Lupus: Alternative Therapies That Work

A comprehensive guide to noninvasive, nontoxic therapies for lupus--written by a lupus survivor.

• The only book to focus on alternative therapies for lupus.

• Includes therapeutic approaches drawn from the fields of naturopathic medicine, nutritional medicine, environmental medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, nontoxic dentistry, energy medicine, and psychological healing.

• Lupus affects more than four million Americans and does not respond well to conventional treatments.

More than four million Americans (90 percent of them women) have been diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, a chronic, debilitating disease of the autoimmune system that manifests itself with extreme fatigue, arthritic pain, rashes, and a host of other symptoms. Add to that the fact that lupus is notoriously difficult to diagnose, and the number of potential sufferers grows. Sharon Moore lived with lupus for several years before doctors finally put a name to it. The only therapies offered to her were pharmaceuticals--toxic drugs that could control or suppress some of her symptoms but couldn't cure her disease. Dissatisfied with this approach, she set about researching alternative treatments for her condition. Nine years later her health is greatly improved, and she has written this book to share the most effective natural healing techniques with other lupus sufferers.

Chock full of specific, scientific, well-documented evidence on effective alternative treatments, this book is a godsend for anyone suffering from lupus. Moore provides a comprehensive diagnostic checklist and helps readers identify the possible causes of their illness, from environmental toxins and dental amalgam fillings to compromised liver function and poor nutrition. She offers ways to nurture the mind and spirit when living with chronic disease and shows readers how they can rebuild their lives. Equally important, she writes with the understanding of someone who's been there. 

I picked up this book because I wanted to learn about lupus-specific health practices. I did not want to read a diatribe about unrefined sugar, or hormones in beef, or pesticides in produce. I already know these are bad things. I did not expect nor want to read a weak defense of homeopathy based on quantum mechanics.

There are annoying contradictions in the book, for instance, whether to include or omit soy in the diet:

page 141:
"Determine to find organically raised meat. If that is not possible, move to eating soy products for protein [...]"

page 55:
"Other foods lupus patients may need to avoid include peanuts, soybeans and lentils."

Although Ms. Moore has a negative attitude, perhaps rightfully so, about caffeine, her touting of gota kola and ginkgo biloba as replacement stimulants puzzles me. I find them just as jarring as caffeine. Many of the claims in this book seem to be in the realm of the purely subjective, or at best highly speculative.

In the recommended reading section, only 3 of 25 books are about lupus. This is a fair representation of the (low) percentage of this book that is likewise specific to lupus.

Lastly, the 4 glowing Amazon reviews prior to this one are all from people who live within a few miles of Ms. Moore. They are apparently heartfelt but perhaps not unbiased.

I truly wish the author well. But as someone recently diagnosed with a serious illness after a lengthy and frustrating diagnostic period, this is not the book I wanted or expected.

Readers wanting to read an anecdotal, non-scientific and perhaps "emotionally uplifting" (as one reviewer claims) story may find this book a good choice.

The first book in any lupus collection, though, should be Daniel Wallace's The Lupus Book.
June 04, 2002

Anyone, whether suffering from lupus or not, can benefit from the research she has done and that she so competently reports to her readers. While her purpose is to reach out to lupus patients, her research is so broad that any person interested in alternative approaches to the promotion of physical, mental, or emotional health can learn and benefit from this useful book.

Her approach is detailed and scientific, yet easily understood. In addition, it is an interesting story about a very interesting individual who has lived an extremely interesting life.

Above all, she makes clear her hope to reach out to others who suffer from lupus so that they can benefit from what she has learned and find themselves recovering from this debilitating disease.
January 08, 2001

The content of Moore's book, in addition to being emotionally uplifting, is also helpful in a more concrete way: She describes in readable prose an avenue each of us can take, can tailor to our individual needs and preferences, so that each of us can take control of our lives and our healing. In addition, we find ourselves educated along the way by a woman who is knowledgeable about the human body and its intricacies and who is able to communicate with us lay people about our health concerns.

I especially enjoyed the way Moore described her "journey," her method of systematically trying out non-mainstream therapies and evaluating their effectiveness, ultimately coming up with a menu of treatments that works for her. She offers tools each of us can employ so that we can decide what works for each of us as individuals.

Moore ties together her recommendations in her final chapter on how to begin and offers a succinct, detailed process in which to do just that. Instead of being left overwhelmed, I loved having a way to actually get started.
November 16, 2000