Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is the current name for an ancient system of health care from China. TCM is based on a concept of balanced qi (pronounced "chee"), or vital energy, that is believed to flow throughout the body. Qi is proposed to regulate a person's spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical balance and to be influenced by the opposing forces of yin (negative energy) and yang (positive energy). Disease is proposed to result from the flow of qi being disrupted and yin and yang becoming imbalanced. Among the components of TCM are herbal and nutritional therapy, restorative physical exercises, meditation, acupuncture, and remedial massage.

Useful links:
History of Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Reiki ("RAY-kee") is a Japanese word representing Universal Life Energy. Reiki is based on the belief that when spiritual energy is channeled through a Reiki practitioner, the patient's spirit is healed, which in turn heals the physical body.

Useful links:
International Association of Reiki Professionals (IARP)

International Center for Reiki Training
Information about Reiki from the International Center for Reiki Training, Southfield, Michigan, USA.

Qi gong ("chee-GUNG") is a component of traditional Chinese medicine that combines movement, meditation, and regulation of breathing to enhance the flow of qi (an ancient term given to what is believed to be vital energy) in the body, improve blood circulation, and enhance immune function.

Useful links:
Qigong

Qi Gong Information

Osteopathic ("ahs-tee-oh-PATH-ic") medicine is a form of conventional medicine that, in part, emphasizes diseases arising in the musculoskeletal system. There is an underlying belief that all of the body's systems work together, and disturbances in one system may affect function elsewhere in the body. Some osteopathic physicians practice osteopathic manipulation, a full-body system of hands-on techniques to alleviate pain, restore function, and promote health and well-being.

Useful links:
Introduction to Osteopathy

Osteopathy as a holistic approach to practice of medicine

Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment

Naturopathic ("nay-chur-o-PATH-ic") medicine, or naturopathy, is a CAM alternative medical system. Naturopathic medicine proposes that there is a healing power in the body that establishes, maintains, and restores health. Practitioners work with the patient with a goal of supporting this power, through treatments such as nutrition and lifestyle counseling, dietary supplements, medicinal plants, exercise, homeopathy, and treatments from traditional Chinese medicine.

Useful links:
Botanical Dermatology Database (BoDD)
BoDD is an electronic re-incarnation of BOTANICAL DERMATOLOGY by John Mitchell & Arthur Rook, originally published in 1979 by Greengrass Ltd, Vancouver [ISBN 0-88978-]

Herbal Materia Medica
This extensive list of herbal materials and their uses is part of the comprehensive website hosted by HealthWorld Online.

Herbs in Pregnancy and Childbirth and Infant Care

HerbMed Database
HerbMed - an interactive, electronic herbal database - provides hyperlinked access to the scientific data underlying the use of herbs for health. It is an impartial, evidence-based information resource provided by the nonprofit Alternative Medicine Foundation.

Internet Directory for Botany
The Internet Directory of Botany is an index to botanical information available on the Internet.

A Modern Herbal
The hyper-text version of A Modern Herbal, first published in 1931, by Mrs. M. Grieve, contains Medicinal, Culinary, Cosmetic and Economic Properties, Cultivation and Folk-Lore of Herbs.

Native American Ethnobotany Database
This is a searchable database of foods, drugs, dyes and fibers of Native American Peoples, derived from plants. Available online for many years, the database was given a new look in Spring 2003 and new functionality by linking with the USDA Plants Database.

Southwestern School of Botanical Medicine

Massage ("muh-SAHJ") therapists manipulate muscle and connective tissue to enhance function of those tissues and promote relaxation and well-being.

Useful links:
American Massage Therapy Association

Massage Network

Homeopathic ("home-ee-oh-PATH-ic") medicine is a CAM alternative medical system. In homeopathic medicine, there is a belief that "like cures like," meaning that small, highly diluted quantities of medicinal substances are given to cure symptoms, when the same substances given at higher or more concentrated doses would actually cause those symptoms.

Useful links:
British Homeopathic Library
The British Homeopathic Library and information service is dedicated to the research and practice of homeopathy. Affiliated with Ad Hom, the Academic Departments of Homeopathy at Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital, BHL provides a database of literature references to homoeopathy, with key terms and some abstracts.

Reference Library and WWW resources on Homeopathy

Reference Library and WWW resources on Homeopathy: more articles

Top Homeopathic Remedies
These are the remedies which most frequently come at the top of the ABC Homeopathy Remedy Finder's calculations, shown in order of popularity.

Electromagnetic fields (EMFs, also called electric and magnetic fields), are invisible lines of force that surround all electrical devices. The Earth also produces EMFs; electric fields are produced when there is thunderstorm activity, and magnetic fields are believed to be produced by electric currents flowing at the Earth's core.

Useful links:
Medicinal EMFs: Harnessing electric and magnetic fields for healing and health

Electromagnetic Field Therapies: a Bibliography from Medline

Electromagnetic Field Therapies: other articles

Dietary supplements Congress defined the term "dietary supplement" in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994. A dietary supplement is a product (other than tobacco) taken by mouth that contains a "dietary ingredient" intended to supplement the diet. Dietary ingredients may include vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, and metabolites. Dietary supplements come in many forms, including extracts, concentrates, tablets, capsules, gel caps, liquids, and powders. They have special requirements for labeling. Under DSHEA, dietary supplements are considered foods, not drugs.

Useful links:
International Bibliographic Information on Dietary Supplements (IBIDS) Database
The International Bibliographic Information on Dietary Supplements (IBIDS) database provides access to bibliographic citations and abstracts from published, international, and scientific literature on dietary supplements.

Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets

Dietary Supplements and Herbal Information

Chiropractic ("kie-roh-PRAC-tic") is a CAM alternative medical system. It focuses on the relationship between bodily structure (primarily that of the spine) and function, and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health. Chiropractors use manipulative therapy as an integral treatment tool.

Useful links:
American Chiropractic Association
Website of the largest professional association in the world representing doctors of chiropractic care.

The Chiropractic Resource Organization
This organization has existed since 1995 as a non-profit Internet site developed by a group of volunteers dedicated to supplying useful information to chiropractors.

Ayurveda ("ah-yur-VAY-dah") is a CAM alternative medical system that has been practiced primarily in the Indian subcontinent for 5,000 years. Ayurveda includesdiet and herbal remedies and emphasizes the use of body, mind, and spirit in disease prevention and treatment.

Useful links:
Ayurvedic Institute
Website of the Ayurveda Institute (AI), established in 1984 to teach the traditional Ayurvedic medicine of India. AI is a leading Ayurvedic school and Ayurveda health spa outside of India.

Jiva Ayurveda
Founded in 1995, Jiva Ayurveda was the first to set up an online Ayurvedic clinic that offers a holistic treatment to patients.

National Ayurveda Medical Association
The National Ayurvedic Medical Association, a national organization representing the Ayurvedic profession in the U.S.A., strives to preserve, protect, improve and promote the philosophy, knowledge, science and practice of Ayurveda for the benefit of humanity.

Aromatherapy ("ah-roam-uh-THER-ah-py"): involves the use of essential oils (extracts or essences) from flowers, herbs, and trees to promote health and well-being.

Useful Links:
Guide to Aromatherapy
An introduction to aromatherapy resources prepared by Graham Sorenson, AZ, USA.

International Journal of Aromatherapy (available through Science Direct)

National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy

Acupuncture ("AK-yoo-pungk-cher") is a method of healing developed in China at least 2,000 years ago. Today, acupuncture describes a family of procedures involving stimulation of anatomical points on the body by a variety of techniques. American practices of acupuncture incorporate medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other countries. The acupuncture technique that has been most studied scientifically involves penetrating the skin with thin, solid, metallic needles that are manipulated by the hands or by electrical stimulation.

Useful links:
Acupuncture Internet Resources
Acupuncture and Acupressure Internet Resources compiled by the Holistic Medicine Resource Center.

American Academy of Medical Acupuncture

Click the link above to search PubMed Plus and access the latest Complementary Medicine articles through PennText.   To search for Complementary Medicine, select Limits and set the following:

Dates: Published in the Last: 1 year

Humans or Animals: Humans

Languages: English

Subsets: Topics: Complementary Medicine

Press Go to set the limits.  To further refine your search, add a search term, such as "Arthritis", in the top search box.

Homeopathic ("home-ee-oh-PATH-ic") medicine is a CAM alternative medical system. In homeopathic medicine, there is a belief that "like cures like," meaning that small, highly diluted quantities of medicinal substances are given to cure symptoms, when the same substances given at higher or more concentrated doses would actually cause those symptoms.

Useful links:
British Homeopathic Library
The British Homeopathic Library and information service is dedicated to the research and practice of homeopathy. Affiliated with Ad Hom, the Academic Departments of Homeopathy at Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital, BHL provides a database of literature references to homoeopathy, with key terms and some abstracts.

Reference Library and WWW resources on Homeopathy

Reference Library and WWW resources on Homeopathy: more articles

Top Homeopathic Remedies
These are the remedies which most frequently come at the top of the ABC Homeopathy Remedy Finder's calculations, shown in order of popularity.

Natural Healers offers a directory of Massage Therapy Schools, Chiropractic Schools, Acupuncture Schools, and Massage Therapy Schools.  It can be searched by location, specialty, program level, and program type.  It also offers career guides by specialty.

Bastyr University's journals page is an annotated list of journals relating to complementary and alternative medicine.  The list includes print and electronic journals. 

Click the link above to search PubMed with limits for the latest Complementary Medicine journals.  All articles are freely available in full text.  Further restrict your search by adding a search term in the top search box with AND (Example: "Arthritis" AND).

National College of Natural Medicine (NCNM), located in Portland, Oregon, is the oldest accredited naturopathic medical college in North America. NCNM offers graduate programs in naturopathic medicine and classical Chinese medicine that blend ancient healing wisdom with modern science.

Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences, located in Tempe, Arizona and founded in 1992, educates in the art and science of naturopathic medicine to prepare students to be conscientious and caring health care providers. The mission of the College is to prepare students to become naturopathic physicians educated and trained in the principles and practice of naturopathic medicine and to serve the public by providing quality education, research and natural medical care.

Bastyr University is located in Seattle Washington.  The university has been a leading institution in the natural health sciences for over thirty years. 

Medical News Today, based in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex in the United Kingdowm, provides the latest medical news headlines from the world of medicine and healthcare for both healthcare professionals and the general public.

This news feed provides links to the latest complementary medicine news and complementary medicine articles published daily from Medical News Today.  Medical News Today was launched in December 2003.  Articles ordered by date. 

DrWeil.com is a leading online resource for healthy living based on an integrative medicine philosophy, and helps readers stay abreast of news and information in the field. Andrew Weil M.D. serves as editorial director for the site, overseeing its direction and content.

Recent news about CAM can be tracked using a feed reader or aggregator to check RSS-enabled webpages and to display any updated articles found. The following RSS feeds can be set up on your reader/aggregator to provide recent news and information about complementary and alternative medicine.

Journal of Medicinal Food is the official journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition. International in scope, and bringing perspectives from Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and Latin America, this journal provides the latest scientific research on the bioactive substances of functional and medicinal foods, nutraceuticals, herbal substances, and other natural products, and their development for use in the marketplace.

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine is the official journal of the Society for Acupuncture Research, and includes observational and analytical reports on treatments outside the realm of allopathic medicine to assess their therapeutic value. It includes current concepts in clinical care, including case reports that will be valuable for health care professionals and scientists seeking to evaluate and integrate these therapies into patient care protocols and research strategies.

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (eCAM) is an international, peer-reviewed journal that seeks to understand the sources and to encourage rigorous basic and clinical research in complementary and alternative medicine. eCAM seeks to apply scientific rigor to the study of CAM modalities, particularly traditional Asian healing systems.

Alternative & Complementary Therapies provides the latest information on evaluating alternative therapies and integrating them into clinical practice. Topics include: integrative medicine; botanical medicine; vitamins and supplements; nutrition and diet; holistic medicine; mind-body medicine; acupuncture and Chinese medicine; ayurveda, traditional medicine, homeopathy and naturopathy,yoga and bodywork and massage therapies.

The Alternative Medicine Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, founded in March 1998 to provide responsible and reliable information about alternative medicine to the public and health professionals.

The AltVetMed Web Site, founded in January 1996, by Jan Agar Bergeron, VMD and Susan Gayle Wynn, DVM, provides information about complementary and alternative therapies in veterinary medicine (CAVM).

In a partnership between NCCAM and the National Library of Medicine (NLM), a subset of NLM’s PubMed has been created for CAM articles.

MedlinePlus provides authoritative and up to date health information to health professionals and consumers from the world's largest medical library, the National Library of Medicine, and extensive information from the National Institutes of Health and other trusted sources.

A compilation of top health stories distributed as a twice-monthly e-mail summary.

Insider News is a trade magazine providing timely news and information to executives in the dietary supplement, functional food and natural products industry.

This website provides information about the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), one of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NCCAM is dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science, training complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) researchers, and disseminating authoritative information to the public and professionals. This site provides links to NCCAM’s four primary areas of focus are: Research; Research training and career development; Outreach; and Integration.

ORCCAMIND is a center without walls committed to complementary & alternative medicine (CAM) research in neurological disorders. It was initially created in 1999 through funding from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health. Initial studies have examined treatment approaches using anti-oxidants, yoga, acupuncture and chiropractic manipulation.

Complementary Medicine information from NetWellness, a health information and education service created and evaluated by faculty partners from the University of Cincinnati, The Ohio State University, and Case Western Reserve University.

HealthWorld Online’s links to the Professional Association Network, a fully integrated network of web sites for over twenty professional associations focused on CAM and natural medicine.

The Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is a member of the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine (CAHCIM), a consortium of academic health centers involved in teaching, research, and clinical care focused on complementary medicine techniques.

The Alternative Medicine Homepage is a jumpstation for sources of information on unconventional, unorthodox, unproven, or alternative, complementary, innovative, integrative therapies. Information is maintained by Charles B. Wessel, M.L.S., Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh.

WholeHealthMD.com is the American WholeHealth Networks' award-winning Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) education website dedicated to providing the best in integrative health and wellness solutions.