THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE Tova Navarra, B.A., R.N. Foreword by Adam Perlman, M.D., M.P.H. Siegler Center for Integrative Medicine St. Barnabas Health Care System, Livingston, New Jersey The Encyclopedia of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Copyright © 2004by Tova Navarra All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact: Facts On File, Inc. 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Navarra, Tova The encyclopedia of complementary and alternative medicine / Tova Navarra; foreword by Adam Perlman. p.cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8160-4997-1 1. Alternative medicine—Encyclopedias. I. Title. R733. N38 2004 615.5'03—dc21 2003043415 Facts On File books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755. You can find Facts On File on the World Wide Web at http://www.factsonfile.com Text and cover design by Cathy Rincon Printed in the United States of America VB FOF 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on acid-free paper. For Frederic CONTENTS Foreword ix Preface xiii Acknowledgments xv Introduction xvii Entries A–Z 1 Appendixes 175 Bibliography 251 Index 255 FOREWORD At the age of 16 I began training in martial arts. their health and well-being. Although a number of What started as a hobby, a way to get in shape careers would have afforded me the opportunity to and increase my self-confidence, soon turned into a teach and promote health, I decided to become a passion. I unexpectedly found myself on a path. physician. For is not the essence of medicine to This path was one of self-exploration and develop- teach people to improve and maintain their ment. As I progressed in rank and understanding health? In fact, the Latin root for doctor, docere, and began to appreciate the benefits of improved means “to teach.” I can still remember the phone health, discipline, and self-esteem, as did so many call to my parents when I informed them that I was students before me, I developed a desire to teach deferring my law school entrance and planned to and pass on what I had been taught. After a num- start premed classes in summer school less than a ber of years of assisting, several fellow instructors week after graduation. and I opened up a martial arts school. I was in col- Over the next year and a half, I completed lege at the time and frequently finished classes and the premed requirements and was ultimately immediately raced down to the school to teach or accepted to Boston University School of Medicine. train. I found those days extremely challenging and During that time, I continued on my path of self- rewarding. exploration. I continued teaching martial arts and However, I soon discovered that my parents and began to question why conventional medicine did family did not fully appreciate my vision of my life not often utilize methods from other healing tra- as a martial arts instructor. Although they were ditions. I had seen multiple examples of problems, always supportive, they encouraged me to consider such as back pain, improved through the use of other avenues of employment. Given that my t’ai ch’i, or asthma through the use of various father was a lawyer and I was a history major, law breathing exercises. I had seen multiple students seemed a reasonable way to make a living while lose weight, improve their control of stress, and in continuing my career as a martial artist. After going general improve their quality of life. To me a mar- through the application process, I was fortunate tial arts instructor, nothing felt more meaningful enough to be accepted for admission. As I began to and rewarding. To me, this was the essence of contemplate graduation from college and the good medicine. prospect of the first year of law school, I began to As I began my formal medical training, I quickly question my decision. I simply did not feel passion- realized that teaching patients to improve or main- ate about becoming a lawyer. I began to reevaluate tain their health was a part of medicine that often what I did feel passionate about. What was it about got lost in trying to provide patients with the latest teaching martial arts that made me feel so fulfilled? advancements in order to diagnose, treat, or cure What I soon concluded was that I enjoyed disease. I also realized that others were less than teaching and I enjoyed helping people improve understanding of my desire to expand the usual ix