Book excerpt: The practical guide to treating tics and Tourette syndrome using natural and alternative therapies, with a focus on environmental medicine and nutritional and dietary therapy Author Sheila Rogers DeMare discusses a range of categories of tics including spasmodic facial movements, eye blinking, mild sounds and vocalizations. She persuasively counters the medical establishment’s standard claim that such disorders are “mysterious” and based only in genetics. The dramatic spike in cases, she argues, belies this explanation. Natural Treatments for Tics and Tourette’s takes a closer look at the environmental factors and underlying physical imbalances that trigger these conditions’ symptoms, exploring the status of behavioral and counseling therapies, EEG biofeedback, homeopathy, bodywork, energy medicine, and Chinese medicine as approaches. In this second edition to Tics and Tourette's: Breakthrough Discoveries in Natural Treatments, DeMare offers a detailed natural treatment plan. No more will patients have to rely on traditional, drug-based treatments that often carry multiple side effects. In eight sections, the book offers advice from medical experts, the latest reports in medical research, a checklist of common tic triggers, inspirational stories from families who have successfully conquered tics and Tourette’s, and practical worksheets for readers to use in their treatment and research. Each of the 23 chapters includes a place for notes and “Takeaway Tips” summarizing key points.