Crohn's Disease - Complementary and Western Therapies
by Cathy Richards, Dante Morra MD

The manner in which this book has been written is a rare and prized find for anyone seeking balanced and objective information on using both conventional medicine and complementary therapies.

It's through Cathy's experiences in not responding well to treatment for her Crohn's and her attempt at trying just about every available and at times questionable complementary therapies that formed the basis of this book.

Divided into four parts, the opening chapters of part A introduce the reader to the book and how to use it. It points out that it is not intended to provide all the right answers, but rather is aimed at providing the right tools to help the reader evaluate the alternatives so that they can choose the treatment and therapy they feel is right for them. Information to help understand the scientific evaluation of evidence, the different types of studies, and how to evaluate complementary treatments is covered in this section of the book.

Part B provides a very comprehensive introduction to Crohn's disease and describes the clinical features and what happens. A full chapter details the theories and potential causes of Crohn's, including some of the more unusual links that have been reported over the years.

Part C, comprising of four chapters, delves into all the available and experimental therapies, including western treatment, management through lifestyle and diet, and a wealth of information on complementary products and supplements, and complementary management of Crohn's disease. Many varied and little known complementary therapies are covered, detailing the mechanism of action or how it works, evidence of efficacy, known complications and other useful information.

'Putting the Pieces Together' is an apt heading for part D and the final chapter of the book, which summarises with the use of easy to follow tables those treatments that offered the most effective options. Together with the overall top picks provided by the authors and advice on how to choose what is right for the individual, this section serves as an easy and quick reference.

Considering studies have revealed that a high proportion of people with inflammatory bowel disease have used complementary therapies at some point, this book is highly recommended as it supports both western and complementary therapies.

Published by East Meets West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada