The role of complementary and alternative medicine

2002

RESEARCH and royals, patients and politicians, counsellors and clinicians–all have recently taken a considerable interest in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Fringe, unconventional, unorthodox, natural and folk medicine have come in from the cold, and CAM is now big business under this new label (Ernst & Furnham, 2000). CAM seems to be favourably perceived by many general practitioners (Easthope et al., 2000).

2021

Background Identifying what therapies constitute complementary, alternative, and/or integrative medicine (CAIM) is complex for a multitude of reasons. An operational definition is dynamic, and changes based on both historical time period and geographical location whereby many jurisdictions may integrate or consider their traditional system(s) of medicine as conventional care. To date, only one operational definition of “complementary and alternative medicine” has been proposed, by Cochrane researchers in 2011. This definition is not only several years old but also did not use systematic methods to compile the therapies. Furthermore, it did not capture the concept “integrative medicine”, which is an increasingly popular aspect of the use of complementary therapies in practice. An updated operational definition reflective of CAIM is warranted given the rapidly increasing body of CAIM research literature published each year. Methods Four peer-reviewed or otherwise quality-assessed info...

This special issue focuses on the role of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in controlling dyslipidemia. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), also known as nonconventional medicine, includes a wide and heterogeneous array of health care practices (such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, yoga, meditation, and homeopathic medicine) that are not part of a health care system. The popularity of CAM has dramatically increased in many developed countries since the 1990s. This could be attributed to the aging of population, prevalence of chronic diseases, and concern about the adverse reaction of chemical drugs.All these aspects have contributed greatly to the worldwide popularity of CAM. In the United States, consumers spend over $34 billion per year on CAM therapies spent outside the conventional health care financing system. This out-of-pocket expenditure is evidence of the belief that CAM therapies have benefits that outweigh their costs.CAMis generally more popular in most developed countries, especially in North America, Europe, and Australia. According to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey on more than 32,800 Americans, 38.2% of adults and 12% of children used some form of CAM within the previous 12 months

Journal of Research in Pharmacy Practice, 2015

Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies, 2010

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) continues to evoke fi erce debate and divergent views within the medical community. It remains an attractive and commonly used treatment option for many cancer patients regardless of whether their clinicians like it or believe in it. Consequently, it divides health professionals providing conventional cancer care and CAM practitioners offering unconventional care. The US National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) defi nes CAM as 'a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices and products that are not presently considered part of conventional medicine'. 1 Complementary and alternative therapies must be distinguished, however. Complementary therapies are adjuncts to conventional medical treatment that are increasingly perceived as an important part of supportive care; 2,3 they are often used for symptom management and to enhance quality of life and overall patient care. 4 Alternative therapies, in contrast, are clinically unproven and are used instead of conventional treatments. 2 They INTEGRATING COMPLEMENTARY AND CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 1995

Complementary medicine (CM), defined as health care which lies for the most part outside the mainstream of conventional medicine, is gaining popularity in Britain and elsewhere. In the UK the most prevalent therapies are manipulation (used by 36% of the population), herbalism (24%) homoeopathy (16%) and acupuncture (16%). Due to the heterogeneity of CM, it is often problematic to generalize. The debate about the usefulness of CM is often regrettably emotional, and thus unproductive. In the pursuit of a more fruitful way ahead, the following highlights some of the main arguments from both 'sides' and tries to disguise them as misconceptions.

JRSM, 2009

We primarily need to understand why these therapies are so popular, what it is about them that appears to be effective, and how and why they seem to be well-integrated into the individuals' approach to health maintenance and illness selfmanagement. This will allow us to understand more about CAM which in turn will provide us with unique insights about our approach to illness

Current Opinion in Neurology, 2008

Medical Principles and Practice, 2005

2004

omplementary medicine is controvestial, yet the number of patients who use alternative approaches continues to increase. Physicians are concerned that patients using alterna- tives may delay seeking treatments that can be life sav- ing. Some worry that patients may be spending time and considerable money for approaches that are not effec- tive, and may be harmful. There is often no