BOOK REVIEW
by Stephen Clarke
Each of these books is part of a series of short handbooks dealing with self-treatment for people with an inclination towards natural therapies . They are all written by field leaders in CAM approaches to their subjects . They are published by Karuna Publishing , Yerinbool . www . karunapublishing . com . au . Each of these books would serve several valuable purposes : concise but thorough overviews for students - and perhaps practitioners- beginning to approach their subject matter , material in a suitable form for practitioners to share with patients , or guides for self-treatment .
Treat Your Child ’ s Ear Infections Yourself
Nyema Hermiston . 2021 . ISBN 978-0-6484144-3-8 .
Ear infections can occur at any age but are more frequent in children than in adults . Five out of six children will have at least one ear infection by their third birthday and ear infections are the most common reason parents bring their child to a doctor . If not addressed promptly and effectively they can cause hearing loss that inhibits language acquisition and learning . Although they are the childhood ailments for which antibiotics are most commonly prescribed , research shows that three quarters of ear infections resolve spontaneously within three days without antibiotic treatment . This book provides parents with drug-free treatments they can administer themselves , not only to help their children through those distressing days , but also possibly to prevent ear infections from occurring at all .
Part One begins with a general overview of ear infections , deals with six common triggers of ear infections and outlines practical lifestyle strategies for dealing with each of these triggers . Part Two outlines the symptomatic stages of ear infection . For each symptom practical interventions - measures that can be carried out by parents in the home – are described and , where appropriate , supplements and homeopathic remedies are given . Part Three discusses the uses and potential dangers of prescription medication in treating ear infection : the “ antibiotic treadmill ” is not the best practical solution to this widespread condition ( something increasingly acknowledged in mainstream medical practice ).
There are ten appendices dealing with tissue salts , nutrition , probiotics , allergy , gut function , immunity , otovents , food sensitivities , medicines and supplements , and homeopathics ; also a bibliography and five academic studies of the efficacy of homeopathics . An abundance of valuable information has been condensed in this book and it should be an excellent resource for practitioners to share with their patients .
Treat Your Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Yourself ( 2nd edition )
Jon Gamble . 2021 . ISBN 970-8-6484144-4-5 .
Chronic fatigue syndrome ( CFS ), also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis ( ME ), is a chronic and disabling illness which causes extreme fatigue that cannot be explained by any other medical condition . Annually it affects about 10,000 people in Australia . People experiencing CFS are likely to feel very tired , very often , without necessarily having been particularly active . They may also have other symptoms . There is no known medical cure for CFS . Treatment aims at providing relief from symptoms . Medications commonly prescribed are antidepressants , given to treat depression and improve sleep ; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( NSAIDs ), for pain relief ; and anxiolytics , to treat anxiety .
As the author of this book points out in the Introduction , CFS is complex . Symptoms can differ widely in range and severity from patient to patient . Part One is an overview , dealing with the difficulty often encountered in reaching a diagnosis , symptomatology , the part played by fibromyalgia , the psychosomatic element , testing for CFS , aetiology , and an overview of treatment .
Part Two delves in greater detail into twelve possible causes of CFS , and appropriate tests and treatments for each . But , as the author cautions , no single treatment can benefit every CFS sufferer . Because CFS is such an idiosyncratic condition treatment has to be carefully individualised , and a successful treatment plan is often the product of long time and trial . But this book is dense with tried and tested approaches based on extensive clinical experience . There are appendices on preparing probiotics , a valuable adjunct to treatment in many cases ; appropriate tests ; and photospectrometry to measure vitamin and mineral levels and the presence of toxicity . This book would be an extremely valuable resource for practitioners to share with clients in the course of their treatments .
236 | vol27 | no4 | JATMS