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February/March 2008:
Beyond Convention: Complementary, Alternative Therapies Are Fastest-growing Area
of Today's Health Care Field |
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| Chiropractic care is an example of manipulative
and body-based practices, one of several
categories of complementary and alternative
medicine. |
A major study published in the Journal of
the American Medical Association in 1997
showed that total visits to complementary
and alternative (CAM) medicine providers
numbered 629 million, exceeding the total
number of visits to all U.S. primary care
physicians in that year.
Subsequent studies over the past decade
show that CAM therapies continue to be
the fastest-growing area of health care
today.
The National Center for Complementary
and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), a
component of the National Institutes of
Health, provides the following information
about CAM therapies:
CAM is a group of diverse medical and
health care systems, practices and
products that are not presently considered
to be part of conventional medicine.
Conventional medicine is medicine as
practiced by holders of M.D. (medical
doctor) or D.O. (doctor of osteopathy)
degrees and by their allied health
professionals, such as physical therapists,
psychologists, and registered nurses.
Some health care providers practice both
CAM and conventional
medicine. While some
scientific evidence exists
regarding some CAM
therapies, for most there
are key questions that
are yet to be answered
through well-designed
scientific studies -
questions such as whether these therapies are safe and whether
they work for the diseases or medical
conditions for which they are used.
The list of what is considered to be
CAM changes continually, as those
therapies that are proven to be safe
and effective become adopted into
conventional health care and as new
approaches to health care emerge.
Yes, they are different.
Complementary medicine is used
together with conventional medicine.
An example of a complementary
therapy is using aromatherapy,
a therapy in which the scent of
essential oils from flowers, herbs
and trees is inhaled to promote
health and well-being. It can also
help to lessen a patient's discomfort
following surgery.
Alternative medicine, on the
other hand, is used in place of
conventional medicine. An example
of an alternative therapy is using a
special diet to treat cancer instead
of undergoing surgery, radiation,
or chemotherapy that has been
recommended by a conventional
doctor.
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| A herbalist is shown weighing dried
herbs. The use of herbs to treat illness
is an aspect of naturopathic medicine, a
whole medical system that originated in
Europe |
Integrative medicine combines
treatments from conventional
medicine and CAM for which there is
some high-quality evidence of safety
and effectiveness.
The NCCAM groups CAM practices
into four domains, recognizing there
can be some overlap. In addition,
NCCAM studies CAM whole medical
systems, which cut across all
domains.
Whole medical systems are built
upon complete systems of theory
and practice.
Often, these systems have evolved
apart from - and earlier than - the
conventional medical approach used
in the United States. Examples of
whole medical systems that have
developed in Western cultures
include homeopathic medicine,
a whole medical system that
originated in Europe.
Homeopathy seeks to stimulate the
body's ability to heal itself by giving
very small doses of highly diluted
substances that in larger doses
would produce illness or symptoms
(an approach called "like cures
like").
Naturopathic medicine, another
whole medical system that
originated in Europe, aims to
support the body's ability to heal
itself through the use of dietary and
lifestyle changes together with CAM
therapies such as herbs, massage
and joint manipulation.
Examples of systems that have
developed in non-Western cultures
include traditional Chinese medicine
and Ayurveda, a whole medical
system that originated in India.
Ayurveda aims to integrate the body,
mind and spirit to prevent and treat
disease. Therapies used include
herbs, massage and yoga.
Mind-body medicine uses a variety
of techniques designed to enhance
the mind's capacity to affect bodily
function and symptoms.
Some techniques that were
considered CAM in the past have
become mainstream (for example,
patient support groups and
cognitive-behavioral therapy).
Other mind-body techniques are
still considered CAM, including
meditation, a conscious mental
process using certain techniques to
suspend the stream of thoughts and
relax the body and mind.
Also in this category are prayer,
mental healing and therapies that
use creative outlets such as art,
music or dance.
Biologically-based practices
in CAM use substances found in
nature, such as herbs, foods and
vitamins.
Some examples include dietary
supplements, herbal products and
the use of other so-called natural
but as yet scientifi cally unproven
therapies (for example, using shark
cartilage to treat cancer).
Manipulative and body-based
practices in CAM are based on
manipulation or the application of
controlled force to a joint, moving it beyond the normal range of motion in an effort to aid
in restoring health.
Manipulation may be performed as a part of other
therapies or whole medical systems including
chiropractic medicine, massage and naturopathy.
Some examples include chiropractic or osteopathic
manipulation, a type of manipulation practiced by
chiropractic or osteopathic physicians. It is combined
with physical therapy and instruction in proper posture
along with massage. The aim is to increase the flow
of blood and oxygen to the massaged area.
Energy therapies involve the use of energy
fields. There are two types: biofield therapies and
bioelectromagnetic-based therapies.
Biofield therapies are intended to affect energy fields
that purportedly surround and penetrate the human
body. The existence of such fields has not yet been
scientifically proven.
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| A Reiki practitioner works with a
patient. Reiki is an energy medicine
practice that originated in Japan. |
Some forms of energy therapy
manipulate biofields by applying
pressure and/or manipulating the
body by placing the hands in, or
through, these fields. Examples
include:
- Qi gong, a component of
traditional Chinese medicine that
combines movement, meditation,
and controlled breathing. The intent
is to improve blood flow and the
flow of qi.
- Reiki, a therapy in which
practitioners seek to transmit a
universal energy to a person, either
from a distance or by placing their
hands on or near that person. The
intent is to heal the spirit and thus
the body.
- Therapeutic touch, a therapy
in which practitioners pass their
hands over another person's
body with the intent to use their own perceived healing energy to identify energy
imbalances and promote health.
Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies involve the
unconventional use of electromagnetic fields, such as
pulsed fields, magnetic fields, or alternating-current or
direct-current fields.
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For more information, contact
NCCAM at:
Toll-free in the U.S.:
1-888-644-6226
TTY (for deaf and hard-of-hearing
callers):
1-866-464-3615
Website:
nccam.nih.gov
E-mail:
info@nccam.nih.gov |
NCCAM is the U.S. government's lead agency for
scientific research on CAM.
Its mission
is to explore
complementary
and alternative
healing practices
in the context
of rigorous science, train CAM researchers and
disseminate authoritative information to the public and
professionals.
The NCCAM Clearinghouse provides information
on CAM and NCCAM including publications and
searches of federal databases of scientific and
medical literature.
Examples of publications include
"Selecting a CAM Practitioner" and
"Are You Considering Using CAM?"
The NCCAM Clearinghouse does not
provide medical advice, treatment
recommendations or referrals to
practitioners. |
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