ALTERNATIVE
MEDICINE
|
If
you wish your website to be added to this list call 0870 199 3871
or email :
info@wessextouristboard.org.uk
Alternative
Medicine Resource Guide
home.rmci.net/michael |
|
| As the
blurb would have it, 'the alternative medicine centre for today's
needs.'
And for those seeking a change from the medical establishment's recipe
of drugs to treat the symptoms, there is a comprehensive menu of
holistic
therapies dealing with the root causes. Acupuncture, reflexology,
herbology
and hypnosis have all moved into the medical mainstream in recent
years,
but there are also links to New Age sites dealing with the less
quantifiable
benefits of astrology, Reiki, Kundalini and more. |
Herbal
Information Centre
www.kcweb.com/herb |
|
| Did
you know that taking Cat's Claw can boost the body's immune system and
so be a weapon against diseases of immuno-deficiency such as HIV. In
fact,
have you ever heard of Cat's Claw? This handy plant - a tropical vine
that
grows in the rainforests of South America and Asia for your information
- is one of dozens of alternative and natural remedies listed on the
Herbal
Information Centre site. |
International
Center for Humor and Health
www.humorandhealth.com |
|
| We love
the idea of this site. It exists with aim of spreading the healing art
of laughter. We all know we feel better when we laugh, but these guys
claim
that laughter is 'a strong curative that the world needs'. The centre
also
performs research on humour and its relation to health, education,
happiness
and social well-being. Sounds a bit serious in fact. |
United
Kingdom Alternative Health Centre
www.jeze.demon.co.uk |
|
| The
Alternative Health Centre aims to be the official Internet resource of
information, practitioners, businesses and events related to the
practice
of alternative health therapy in the United Kingdom. You'll find a
guide
for a specific remedies, treatment and/or practitioners in your area.
And
the site provides detailed information to help us lay persons cut
through
the mystique and make choices about the wide range of alternative
health
services and products. |
Natural
Land
www.naturalland.com |
|
| Where
alternative medicine meets dietary advice. The online US health
magazine
reflects the growing interest in the West in natural medicine and
herbal
remedies. Natural Land tends to deal with prevention as much as cure -
so it goes heavily on eating the right foods in the right balance to
prevent
yourself getting sick in the first place. Includes features on weight
loss,
healthy cooking, organic foods and personal fitness. |
Polarity
www.eclipse.co.uk/masterworks/Polarity/Polarity%20home.htm |
|
| Exploring
the art of polarity therapy - polarity is the art and science of
stimulating
and balancing the flow of life energy within the human being. Sounds a
bit new age - it is but it all makes perfect sense. The site has
visuals
of polarity therapy being practised and each demonstration is
accompanied
by a list of benefits - both physical and mental. The site has a
serenity
about it as benefits a mentally stimulating therapy and after you've
browsed
this site, you'll be looking up your nearest polarity therapist. |
SpiritWeb
www.spiritweb.org |
|
| Ignore
the home page on this site and skip straight to the yoga section.
Anything
and everything you wanted to know about the world of yoga is here. Find
out the differences between Bhaki Yoga (the yoga of love and
destruction)
and Hatha Yoga (concerned with physical and energetical purification
and
training). The site is designed for those with an academic interest in
the history and meaning behind yoga. You'll find ancient texts
extolling
the virtues of meditation and mental balance but for practical
demonstrations
you'll have to search elsewhere. |
Loretta
Elaine's Gems for Friends
www.gems4friends.com |
|
| No,
we're not talking Richard Burton and Liz Taylor-style rocks here, but
gems
exuding life and spirit-enhancing properties. 'Explore alternative
avenues
for inner growth. Take control of your own life,' demands spiritual
guru
Loretta Elaine. Aromatherapy, Feng Shui, use of flower essences,
gemstones,
herbs, massage and bodywork are among the avenues signposted. Each
section
has a host of links to recommended sites, prefaced by explanatory
editorial
on their benefits. |
|
DISEASE
ASSOCIA
-TIONS
|
|
FIRST
AID
|
Introduction
to First Aid
www.cs.tcd.ie/cnnnghmp/spinfin/firstaid |
|
| Very
good starting point for any of us who've forgotten all we learned in
our
school first aid classes. Admirably straightforward, this largely
text-based
site is a series of links to short tutorials. You move from What is
First
Aid?, through the essential components of the first aid kit. The
Accident
Scene is as basic as telling you how to call an ambulance (many people
panic and forget or assume someone else has done it). |
Technical
First Aid
www.intel-sec.demon.co.uk/tech/firstaid |
|
| Working
on the show-and-tell basis, in other words it's pretty hard to describe
to someone how to apply a sling without showing them, this site does
just
that with some useful pictures. Burns, broken arms, fainting and so
forth,
each section starts with precautions, leads on to actions, and then has
a series of photos confirming the action you should be taking. |
Weleda
www.weleda.co.uk |
|
| A little
bit different to the standard repertoire of cold compresses and head
between
the knees, the Weleda site is all about the practice of first aid using
homeopathic and anthroposophic medicines. In other words, herbal
remedies
that work with your body to rectify the problem. So you might use
Arnica
for sprains and bruises or Combudoron for minor burns or scalds. Or
just
pick a dock leaf to cure that nettle sting. |
NHS
Direct
www.nhs50.nhs.uk |
|
| NHS
Direct is the Government's attempt to push the nation's healthcare
online.
Still at the pilot stage, the aim is to have nurses staffing a 24-hour
helpline covering the whole of the UK in 2000. Cynics might suggest
it's
a DIY attempt at medicine, designed to save the Exchequer money, but
what
it does do is put you a keyboard tap away from expert medical advice. |
First
Aid Quiz
www.ambleside.schoolzone.co.uk/ambleweb/quizes/firstaid.htm |
|
| Bringing
a welcome bit of fun to a sometimes grim subject, this site is the work
of Year 6 pupils at Ambleside School. This is an excellent way to teach
children the basics of first aid, and it makes it a lot more involving
for adults too. A series of 10 multiple choice questions - Where do you
check for a pulse? If someone has a bad burn what do you do straight
away?,
- plus more quizzes if you get hooked. |
First
Aid Skill For Life
members.tripod.co.uk/rescue/Firstaid_index.html |
|
| The
home page warns that 'the information given on this site should not be
used as a substitute for a first aid course', but we'd be pushed to
find
a course quite as comprehensive as this one. Certainly our training in
the Scouts never covered frostbite or phobias. Select 'panic attacks'
say,
and you'll be given a brief description, a list of symptoms, a menu of
first aid treatments, and then links to other sites that will cover the
problem in more depth. |
Outer
Limits
www.ceedex.co.uk/outerlimits/health/faid.html |
|
| Okay,
most accidents do happen in the home, but you're more than likely to
pick
up the odd knock and scrape if you're white water rafting down the
Amazon
or taking part in the Sahara Ultrathon. This then is a site dedicated
to
adventure travellers, starting with the wise advice that if you are
going
to put yourself into the back of beyond, knowing the numbers 999 isn't
going to do you a lot of good and you should equip yourself with the
basics. |
St
John Ambulance
www.stjohnambulance.org.uk |
|
| Brought
to you by the people you see patching up the general public at fetes,
fairs
and football matches, the St John Ambulance site carries the stamp of
authority
and experience when it comes to first aid. The site starts with a run
through
of the aims of first aid training in the workplace and a look at the
legislation.
Suitably chastened by your lack of knowledge, you can then get details
of courses. |
|
| HEALTH
|
BBC Health
www.bbc.co.uk/health |
|
Of course, it
doesn't do any harm having the resources of programmes such as Horizon,
Maternity Hospital or the Human Body to draw on, let alone Holby City
and
Casualty. The Beeb's richest seam is, of course, its news and
documentary
programmes, and you'll find plenty of material from BBC TV news and
Radios
4 and 5. And it's the ideal complement to your BBC viewing and
listening,
with the opportunity to dig deeper into the programmes broadcast. Even
if you never switch on the telly or radio you'll find this a terrific
standalone
site, with fun features such as getting fit by doing the dusting, and
vital
news reports on breast cancer screening and the recent flu epidemic.
The
sort of site that gives the Web a good name. |
Health
Net
www.healthnet.org.uk/facts/factsht7.htm |
|
| We Brits
may be living longer, but the fact is that we're eating far too well
these
days, and that's one reason why heart disease is the single biggest
killer
of men and women in this country. The good news is that, for most of
us,
the remedy lies in our hands. This site targets kids as well as adults,
as many of the bad dietary habits stem right from childhood. |
HIV/AIDS
Links
www.brad.ac.uk/staff/ijhodgson/hivlinks.htm |
|
| Since
the huge public health campaigns of the 1980s, HIV and AIDS have
dropped
from the front pages somewhat. Needless to say, it's still one of our
greatest
public health risks, and still one of our biggest taboos. This
exhaustive
site catalogues national and international links (AIDS is of course an
enormous threat in many African countries), and also lists news sites,
medical pages and the home pages of people with AIDS and their carers. |
Alzheimer's
Disease Society
www.alzheimers.org.uk |
|
| As Britons
get healthier and receive better medical care, we live longer and
longer.
The irony of this ageing society is, of course, that we become more
prone
to the diseases of ageing, such as Alzheimer's. This web site offers
excellent
support for those dealing with the onset of the disease and, just as
crucial,
for their carers and partners. Resolutely unsolemn, the site even has a
memory quiz, looking at the practical aspects of how the brain works. |
What
is Sickle Cell?
mrcjamaica.nimr.mrc.ac.uk/whatis.htm |
|
| The
answer to that question is 'a common inherited abnormality of
haemoglobin
production'. The blood disorder almost exclusively affects
Afro-Caribbean
people and, tragically, is often a killer among children. This
informative
and cool-headed site talks worried parents through the facts about
Sickle
Cells, answers some frequently-asked questions, and looks at new
movements
in research. Also provides links to events and mutual help groups. |
Yahoo
Health
health.yahoo.com |
|
| Whatever
your condition, Yahoo's excellent health-specific search engine will
point
you in the direction of a multitude of expert doctors, self-help
groups,
discussion groups and useful literature. Typing in 'piles', for
instance,
called up the dedicated Yahoo page in seconds. Each page has a
definition,
alternative names, causes, prevention, symptoms, treatment and pictures
(we skipped the last one). Most important of all, it gives advice on
getting
the right care and getting it quickly. |
Parkinson's
Disease
new.parkinsons.org.uk/parkinsons.htm |
|
| This
disease of the central nervous system was first identified by Dr James
Parkinson in 1817, when he described a condition which he called the
'Shaking
Palsy'. In recent years, sufferers such as Terry Thomas and Muhammad
Ali
have brought the illness into the media spotlight. This site not only
has
links to just about every Parkinson's web site in existence, but
includes
invaluable information on dealing with the disease, including
technology
issues. |
Diseases
www.medinfo.cam.ac.uk/phgu/info_database/Diseases |
|
| If you
want to find out more about the genetic basis of diseases, this
Cambridge
University site makes fascinating reading. Alzheimer's Disease, Down's
Syndrome, Cystic Fibrosis and more are covered. Not just interesting to
find out why our genetic material sometimes rebels, but because this
raises
ethical issues about genetic testing and population screening. If you
ever
worry about the medical profession knowing too much, this is a crucial
site to visit. |
Emerging
Infectious Diseases
www.zen.co.uk/nchadd/infect.htm |
|
| Here's
a cheery little site to make you worry about the impending march of
superviruses
on the unsuspecting UK. If you thought Ebola virus and E-coli were
yesterday's
news, think again. The webmasters, based in Oldham, keep a keen eye out
for recent reports of new outbreaks, the rise of global epidemics and
the
emergence of completely new bugs, such as the delightful flesh-eating
virus
of a few years back. |
|
HEALTH
SUPPORT
|
Tripod
members.tripod.co.uk |
|
| Tripod
is a part of the Lycos search engine, and makes it its business to hunt
down, catalogue and collate UK members' discussion groups. Given that a
large part of searching the Internet is what you filter out, this is a
huge bonus for subjects like this. It means that type in 'support
groups'
and what you won't get are people trying to flog you huckster-type
remedies,
you won't get glorified adverts, and you won't get US sites you can't
use
anyway. |
Samaritans
www.samaritans.org |
|
| A few
years ago the Samaritans started providing an email contact service, in
particular to provide a communications channel with a high risk group,
young males. As the Internet audience has expanded, so has the
Samaritans
website, adding articles, history and fundraising details to the vital
contact information. Topical help articles, such as one on coping with
exam results, join statistics on suicide and reports on the cost of
living.
Stephen Fry, Imogen Stubbs and others provide a few words. |
CancerBACUP
www.cancerbacup.org.uk |
|
| Thankfully,
the days when cancer was the disease only spoken about in whispers,
euphemised
as the Big C, and where the prognosis was always bad are now mostly
over.
CancerBACUP aims to help people live with cancer by providing
information
and emotional support for patients, their families and health
professionals.
There are 1,500 pages here covering all types of cancer, and a
personalised
service allows you to gain information about your cancer and its
treatment. |
Health
Centre UK
www.healthcentre.org.uk |
|
| The
type of excellent resource that has long been common (in Internet
terms)
in the US and is, thankfully, becoming more established over here. The
Health Centre is, if not a definitive, then a quickly growing list of
UK-based
self-help and support groups, some maintained by the Health Centre
itself,
some merely links to third parties. Well organised, starting with a
'What's
on the Web' section, a list of health providers, online manuals,
discussion
groups and on and on. |
Patient
UK
www.patient.org.uk |
|
| This
UK site aims to help non-medical people find information about health
issues
primarily from UK sources. In other words, don't take the doctor's word
for it, find out for yourself. An astonishingly detailed index of UK
support
groups, from professional bodies down to those founded by people who've
been on the rough end of medical incompetence. Groups are broken down
into
Men's, Women's, Dental, Travel Health, and much more. |
Self
Help UK
www.self-help.org.uk |
|
| A free
service provided by a company called Acumen Solutions, specialists in
health
care applications on the Internet. What they've come up with is an
excellent
searchable database of over 1,000 self-help organisations and support
groups
across the UK, providing support, guidance and advice to patients,
carers
and their relatives. You can also quickly click to access the
discussion
forums hosted on the Health Index UK site. |
The
Site
www.thesite.org.uk |
|
| More
of a survivor's guide than a support group, but with solid advice on
day
to day challenges such as sex, drugs and money. The whole site has a
kind
of urban feel, but don't be fooled - this site can really help.
Reliable
answers to sexual health questions for both genders, whatever
sexuality.
Aids is tackled, so is abortion. Along with advice are the details of
groups
who can help. Not all is so grim - there is a sports section for those
who want to do more and the Money part tells you how to get more.
Advice
on loans is fine - the list of grant giving organisations is better.
Most
of all this site is your mate, with a little more streetwise knowledge
maybe. |
|
NUTRITION
|
Diet
and Nutrition Manual
www.bluestone.demon.co.uk |
|
| Enter
the library. This is the intellectuals guide to diet and weight loss.
The
site takes the form of a web book and is packed with useful and in
depth
info. It's entitled the diet and nutrition manual and is an excellent
reference
if you want to dig deeper than the food plans and exercise programs.
The
site is in two parts. The opening page gives you little tasters of the
main manual, and sections range from 'How your body works' to
'Reprogram
your taste buds' and thankfully 'treat yourself'. |
Health
Net UK
www.healthnet.org.uk |
|
| If you
click onto the web site of the Coronary Prevention Group looking for
clearly
labelled links to dry and scholarly articles about coronary issues,
then
you're in for a shock. Or a shockwave. Videos, sound, interactive games
- the Health Net site sometimes comes on like a hyperactive tot who's
swallowed
too many E numbers, but hey, they're trying to make healthcare fun and
pull in the teenagers too. We loved the cartoons. |
Alternative
Health News Online
www.altmedicine.com |
|
| The
prospect of receiving daily updates on the latest in alternative
remedies
and discoveries on what's harmful could be a blessing or a nightmare
depending
on your equilibrium. But leaving aside the terror of clicking online
one
morning to discover salad, exercise and meditation have been discovered
to be very bad for you, this site is slickly maintained and really
covers
the bases from ancient herbal remedies to the latest alternative
therapies. |
The
Nutrition Society
www.nutsoc.org.uk |
|
| The
Nutrition Society is 'concerned with the scientific study of nutrition
and its application to the maintenance of human and animal health', so
among the many dozens of links on the home page, you'll find the
Australasian
Pig Science Association as well as the more predictable British
Diatetic
Association and the Association for the Study of Obesity. Excellent
news
pages keep you in touch with the latest research from around the world. |
Institute
of Nutritional Science
www.superlife.co.uk/institute |
|
| This
New Zealand company aims to bridge the gap between cutting-edge
scientific
research and the punter in the street. Figuring that most learned works
in nutrition journals are unlikely to find their way into the hands of
the people who need them, it puts together everyday language reports on
the latest papers and research, so the public can benefit from the
latest
findings in nutrition. |
British
Nutrition Foundation
www.nutrition.org.uk |
|
| This
is a top education site. A great resource for teachers and anyone
wanting
to understand dieting and their diet, the site is clearly and simply
laid
out with pages on nutrition facts, nutrition news and food education.
This
site tells you what you should be eating at different stages in your
life
and why, from babies to pensioners. Info is available on subjects from
healthy teeth to food allergies and you can investigate carbohydrates,
fats, proteins and vitamins. The site even covers drink under the guise
of alcohol in the UK diet. Will that glass of wine or pint of lager
really
fit into your diet? |
King's
College London Library
www.kcl.ac.uk/kis/support/lib/netsubs/diet.html |
|
| Most
of us aren't going to get the chance to pop into King's College's
excellent
research library, but if you have a PC and Internet access then you're
in business. A host of links to web sites covering diet and dietetics,
and very useful pages on food safety, for instance. If you want to know
the facts about GM foods or food additives then this is where you
should
start. |
Nutrition
and Health
www.livjm.ac.uk/sports_science/nutrheal.htm |
|
| Quite
a technical set of pages based around the nutritional requirements of
athletes.
But this makes fascinating reading whether you're training for the
London
Marathon or just want to check what the food you eat is doing to your
body.
There are sections on the macronutrients such as calories, fat and
protein;
minerals and vitamins; non-nutrients like alcohol and caffeine; and on
self analysis and meal planning. |
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