Alternative Therapies For Epilepsy

The beauty of this book is that it is evidence based, and written by three of the world's leading experts in epilepsy. In addition to being a valuable resource for any clinician working with people with epilepsy, the book is written in a way that also makes it accessible for the intelligent lay reader with an interest in this area. The information is organised in a user friendly way, with chapters on specific CAM approaches and common problems in epilepsy that complementary approaches can address. The chapters on countering the effects of antiepileptic drugs and enhancing cognition are particularly welcome given the prevalence of these complaints in the clinic. In the later chapters of the book, the authors present persuasive evidence that CAM treatment approaches shouldn't just be considered for the 30% of people with epilepsy whose seizures aren't controlled on anti-epileptic medications. In particular, the chapters on sleep management, stress and anxiety provide useful reviews and helpful practical considerations for maximising the wellbeing of ALL people with epilepsy. I would strongly recommend this book to any clinician who is interested in providing the best possible care for their patients with epilepsy.Dr Sallie BaxendaleConsultant NeuropsychologistDepartment of Clinical & Experimental Epilepsy, UCL. UK

I have been living with medication for 30 years and just accepted the downsides that come with it. Anyone considering an alternative approach can find many books from the alternative medical field but needs to be skeptical about too good to be true approaches. I applaud these authors in good standing in the medical community taking an objective look these alternative therapies. It is greatly empowering for anyone trying to lower their pharmaceutical rates or come off pharmaceuticals and looking for therapies to help them in this.I have used some of the therapies of this book over the last 6 months as I have lowered my medication considerably and hope to come off in the future. I have enjoyed a great improvement in my cognitive ability and quality of life in the process. None of these therapies were recommended by my neurologist but I was shocked that he did not push back when I told him what I was doing. The field of neurology needs to take a broader approach to controlling seizures with pharmaceuticals being one tool rather than the only tool. I hope neurology progresses to the point that therapies with no downsides such as neurotherapy are applied first rather than used only after all pharmaceuticals fail.I will comment that I preferred the format of the earlier book to the format of this one.

Reviews a large number of potential treatments for epilepsy, laying out the scientific and clinical evidence for each, without appearing to have a bias in favor of any particular approach.The topics include environmental factors, herbal treatments, acupuncture and bio feedback.

Informarive, but too often admits that studies are inconclusive. After reading this I feel we know way too little about epilepsy . Uses many terms whose meaning I have no idea of.

This book provides really useful information for people who suffer from epilepsy - exploring alternative therapies within a medical context.Although I haven't finished reading it completely, the authors appear to give an unbiassed view of alternative therapies that can be used as an adjunct to, or potentially instead of, medication. With their own medical credentials and extensive references, the book inspires a level of confidence in their findings. It is not confusing or difficult to read.I have already found it helpful in the discussion and acknowledgement of the side-effects from medication as well as looking at managing stress, sleep disorders, anxiety and other disorders.

Terrible and not helpful