Jens Foell is a peripatetic GP who uses acupuncture within his practice when appropriate. Here, he explains how he turned to his needle kit to treat an elderley patient presenting with acute myofascial pain… Bian Que is a prominent figure in…
Should doctors recommend acupuncture for pain?
Mike Cummings, College of Medicine Lead for Acupuncture within Medicine and Medical Director of the British Medical Acupuncture Society, expresses his views on whether doctors should prescribe acupuncture… The evolution of this debate[1], should doctors recommend acupuncture for pain?, has…
Books that changed our lives: College of Medicine course attendees share their favourite inspirational reads
Unthinkable as it might seem now to congregate in large groups, the last few times the College of Medicine held its Foundation Courses on Integrated Medicine, we asked our attendees for some reading tips. And we gleaned almost a hundred…
Doctors and complementary therapists need to work together for better patient outcomes
GP Trainer Dr Toh Wong shares how his London conference has proved an important building block in helping complementary therapists and doctors work in a more cohesive way to improve patient care… The last three years has seen a torrent…
UK’s growing opiate crisis: How do GPs find a safer solution for people in pain?
An article in February this year in The Sunday Times highlighted the dramatic increase in the use of opioids, with addiction rates – including overdoses and deaths – surging in line with a huge rise in the number of painkillers…
Complementary Medicine Roundup – May 2019
It will not have escaped the notice of readers that when I refer to the “The College of Medicine” or to“the College” I should, to be correct, use the full title of “The College of Medicine and Integrated Health”. Even a…
Complementary Medicine Roundup – February 2019
A NEW HORIZON FOR CAM In his speech at the Federation of Holistic Therapies Conference 2018 on 29.11.18, Dr Michael Dixon, who is a practising GP (College Surgery, Culm Valley Integrated Centre For Health) and the Chairman of The College of…
Healthcare professionals should be lobbying against climate change: the population’s health depends on it
Dr James Szymankiewicz is a GP working in North Devon. He is currently Vice Chair of the GP Collaborative Board representing the 22 North Devon practices. He’s also the current Chair of Devon Local Nature Partnership which focuses on enhancing Devon’s natural environment. Here,…
Complementary Therapy Awards 2018 celebrates leading practitioners
The Complementary Therapy Awards rewarded practitioners at an event held in London on October 18th, 2018. The event was organised and developed by Chamberlain Dunn Events in association with platinum sponsor The Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT) and media partner…
Complementary Medicine Roundup – October 2018
Complementary Medicine Roundup October 2018 by Richard Eaton Should UK health and social care policymakers and managers do more to embrace Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)? Do UK legislators fully appreciate the social and clinical value of CAM? As the National Health Service (NHS)…
“There is still much shame surrounding ‘invisible pain’ conditions”: The Countess of Devon on how integrative medicine helps her to live better with fibromyalgia
The Countess of Devon, AJ Langer-Courtenay, first shot to fame on US television shows including My So-Called Life. After marrying her husband, Charles Courtenay, the 19th Earl of Devon, the Californian, 44, now resides in Powderham Castle, near Exeter. The…
Homeopathy: Theories of Mechanisms
SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MECHANISTIC THEORIES THAT UNDERLIE HOMEOPATHY: CONFERENCE AT THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF MEDICINE, LONDON (14.07.18) ‘…This conference was organised by integrative medicine consultant Lord Kenneth Ward-Atherton alongside the British Homeopathic Association. One of its overarching aims was…
Complementary medicine roundup June 2018
Complementary medicine roundup June 2018 by Richard Eaton The freedom to practise and to receive Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is under scrutiny as never before. Its contribution to healthcare is being questioned in the public (NHS) and charitable sectors…
The mouth reflects whole body health – but what does integrated care mean for dentists?
Professor Sonia Williams holds the Emeritus Chair in Oral Health Services Research at the University of Leeds and was awarded the MBE for her work in child and ethnic minorities dental health. Here, Professor Williams explores how integrated oral health…
Complementary medicine roundup March 2018.
COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE NEWSLETTER – MARCH 2018 In this issue, my principle focus is on cancer and the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). I also continue the theme of my December 2017 blog that CAM practitioners should be properly recognised by the public…
Complementary medicine roundup December 2017
This is a clarion-call for healthcare organisations and medical research establishments to promote and to condone the effectiveness, efficacy and cost-effectiveness of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) as a contributor to integrative medicine and healthcare, including within the National Health…
College of Medicine Foundation Course for Clinicians: What you told us about the event
In the beautiful setting of Dumfries House, East Ayrshire, the College of Medicine’s Foundation Course for Clinicians ran on November 16th and 17th 2017. The two-day course, which included workshops, discussions and interactive sessions, saw a myriad of different areas covered…
Nurses are vital to progressive, integrated healthcare – because they have the trust of patients
Nurses earn the confidence of their patients and are often best placed to advise them on alternative care, writes Professor Dame Donna Kinnair: Nurses and midwives are in a unique position to ensure that every patient is able to access holistic…
Complementary medicine roundup August 2017
The Charity Commission’s Consultation: The use and promotion of complementary and alternative medicine – Making decisions about charitable status, (13.03.17): The deadline for responses to the Charity Commission’s Consultation about the charitable status of CAM expired on 19th May (see…
Pictures from recent College events (summer and early autumn 2017)
Students from the College of Medicine at our social prescribing event Axie Finch, Bogdan Chiva Giurca and Sonya Elnaschie meet HRH, The Prince of Wales with CoM Chair, Dr Michael Dixon Pictures from our Plant conference Professor James Patrick Carley…
February complementary medicine roundup 2017
On the 20th November last year the editor of the Sunday Times newspaper published a letter under the headline Royal Commission can cure NHS. The letter was submitted by 65 medical professional signatories, including the oncologist Professor Karol Sikora who…
Scientific Advisory Council
The College of Medicine’s Scientific Advisory Council advises the College on good science that embraces both the biomedical and the psychosocial. The 20 Professors that sit on this group are all highly respected and influential scientists and researchers that have…
Our Foundation course: a review
Claire Gaskin is a clinical hynotherapist and an attendee of our first Foundation Course. Here she describes what she learned and the plans for collaboration that are now underway. (We are planning a second course in 2017: if you are…
November complementary medicine roundup 2016
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners treating patients with cancer will be relieved that The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has decided to retain ‘improving supportive and palliative care for adults with cancer’. A new NICE Guideline is…
‘Complementary medicine is a misleading umbrella term’ Join Prof. David Peters for the CoM Foundation Course
Complementary medicine is a misleading umbrella term for this cluster of unconnected theories and methods. Osteopathy, chiropractic, acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutritional therapy, hypnotherapy? Their most obvious shared feature is their being absent from the medical curriculum. Yet for the last twenty…
