Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/14740
Visit Dr. Weil’s website, www.drweil.com, to learn more about breathing exercises. efficacy. In the case of something like a breathing technique, the potential for harm is so low that I feel quite comfortable recommending it, in the absence of hard scientific evidence of its efficacy. I know it works, because I use it myself, and I use it widely on patients. It’s not going to hurt people. LK: I keep encountering a disbelief that simple things can actually work. AW: There is a prejudice. People wonder how it possibly could work, being that it doesn’t involve a drug, and it doesn’t involve a device. That, to me, is the big problem in this area. I think that the answer is education about the body’s remarkable capacity for self- maintenance and healing and about the value of knowing and using these low-tech solutions before going to complex, expensive ones. If low-tech methods don’t work, then sure, you go to stronger methods. Or if you’re dealing with an emergency, then you use more drastic methods. But for the vast majority of conditions out there, there are inexpensive, low-tech, simple methods that people ought to know about. LK: Do you see attitudes toward massage changing in the world of conventional medicine? AW: The United States lags behind many other countries where massage is considered a trusted effective medical intervention. But surveys show it is one of the most popular forms of alternative medicine in North America and is increasingly incorporated into the services offered by hospitals and medical clinics. As more people, including doctors, experience its benefits and appreciate the healing power of appropriate human touch, I am confident that massage therapy will soon be offered within most cancer centers and readily available to at least expectant mothers and hospitalized children. Of course, additional sound research will help drive the inclusion of massage in the conventional medicine armamentarium. LK: If there is an absence of hardcore scientific evidence proving that a given CAM treatment works, how can a person who is not that autumn/winter 2010 educated in CAM distinguish between what is medically sound and what is not? AW: This is the whole point of the integrative medicine that I teach. We have now graduated over 500 physicians from intensive training in the program in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. The training enables them to make those distinctions and teach their patients to do the same. Ideally, you find a trained health-care professional, preferably a physician or a nurse practitioner, who has this kind of training, who can advise you. Our website gives a directory of all our graduates. On a related note, if pharmacists were trained in the use of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other dietary supplements, they would be the best people to advise both patients and doctors about the uses of CAM and its interactions with pharmaceutical drugs. It’s really a matter of getting trained people out there. LK: What are three safe and relatively easy ways people can try out CAM at home? AW: Learn the basics of good nutrition and how diet affects health. The simplest rule is to try and get rid of refined products and manufactured foods. They may be what is causing all the trouble. It’s also a good idea to have a home medicine chest with simple remedies. There are about half a dozen herbal treatments that are very useful—like Valerian for sleep and peppermint for stomach upsets. Lastly, have some kind of relaxation technique to practice. My favorite is simple breathing methods, because they are so time-efficient. LK: Is there anything you would like to add about getting professional massage treatments? AW: Keep in mind that massage therapy typically provides short-term relief of symptoms and that the benefits of massage accrue over time. To experience the greatest benefit, try to schedule sessions at regular intervals and treat them as you would any important business appointment: non-cancellable. B S Loolwa Khazzoom (www.loolwa.com) is a health and wellness coach, journalist, and media strategist who developed a dance method to heal from chronic and debilitating pain. Her company, Dancing with Pain (www.dancingwithpain.com), offers a full line of natural pain relief products and services. Body Sense 13