A COMPENDIUM OF ESSAYS ON ALTERNATIVE THERAPY Edited by Arup Bhattacharya A Compendium of Essays on Alternative Therapy Edited by Arup Bhattacharya Published by InTech Janeza Trdine 9, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia Copyright © 2011 InTech All chapters are Open Access distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license, which allows users to download, copy and build upon published articles even for commercial purposes, as long as the author and publisher are properly credited, which ensures maximum dissemination and a wider impact of our publications. After this work has been published by InTech, authors have the right to republish it, in whole or part, in any publication of which they are the author, and to make other personal use of the work. Any republication, referencing or personal use of the work must explicitly identify the original source. As for readers, this license allows users to download, copy and build upon published chapters even for commercial purposes, as long as the author and publisher are properly credited, which ensures maximum dissemination and a wider impact of our publications. Notice Statements and opinions expressed in the chapters are these of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of the editors or publisher. No responsibility is accepted for the accuracy of information contained in the published chapters. The publisher assumes no responsibility for any damage or injury to persons or property arising out of the use of any materials, instructions, methods or ideas contained in the book. Publishing Process Manager Ivona Lovric Technical Editor Teodora Smiljanic Cover Designer InTech Design Team First published January, 2012 Printed in Croatia A free online edition of this book is available at www.intechopen.com Additional hard copies can be obtained from orders@intechweb.org A Compendium of Essays on Alternative Therapy, Edited by Arup Bhattacharya p. cm. ISBN 978-953-307-863-2 free online editions of InTech Books and Journals can be found at www.intechopen.com Contents Preface IX Part 1 Role of CAM 1 Chapter 1 Fostering the Art of Well-Being: An Alternative Medicine 3 Robin Philipp Chapter 2 The Role of CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine): The Different Perspectives of Patients, Oncology Professionals and CAM Practitioners 35 Patricia Fox, Michelle Butler and Barbara Coughlan Chapter 3 Alternative and Traditional Medicines Systems in Pakistan: History, Regulation, Trends, Usefulness, Challenges, Prospects and Limitations 67 Shahzad Hussain, Farnaz Malik, Nadeem Khalid, Muhammad Abdul Qayyum and Humayun Riaz Part 2 Homeopathy 87 Chapter 4 Towards a Better Understanding of Health and Disease 89 Arup Bhattacharya Chapter 5 Homeopathy: Treatment of Cancer with the Banerji Protocols 101 Prasanta Banerji and Pratip Banerji Part 3 Feldenkrais Method 123 Chapter 6 The Feldenkrais Method ® of Somatic Education 125 Patricia A. Buchanan VI Contents Part 4 Tai Chi 151 Chapter 7 The Use of Qigong and Tai Chi as Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Among Chronically Ill Patients in Hong Kong 153 Judy Yuen-man Siu Part 5 Herbalism 171 Chapter 8 Medical Herbalism and Frequency of Use 173 Behice Erci Chapter 9 Diabetic Nephropathy – Using Herbals in Diabetic Nephropathy Prevention and Treatment – The Role of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) and Onion (Allium cepa) in Diabetics’ Nephropathy 185 Arash Khaki and Fatemeh Fathiazad Chapter 10 Potential Genotoxic and Cytotoxic Effects of Plant Extracts 211 Tülay Askin Celik Chapter 11 Searching for Analogues of the Natural Compound, Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester, with Chemprotective Activity 229 José Roberto Macías-Pérez, Olga Beltrán-Ramírez and Saúl Villa-Treviño Chapter 12 Functional Analysis of Natural Polyphenols and Saponins as Alternative Medicines 247 Hiroshi Sakagami, Tatsuya Kushida, Toru Makino, Tsutomu Hatano, Yoshiaki Shirataki, Tomohiko Matsuta, Yukiko Matsuo and Yoshihiro Mimaki Preface A Compendium of Essays on Alternative Therapy is a web based resource, encompassing some of the modalities of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), such as homeopathy, herbalism, tai chi, cupping, and Feldenkrais method. While this e-resource deals with only a few of the popular CAM modalities, it is hoped that this will promote further insight, research, and exchange of ideas on the state of CAM modalities within the CAM community, CAM practitioners, conventional clinicians, and general scientists . The information presented will be of equal interest to researchers and practitioners of any modalities including that of conventional medicine. This e-resource is divided into different sections: • Role of CAM • Homeopathy • Feldenkrais Method • Qi jong and Tai Chi, and, • Herbalism The section on “Role of CAM” deals with the salient aspects of the influence of CAM in promoting well-being and health. Dr Robin Philipp, Consultant for Occupational and Public Health Physician, and Director of the Centre for Health in Employment and the Environment (CHEE), Bristol Royal Infirmary, England, discusses the critical elements for maintaining well-being in “Fostering the Art of Well-Being: An Alternative Medicine”. These elements that utilize the innate healing power in an individual is what a successful CAM practitioner is often able to harness in order to bring about a rebalance back to health in the client. Patricia Fox et al from UCD School of Nursing describes the different perspectives of women with breast cancer, oncology professionals, and CAM practitioners regarding the role of various CAM modalities in a cancer setting in the chapter “The Role of CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine): the Different Perspectives of Patients, Oncology Professionals, and CAM Practitioners”. Prof. Vaez Mahdavi Mohamad Reza et al. from Medical University of Shahed, Iran, provides insights into the effects of traditional cupping on the biochemical, hematological, and immunological factors of human venous blood in their review paper “Evaluation of the Effects of Traditional Cupping on the Biochemical, Hematological and Immunological Factors of Human Venous Blood”. Drs S. Husain and F. Malik from National Institute of Health, Pakistan, discuss the use of alternative and traditional systems of medicines in Pakistan in “Alternative and X Preface Traditional Medicines Systems in Pakistan: History, Regulation, Trends, Usefulness, Challenges, Prospects and Limitations”. Under the “Homeopathy” section, the second chapter outlines a new way of understanding disease and health in terms of basic units of life - “sensations”. Dr. Banerji, a homeopathy clinician from Kolkata, India, discusses in detail some of the homeopathy protocol for treating cancer in the chapter “Homeopathy: Treatment of Cancer with the Banerji Protocols”. The third and fourth generation homeopath father and son duo have been acknowledged by the National Cancer Institute in the U.S.A. under the Best Case Series Program for the efficacy of their treatment in treating certain cancer cases with complete remission. While their work strictly does not fall under the category of “classical” homeopathy, where medicines are individualized to the patient and not the disease, it has nonetheless generated a lot of interest in the scientific and medical community worldwide because these protocols allow reproducibility - a key element for clinical replication and scientific evaluation. The use of Feldenkrais Method, as discussed by Prof. Patricia A. Buchana of Des Moines University in “The Feldenkrais Method® of Somatic Education”, serves as an excellent introduction of this method for achieving a life time of creative fulfillment and satisfaction, leading to self-actualization. This is an integrative approach to learning and improving function among people of varying abilities across their lifespan to enhance an individual’s function in various aspects of life, such as performance at work, in sports, or in the performing arts. Under “Tai Chi”, Dr Judy Yuen-man Siu from David C. Lam Institute for East-West Studies of Hong Kong Baptist University describes the use of qigong and tai chi among chronically ill patients in Hong Kong and the underlying factors that has made these CAM modalities popular with empowered individuals to take responsibility of their well-being in a proactive way. The section on “Herbalism” consists of five chapters on different aspects of herbalism. In “Medical Herbalism and Frequency of Use”, Prof. Behice Erci, of Malatya Health School, İnönü University, Malatya, Turkey, looks at the prevalence and use of herbal preparations worldwide. Dr. Arash Khaki, from Tabriz Branch Islamic Azad University, Iran, discusses the use of various herbal remedies in diabetes for prevention and treatment of diabetic nephropathy. Dr. Tülay Askin Celik of Adnan Menderes University, Turkey, highlights the genotoxic potential in vitro of widely used medicinal plant extracts, hence advocating safety and caution regarding their indiscriminate use by the population. Drs. José Roberto Macías-Pérez and Saúl Villa- Treviño, from the department of Cell Biology, Cinvestav-IPN, Mexico, writes on the use of caffeic acid phenethyl ester analogues found in various natural and dietary supplements as a chemopreventive agent in their research paper “Searching for Analogues of the Natural Compound, Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester, with Chemoprotective Activity”. Finally, Dr Sakagami Hiroshi et al. from Japan summarize “Functional Analysis of Natural Polyphenols and Saponins as Alternative Medicines’ the Use of Natural Polyphenols and Terpenoids in Alternative Medicine”. [...]... that as this 4 A Compendium of Essays on Alternative Therapy definition “is absolute and therefore unachievable”, it is “no longer helpful and is even counterproductive” (Editorial, 201 1a) A new definition: “the ability to adapt and self manage in the face of social, physical, and emotional challenges” has been proposed (Huber et al, 2011) Nevertheless, both concepts imply a balanced relationship of. .. Alternative Therapy treatment practices which fall outside conventional medicine In fact such treatments are not new but rather, in most cases, revivals of ancient healing practices The international Cochrane Collaboration, which systematically reviews primary research into healthcare to ensure that treatment decisions can be based on reliable and up to date evidence, has defined CAM as: a broad domain... themselves to evaluation by the gold standard method used in conventional medicine for evaluating the efficacy of treatment interventions, the randomized controlled trial (RCT) (Hermann et al., 2006) The Cochrane Collaboration, which organizes the preparation, maintenance and dissemination of systematic reviews of the effects of healthcare interventions, has a Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) field... likelihood of experiencing these lifestyle health problems and of improved overall wellbeing can be influenced greatly by a heightened understanding of value systems in society 8 A Compendium of Essays on Alternative Therapy and an increased sense of personal responsibility and individual accountability, greater awareness of the importance of balancing personal freedom and collective responsibility, and by... what is going on around us in our world Our resonance with this imagery of a special place and a sense of purpose nourishes our sense of psychological health and emotional well-being As an example of this feeling, the ‘art of being’ can expressed as: Back Here What it is to be Back here in the sun Lying on my back; 22 A Compendium of Essays on Alternative Therapy Back to the land Touched by the grass... curative in many disease conditions where it is, at best, a palliative medicine Integrating some CAM modalities and its principles in main stream health care is likely to improve universal health care and overall well-being Dr Arup Bhattacharya PhD Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA XI Part 1 Role of CAM 1 Fostering the Art of Well-Being: An Alternative. .. http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2011/06/02/hidden-value- 24 A Compendium of Essays on Alternative Therapy of- nature-revealed/ ) New evidence gathered for this report indicates that people also benefit economically if their homes are in favourable environmental settings, with substantial amenity value attached to domestic gardens, local green spaces and rivers, proximity to National Parks or National Trust land,... by wider appreciation of the personal enjoyment that can be attained from having a greater sense of citizenship In addressing the need for a reappraisal of value systems, it has been reasoned that the needs for improved understanding of individual accountability and personal responsibility can be addressed by greater attention to the interdependence and importance of: • • • • • • the quality of our surrounding... having a sense of control and autonomy (Newton, 2007): ‘Well-being is a positive physical, social and mental state; it is not just the absence of pain, discomfort and incapacity It requires that basic needs are met, that individuals have a sense of purpose, that they feel able to achieve important personal goals and participate in society It is enhanced by conditions that include supportive personal... can be accessed by the general public as well as professionals There appears to be no evidence that CAM treatments do any harm (Manheimer et al., 2004) but it has been pointed out that the potential danger of such treatments, particularly when used in the private sector, is that a patient may not receive appropriate conventional treatment because the non-medically qualified CAM practitioner is unable . A COMPENDIUM OF ESSAYS ON ALTERNATIVE THERAPY Edited by Arup Bhattacharya A Compendium of Essays on Alternative Therapy Edited by Arup Bhattacharya Published. worth of balance and harmony in life and living. 2.1 Early ideas of balance and harmony with respect to health Early civilizations understood the importance to health of achieving a natural balance. Preface A Compendium of Essays on Alternative Therapy is a web based resource, encompassing some of the modalities of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), such as homeopathy, herbalism,