Taking it further
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Want to know more? Want to hear other opinions on Alternative Therapies? Make up your own mind by following our weblinks.
Sample example
Does hanging around snooker halls make you a better player? And what does this tell us about medical studies and epidemiology?
Gentle nudges
They're only tiny, but they can cause massive changes in our lives: find out how molecules affect us.
Kathy's journey took in a wide range of disciplines, from health care to psychology. If you'd like to know more about some of these fields of study, why not consider an Open University course? Here are a selected range which reflect some of the themes of Alternative Therapies:
Perspectives on complementary and alternative medicine
Offering an accessible but rigorous introduction to complementary and alternative approaches to health, this course aims to stimulate lively debates about this controversial and topical subject. You'll consider questions about CAM - including if it works, and how its effects can be verified - and develop a critical approach to interpreting the results of research into all forms of medicine.
Understanding health
What can we do as individuals to maintain our health, and how do the medical profession and politicians intervene to try to keep us, as a society, healthy?
Understanding health and social care
A broad practical introduction to health and social care, whether you're supporting, nursing or caring for others; receive services yourself; or simply have a general interest.
Working for health
If you have an interest in health issues this could be right for you. Areas studied include the influence of stress, housing and employment on health, the role of complementary medicine; the debate about the relative importance of individual lifestyles and wider public health concerns; and the implications of changes in the NHS.
Introducing health sciences: a case study approach
Seven case studies provide the focus for an exploration of the scientific and social aspects of disease and disability in a global context: water and health in an overcrowded world; pain; alcohol; screening for breast cancer; chronic lung disease; trauma and accidents; and visual impairment.
Understanding human nutrition
Get the background on your own and your family’s diet. Understanding human nutrition is also for you if you are involved in the nutrition and health of others, perhaps in a school, hospital or residential care. It teaches you about the food we eat and the reasons we eat it. It also offers advice on healthy eating.
Molecules, medicines and drugs: a chemical story
From ancient wisdom to herbal remedies, there have been important discoveries resulting in the development of medicines that are commonplace today. Modern research at the molecular level constantly adds to the range of drugs available to combat ill-health. This course tells the fascinating story of the development of a variety of drugs and explores chemical strategies to minimise the risk of infection and disease.
Human genetics and health issues
Our characters, including our appearance, depend on the functions of genes. Genes also contribute to behaviour and health, including susceptibility to certain diseases, such as heart disease. Students taking this course will investigate the patterns of inheritance of genes, including those associated with genetic diseases; the Human Genome Project, and why there are differences between individuals and between populations. Finally, it explores some of the issues surrounding research into genes, from biological, medical and ethical points of view.
Chance, risk and health
Discover the main ideas of modern statistics, and understand them in the context of important health issues. Chance, risk and health shows you how statistics can shed light on controversies like that surrounding the MMR vaccine, and the link between smoking and cancer.
Challenging obesity
New from the Open University, this course explores the issue of rising rates of obesity worldwide. The challenges are placed in their biological, psychological and sociological contexts, and a range of responses from governments and other bodies are considered.
Understanding cardiovascular diseases
Get an overview of the diseases of the heart and circulation, starting from the introduction to cardiovascular diseases and the anatomy and physiology of the cardiovascular system. You’ll study the risk factors and the patterns and methods of prevention of these diseases in a global context.
Diabetes care
Explore the differences and similarities of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes by focusing on the underlying biology of the condition. The course places the focus on the person with diabetes at the centre of the diabetes ‘team’, and how that person can make informed choices about their treatment and how they live.
Human biology
Human biology explained in a way that connects it directly with health and disease. Starting from the concept of a healthy body, students explore the mechanisms that enable it to maintain its integrity.
Biological psychology: exploring the brain
Take an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to the brain and to behavioural and psychological sciences. You'll focus on humans, and consider implications for human health of factors affecting behaviour and the nervous system.
Exploring psychology
How humans think, develop, and experience the world around us has been fascinating psychologists for over 100 years. Using a historical and biographical framework, this course introduces you to a wide range of psychological approaches, including biological, social, and cognitive psychologies.
Content last updated: 21/11/2007
