Methodologies for Effectively Assessing Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM): Research Tools and Techniques

Finding the right criteria to use when judging Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is essential if it is to stand up to criticism from those concerned about the importance of evidence-based medicine. This edited volume highlights how CAM requires different research tools and techniques from conventional medicine, and examines effective methodologies for accurately assessing CAM.

Addressing a problem which is often cited as the reason for a failure to appreciate the potential in CAM approaches to patient care, experts from a wide array of CAM modalities suggest the most effective research methodology for each particular therapy and illustrate how a lack of adherence to that methodology produces a less effective assessment. Disciplines covered include Traditional Chinese Medicine, homeopathy, herbal medicine, craniosacral therapy, qigong and yoga.

Providing direction in research and the best criteria to appropriately assess each discipline, this book highlights and responds to the issues underlying research in CAM. It will be of interest to anyone involved in CAM research, in addition to CAM practitioners and students, western medical practitioners looking to include CAM in their treatments, and anyone studying research design and methodology.

Mark Langweiler, BA DC DAAPM, is Senior Lecturer at the Welsh Institute of Chiropractic, University of South Wales. He was editor-in-chief for Medical Paradigms and is currently a project reviewer for the National Research Foundation of Korea. Mark has extensive practical knowledge of the application of a wide variety of CAMs in medical practice in the use of integrated care and CAM. He has practiced Tai Chi Chuan for 25 years and is currently developing research in this area. He is based in Cardiff, UK. Peter McCarthy, BSc PhD, is Professor at the Welsh Institute of Chiropractic, University of South Wales. A neurophysiologist by training and with over 20 years' experience as a chiropractic researcher and educator, he reviews for a number of CAM journals and is currently an editor for Chiropractic and Manual Therapies. He was previously the editor of the European Journal of Herbal Medicine, Clinical Chiropractic and European Journal of Chiropractic. Peter is also a herbalist, and has published research articles on yoga and acupuncture. He is based in Cardiff, UK.