| Chapter
9 Complementary and alternative medicine on the internet Overview A recent House of Lords Select Committee report into complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) opened with the statement that 'the use of CAM is widespread and increasing across the developed world' http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld199900/ldselect/ldsct/ech/123/12301.htm. Figures for the UK certainly support this view. It has been estimated that up to 5 million UK citizens consulted a CAM practitioner in the past year and that, overall, 1 in 5 people have at some point used CAM. Furthermore, it has been reported that some 40% of GPs have referred their patients to CAM practitioners. Recognising that it would be virtually impossible to try to give an overview of the information sources as they pertain to all types of CAM therapies we have concentrated instead on the principal five disciplines - acupuncture, chiropractic, herbal medicine, homeopathy and osteopathy. For each of these we will highlight key sources, focusing on those Web sites that provide details of current research and give practical information, such as how to find a qualified practitioner. Key topics covered in this chapter Useful URL's discussed in this chapter |
| Web site | Description | Address |
| New York Online Access to Health | A comprehensive gateway site to some of the best CAM resources on the Internet. |
http://www.noah-health.org/english/alternative/alternative.html |
British Medical Acupuncture Society |
Use this resource to identify a local practitioner. |
http://www.medical-acupuncture.co.uk |
General Chiropractic Council |
Useful for background information about chiropractic and for identifying a local practitioner. |
http://www.gcc-uk.org |
| British Homeopathic Library | Provides an index to the published literature on homeopathy. | http://hominform.soutron.com |