health the basics Complementary and Alternative

Complementary and Alternative Medicine: New Choices and Responsibilities 

for Healthwise Consumers

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)

§Complementary medicine

•Used together with conventional medicine

•Also called allopathy, Western, mainstream, orthodox, biomedicine

Alternative medicine

•In place of conventional medicine

•Generally incorporates a holistic approach, focus on treating whole body and mind

•Changes as some CAM practices become more mainstream

•Used widely throughout the world

Who uses it?

•36% of adults in U.S. used CAM within the past 12 months

•More women than men

•People with higher education levels

•Those hospitalized within the last year

•Former smokers

•People with back, neck, head, joint aches or other painful conditions

•Those with gastrointestinal disorders or sleeping problems

CAM in the U.S. today

•Relaxation

•Chiropractic

•Massage

•Self-help

•Energy healing

•Other therapies

Reasons Adults in the United States Use CAM

Alternative Medical Systems

§Traditional Chinese medicine

•Proper balance of Qi (“chi”)

•Acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage, qigong

§Ayurveda

•Traditional in India

•“Science of life”

§Homeopathy

•“Like cures like”

•Herbal medicine, minerals, and chemicals in diluted forms

§Naturopathy

•Restore health rather than cure disease

•Diet, clinical nutrition, homeopathy, acupuncture, herbal medicine, hydrotherapy, manipulation, light therapy, therapeutic counseling, pharmacology

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§Have you ever used one of these non-traditional practices?

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)

§Major domains of CAM (nonallopathic)

•Manipulative and body-based practices

•Energy medicine

•Mind-body medicine

•Biologically based practices

The Domains of Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Manipulative and Body Based Practices

§Chiropractic medicine

§Massage therapy

§Body work

•Feldenkrais

•Rolfing

•Shiatsu

•Trager bodywork

Energy Medicine

§Energy medicine

•Biofields

•Qigong

•Reiki

•Therapeutic touch

§Acupuncture

•Needles inserted at critical points (meridians)

•Qualifications

•Many get relief

§Acupressure

•Uses pressure instead of needles