The Complementary Therapist’s Guide to Red Flags and Referrals: A Vital Resource for Safe Practice

As a complementary medicine, massage, therapy, or manual therapy practitioner, it’s essential to recognize the ‘red flag’ symptoms that require immediate Western medical investigation or emergency treatment. Written by Clare Stephenson, MA(Cantab) BM BCh(Oxon) MSc(Public Health Medicine) LicAc(Licentiate in Acupuncture), this comprehensive guide provides a unique ready reference for practitioners and students alike.

Understanding Red Flags: A Critical Component of Safe Practice

‘Red flags’ are clinical signs that suggest a patient needs prompt investigation and treatment for a potentially dangerous situation. With the increasing collaboration between complementary therapists and conventionally trained doctors and nurses, it’s crucial for therapists to understand conventional medical diagnoses, symptoms, and treatments, and, critically, to recognize warning signs of serious disease.

This guide meets this need by providing an easily accessible reference to ‘red flag’ symptoms, designed specifically for therapists. The book offers guidance on how best to respond to symptoms and signs of disease that can be readily discerned through routine history taking and basic examination of the body.

A Practical Resource for Therapists

The guidance is presented in accessible language, providing clear advice on when to refer patients to conventional medicine practitioners and how to communicate effectively with doctors when making a referral. Clinical syndromes that merit rapid response are summarized for ease of reference, making this guide an indispensable resource for safe and effective practice.

About the Book

This paperback edition, published by Churchill Livingstone, contains 272 pages and is available in English. The ISBN-10 is 070204766X, and the ISBN-13 is 978-0702047664 and 9780702047664. The eText ISBN is 9780702054334.