A Doctor's Guide to Alternative Medicine: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why

339 Pages·2014·9.502 MB·English

by  Mel Borins, Bernie Siegel (foreword)

B
HEAltH / AltErNAtivE MEDiCiNE o
r A Doctor’s
With so much misinformation about complementary i
n
s
awnhdi achlt eardnvaitciev eto m foeldloicwin aen, dh owwh adto aecst aunaylloyn we okrnkosw? A GuiDe to

D
o
AlternAtive
Dr. Mel Borins uses the latest scientific research and double-blind studies to c
t
show which alternative treatments are reliable and, more importantly, how
o
to safely use them to supplement conventional medicine treatments. Written
r
MeDicine
in clear, accessible language for the layperson, with citations to full studies
’
s
for the medical professional, this book covers traditional healing and herbal

G
remedies, physical therapies, psychological treatments, and natural health
u
products—making it perfect for alternative medicine skeptics looking for
i
hard evidence, for health professionals of conventional medicine seeking to D
e
understand why alternative therapies work, and for those open to alternative

t
medicine but who want to understand the benefits and dangers.
o

A
“Although conventional medicine is superb for most acute problems, most
l
chronic situations do far better with an alternative, holistic approach. t
e
Here at last Dr. Mel Borins presents an option to the Merck Manual,
r
with many great alternative, holistic suggestions for enhancing your health.”
n What Works,
—C. Norman Shealy, MD, PhD, president of Holos Energy Medicine Education and A
founder of the American Holistic Medical Association t
i What Doesn’t,
v
e
Mel Borins, MD, is a family physician who has been active for more than

M anD Why
two decades in training physicians in complementary and alternative
e
medicine. He is the author of two books and numerous articles and has
D
lectured worldwide on health and healing. He lives in Toronto, Canada.
i
c
Visit him at MelBorins.com.
i
n
e
Cover design by Diana Nuhn
Cover photographs licensed by Shutterstock.com
$19.95
Mel Borins, MD
Lyons Press
An imprint of Rowman & Littlefield
LyonsPress.com
Foreword by Bernie Siegel, MD
Distributed by NATIONAL BOOK NETWORK 800-462-6420 Lyons
Press
A Doctor’s Guide
to Alternative
Medicine
What Works, What Doesn’t, and Why
Mel Borins, MD, FCFP
Foreword by Dr. Bernie Siegel
With contributions by: Heather Boon, BScPhm, Phd;
Carol Chan, BScPhm, ACPR, RPh; Jennifer Fink, MD;
Scott Forman, MD; Jason Mackie, BSc; Linda Rapson, MD;
Cherry Tanega, BSc; Cheryl Tyler, BScPhm
DrsGDtoAltMedicine_3pp_CS6.indd 1 7/30/14 9:56 AM
Lyons Press is an imprint of Rowman & Littlefield

Distributed by NATIONAL BOOK NETWORK

Copyright © 2014 by Mel Borins

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and
recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be
expressly permitted in writing from the publisher.
Portions of this text were originally published by the author in a slightly different
form in Canadian Journal of Diagnosis, Patient Care magazine, Canadian Family
Physician, and Postgraduate Medicine, a JTE Multimedia publication.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Information available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available

ISBN 978-1-4930-0595-6 (paperback)

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper
for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
The case histories used in this book are mainly taken from my clinical
practice in Family Medicine. Names and details have been changed
to protect the confidentiality of my patients.
This book is not intended to diagnose or treat conditions and
should only be used under the supervision of your doctor. Each per-
son’s situation is unique and requires personal medical attention.
The author assumes no responsibility for the consequences of apply-
ing information in this book.
DrsGDtoAltMedicine_3pp_CS6.indd 2 7/30/14 9:56 AM
Contents
Foreword: The Importance of Integrative Medicine,
by Dr. Bernie Siegel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi
Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x
Section I: Traditional Healing and Herbal Remedies. . . . . . . . . . 1
Chapter 1: St. John’s Wort for Depression. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Chapter 2: Echinacea for Upper Respiratory Infections . . . . . . . .12
Chapter 3: Ginger for Nausea and Vomiting and Menstrual Pain . . .18
Chapter 4: Black Cohosh for Menopausal Symptoms. . . . . . . . . . 23
Chapter 5: Red Clover for Menopausal Symptoms . . . . . . . . . . .28
Chapter 6: Ginseng for Whole Body Health. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Chapter 7: Feverfew for Migraine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Chapter 8: Ginkgo Biloba for Dementia, Vascular
Disorders, and Stroke. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Chapter 9: Horse Chestnut Seed Extract for Veins . . . . . . . . . . .50
Chapter 10: Tea Tree Oil for Infections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Chapter 11: Herbal Treatment for Back Pain . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Chapter 12: Problems with Herbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Section II: Acupuncture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Chapter 13: Acupuncture for Osteoarthritis of the Knee. . . . . . . . 91
Chapter 14: Acupuncture for Nausea and Vomiting . . . . . . . . . .97
Chapter 15: Acupuncture for Tennis Elbow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Chapter 16: Acupuncture for Neck Pain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
DrsGDtoAltMedicine_3pp_CS6.indd 3 7/15/14 1:44 PM
Contents
Chapter 17: Acupuncture for Headache. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Section III: Physical Therapies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Chapter 18: Yoga for Back Pain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Chapter 19: Manipulation for Back Pain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Chapter 20: Manipulation for Asthma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Chapter 21: Massage Therapy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Chapter 22: Exercise for Depression. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Section IV: Psychological Therapies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Chapter 23: Eye Movement Desensitizing & Reprocessing
(EMDR) for PTSD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Chapter 24: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) . . . . . . 156
Chapter 25: Laughter Is the Jest Medicine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Section V: Homeopathic Medicine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Chapter 26: Homeopathic Oscillococcinum for Treatment of Flu. . 178
Section VI: Natural Health Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Chapter 27: Vitamin D—The Sunshine Supplement . . . . . . . . . 183
Chapter 28: Vitamins & Lutein for Age-Related Macular
Degeneration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Chapter 29: Vitamin E for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease . . . . 198
Chapter 30: Coenzyme Q10 for Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Chapter 31: Folic Acid for Depression. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Chapter 32: Omega-3 Fatty Acids. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Chapter 33: Glucosamine for Osteoarthritis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Chapter 34: Melatonin for Jet Lag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Chapter 35: Probiotics for Your Gut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
iv
DrsGDtoAltMedicine_3pp_CS6.indd 4 7/15/14 1:44 PM
Contents
Chapter 36: Zinc for the Common Cold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Chapter 37: L-Carnitine for Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Section VII: Migraines—Alternative Approaches. . . . . . . . . . . 255
Section VIII: Conclusion—Talk to Your Doc . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Endnotes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
v
DrsGDtoAltMedicine_3pp_CS6.indd 5 7/15/14 1:44 PM
ForeworD
The Importance of Integrative Medicine
Alternative Medicine is no longer really alternative. It is just that it has not
been integrated into classical medical information and training, and so it
is seen as alternative. We, as physicians, receive a great deal of information
during our training, but we need to be better educated about what would
open our minds and orient us to the patient’s experience and potential
to heal. All living things have the ability to overcome various afflictions.
It is built into us so we can survive, and when we open our minds we can
integrate all these therapies and natural gifts and use them to help us
overcome a variety of health problems, diseases, and bodily wounds. I have
experienced first-hand how acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy, and
herbal therapies can heal and cure when I have had to live with back pain
and chronic Lyme disease. What I experienced has made me a believer
and aware of the benefits of alternative and integrative medicine.
I feel that too often the body is treated as a house that we reside in. If
your house has a problem you call the appropriate therapist: the electri-
cian, plumber, roofer, or carpenter. They can repair the problem without
knowing about or paying any attention to the other systems. The human
body is not like that. It is an integrated system where psyche and soma
interact and affect one another, and so our therapies cannot be disassoci-
ated. They must be integrated so the entire patient’s life, body, and experi-
ence are included in the therapy.
This book speaks the truth from a well-grounded and holistic physi-
cian, Mel Borins. When the body and mind are seen as a unit and one’s
mind remains open to the various therapeutic modalities, then true health
care occurs. Rather than seeing it as alternative, let us see it as integrative
and accept as therapeutic whatever is beneficial to our health care.
We all need to keep an open mind—not close it based upon our
beliefs, and risk refusing to experience the potential benefits of alternative
vi
DrsGDtoAltMedicine_3pp_CS6.indd 6 7/15/14 1:44 PM
Foreword
therapies. When health care providers open their minds, medicine will
truly progress as a healing occupation and not one just focused on battling
a disease and empowering the enemy. We need to help our patients to
heal and find peace and not fight wars. One of my patients was told by an
oncologist that his treatment would kill his cancer. He responded, “I am a
conscientious objector. I don’t kill anything.” He walked out of the office
to pursue alternative therapies and lived for over twelve years.
What I have learned from my life is to live by my experience and not
let beliefs close my mind. My wife Bobbie was diagnosed with MS many
decades ago and this led me to become a member of the American Holis-
tic Medical Association. She is still with me, far exceeding any expectations
of her neurologist. At one of the American Holistic Medical Association
meetings a healer, Olga Worral, gave a lecture on hands-on energy heal-
ing. At the time I had a leg injury incurred while training for a marathon.
My wife suggested I ask Olga to help me. My reaction was that what she
had to say did not make sense and was hard for me to accept. So Bobbie
asked Olga to come over and help me. She placed her hands on my leg
and the heat from her hands was incredible. Five minutes later I stood up
and walked away, pain free and completely healed.
We also need to explore inner space and understand the body-mind
interactions and holistic, integrative, and alternative therapies. This can
open the way to offering patients lessons in survival behavior rather than
saying I cannot accept that, or to see a recovery as a case of self-induced
healing versus spontaneous remission. Patients, too, have much to teach
us, but so many doctors will say, “You are doing well. Keep doing what you
are doing,” rather than ask the patient to tell them what they are doing
that had been so effective.
In my reading I have come across many therapeutic modalities that
were never discussed in medical school and it made me angry. I don’t want
to have to discover on my own what benefits my patients. This is why Mel’s
excellent book is a resource I can appreciate.
It is very important to create a compassionate team for the patient
because patients of compassionate doctors recover faster. We need to lis-
ten to patients’ stories and learn from them to help us to explore new and
vii
DrsGDtoAltMedicine_3pp_CS6.indd 7 7/15/14 1:44 PM
Foreword
integrative modalities. Death will not be the enemy and disempower us.
Healing will become our goal and we will help patients to integrate all the
factors in their life into their treatment. Reading about integrative medi-
cine can open us to new potentials for our patients and make the process
easier for us all.
So read on and utilize Mel’s open-minded approach to medicine to
empower you to seek safe, alternative treatments that better serve your
health needs. All healing is scientific even when we can’t explain the
mechanisms. The human body is intelligent and we need to both create
and become a member of an open-minded healing team ready to accept
the science of integrative medicine. We need to explore and learn about
our inner space more than we do outer space. The solution lies within Dr.
Mel Borins’ experience and wisdom and what he shares in his well-written
book.
—Dr. Bernie Siegel
viii
DrsGDtoAltMedicine_3pp_CS6.indd 8 7/15/14 1:44 PM
ACKnowLeDGMents
Many people have been instrumental in the making of this book.
I would like to thank Heather Boon, Carol Chan, Jennifer Fink, Scott
Forman, Jason Mackie, Linda Rapson, Cherry Tanega, and Cheryl Tyler,
who each helped co-write a chapter of this book.
Craig Saunders, Jason Kalra, and Paul Lima made helpful corrections
to a few of the chapters. Marie Claire Boyle, Aileen Burford-Mason, Rick
Glazier, Deborah Kopansky-Giles, Laurie Obornick, Susan Schelberg,
Morris Sherman, Caroline Smoyer, Jerry Steinberg, Howie Vernon, and
Margaret Yanicki all read versions of the manuscript and made helpful
corrections and suggestions.
Thanks to my agent Katie Reed and my book consultant Andrea Hurst
for their assistance in getting this book published. Also a special apprecia-
tion to Brandon LaFave for his help along the way.
Mary Norris and Ellen Urban from Globe Pequot Press were wonder-
ful to work with and assisted me in so many ways.
Librarians Rita Shaughnessy and Barbara Iwasiuk aided in the litera-
ture searches and finding the articles upon which the book is written. I was
so fortunate to have them helping me.
A special thanks goes to Cindy Hurn who did an incredible job editing
this book and making it more accessible to the general reader.
In the interests of transparency I would like to disclose that over the
years I have received an honorarium from PharmaCare Canada, Ferring,
MFI Pharma, and Boiron to give talks to community physicians about natu-
ral health products.
Finally I would like to acknowledge my wife, Bonnie, who has been
an amazing supporter and cheerleader through this long project. She has
edited every version of every chapter from the very beginning. She is the
person whose opinion I cherish the most.
ix
DrsGDtoAltMedicine_3pp_CS6.indd 9 7/15/14 1:44 PM