapies, nursing

Abstract
The paper explains that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) describes an array of healing modalities whose time for serious consideration and integration into the present healthcare system may have arrived. The paper states that homeopathy is the most controversial form of CAM and discusses the biases claiming that homeopathy treatment is an an implausible treatment, but affirms that homeopathy is an important topic for public health. This is due to the affordability, accessibility and efficacy of homeopathic remedies.

Outline:
The Perception of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Conventional Medicine
Homeopathy: Medicine of the past and the future
Implications for CAM in Public Health

From the Paper
"It is possible that unfounded accusations of quackery and the like are but a smokescreen that has been thrown up to blur certain facts about CAM's increased appeal. It is also possible that conventional health practitioners and the pharmaceutical industry are striving to monopolize treatment in the US. It is more likely however, that evidence-based research, which has become the pinnacle of standards for excellence in testing the efficacy and safety of treatment with drugs, is an improper testing method for CAM (Novella et al., 2007). CAM uses few, if any pharmaceutical treatments, and should be held to appropriate contextual standards for what CAM in general, and each therapy in particular, claims. Homeopathy, for example, displays effects that are vastly different than the action of drugs, and requires fundamentally different protocols from which to study and gather evidence."

Tags:complementary, alternative, medicine, public, health, homeopathy

Abstract
The paper relates that Wahner-Rosdler, Elkin, Vincent, Thompson, Oh, Loehrer, Mandrkar and Bauer (2005) state that what are considered complementary and alternative medicines today may become part of traditional medical practices tomorrow (p. 59). The paper explains that this is because as more and more complementary and alternative medicines are explored through research and their benefits to health uncovered, medical professionals are incorporating their use into treatment plans for patients (Wahner-Rosdler, Elkin, Vincent, Thompson, Oh, Loehrer, Mandrkar & Bauer, 2005, p. 59).

Tags:alternative, healing, methods

Abstract
The paper discusses how in an era when medical care is perceived as increasingly expensive and not always delivered in a way that satisfies the patient, other forms of medical care gain adherents. The paper also explains that another force directing some patients toward other forms of treatment would be intractable and untreatable diseases, and those who are desperate for some sort of relief are more likely to seek alternative therapies as their only course. The paper shows how medicine can be considered today to also involve complementary, alternative and integrative medicine.

From the Paper
"In an era when medical care is perceived as increasingly expensive and not always delivered in a way that satisfies the patient, other forms of medical care gain adherents. Another force directing some patients toward other forms of treatment would be intractable and untreatable diseases, and those who are desperate for some sort of relief are more likely to seek alternative therapies as their only course. In any case, medicine can be considered today to also involve complementary, alternative, and integrative medicine. Complementary and alternative medicine are often linked under the acronym CAM, defined as "a group of diverse medical and health care systems,...""

Tags:complementary, alternative, integrative

Abstract
The paper discusses the advantages of alternative medicine and asserts that for a fraction of the cost of drugs with debilitating side effects, individuals can use time-tested methods to heal themselves. The paper notes that alternative medicine focuses on preventative care that is less costly than treating chronic disease or providing acute care, and it can be used in conjunction with conventional medicine. The paper then turns to conventional medicine and argues that it takes a preventive perspective as well, stressing proper diet and nutrition, but in a more realistic fashion with more appreciable results. The paper asserts that conventional medicine is empirically tested and if alternative care does work, it is only because it is used as a supplement, not as a replacement to conventional medicine.

Outline:
Alternative Medicine: Pro
Conventional Medicine

From the Paper
"Alternative medicine is holistic--it treats the whole person and stresses preventative care. Proper diet, exercise, and leading a balanced and relaxed life are important to prevent diseases that result in a loss of social and economic productivity as well as a loss of quality of life. Ayurvedic medicine, macrobiotic diets, and raw foods are all examples of using alternative means to promote health. Alternative medicinal practitioners stress: "the body needs the support of some basic dietary and lifestyle good health habits, such as a full body detox and a proper understanding and application of nutrition" (Health benefits of acupuncture, 2009, all4naturalhealth) Conventional medicine merely treats the symptoms of an unhealthy lifestyle. Preventative care is also less costly than treating chronic disease or providing acute care.
"Alternative medicine can be used in conjunction with conventional medicine, while conventional medicine often strives to deny any use for alternative methods, despite the proven health benefits of once 'quirky' methods as acupuncture, a vegetarian diet, and yoga. In this form, alternative medicine is usually called complementary or integrative medicine. Through stress reduction and reducing one's exposure to highly processed foods and toxins, the need for more extreme interventions through conventional means is likely to be reduced, a development welcomed by many medical doctors as well as alternative medicine practitioners (What is CAM, 2009, NCCAM)"

Tags:preventative, care, drugs, treatment