title: Alternative approaches to epilepsy treatment.
abstract: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a diverse group of health care practices and products that fall outside the realm of traditional Western medical theory and practice and that are used to complement or replace conventional medical therapies. The use of CAM has increased over the past two decades, and surveys have shown that up to 44% of patients with epilepsy are using some form of CAM treatment. This article reviews the CAM modalities of meditation, yoga, relaxation techniques, biofeedback, nutritional and herbal supplements, dietary measures, chiropractic care, acupuncture, Reiki, and homeopathy and what is known about their potential efficacy in patients with epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Columbia Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Columbia University, Neurologic Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA. cam18@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Caitlin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McElroy-Cox
mesh_terms: D026881:Acupuncture; D000818:Animals; D001676:Biofeedback, Psychology; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D055423:Diet, Ketogenic; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000628:therapy*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006705:Homeopathy; D006801:Humans; D026441:Mind-Body Therapies; D008517:Phytotherapy; D012064:Relaxation Therapy; D019124:Therapeutic Touch; D015013:Yoga
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3