Chapter 19: Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Characteristics that are typical of CAM therapies

1. Most practices based on the concept of life force or energy 2. Disease viewed as disturbance in life energies in the mind, body, and spirit 3. Treatments based on restoring balance, harmony, equilibrium 4. Belief that body has the ability to heal itself 5. The whole person is treated (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual) 6. Multiple remedies and techniques often used 7. Each person is unique, so treatment is individualize

What 4 complementary medical systems are described in your text?

Traditional Chinese Medicine Homeopathy Naturopathy Ayurveda

Alternative Medicine

Treatment used in place of conventional medicine

Several reasons why people might use CAM

1. Conventional treatments not successful 2. Seeking to improve health and well-being 3. Relieve symptoms of a chronic disease or illness 4. Seeking a more holistic approach to health 5. Most often used in the treatment of back pain

Safety concerns exist for herbal and botanical products marketed as dietary supplements

1. No FDA regulation for dietary supplements 2. Potential interactions with other drugs 3. Contaminants

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Acupunture

Homeopathy (Homeopathic Medicine)

Based on the premise of "like cures like" and "the law of minimum dose"

Qi / chi

Believed to flow through the body along several meridians, or pathways, and there are hundreds of acupuncture points along these meridians

Holistic Health Care

CAM focuses on an integration of mind, body, and spirit in seeking ways to restore the whole person to harmony rather than treatment of individual parts

What is the difference between the terms "complementary" and "alternative" when describing CAM?

Complementary means that it is used along with conventional medicine while alternative means it is used in replacement of alternative medicine.

Natural Products

Consist primarily of: Herbal remedies / botanicals Botanicals Extracts from animal tissues Dietary supplements/nutraceuticals/functional foods

Mind body practices are

Enhance mind's ability to affect bodily functions and symptoms and promote health

Energy therapy

Forms of treatment that use energy originating either within the body (biofields) or from other sources (electromagnetic fields) 1. Qigong-channeling breathing with movement 2. Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies 3. Therapeutic touch; healing touch 4. Reiki

Complementary Health Approaches

Health care practices and products commonly used together with conventional medicine ex. message therapy and medication

Unconventional Western Medicine

Homeopathy

Characteristics of CAM Therapies

Individualized treatment Disease is disturbance in life energies Vary in effectiveness Treatment is focused on the whole person Believe the body has the ability to heal itself

Conventional/allopathic/Western medicine

Mainstream medicine or traditional Western Medical practice, is the dominant type of health care delivered in the US, Canada, Europe and much of the world.

Complementary Medicine

Medical products and practices that are not part of standard care; nonstandard treatments that you use along with standard ones

The most commonly used CAM therapy is ?

Natural Products

Most Controversial CAM practice

Natural products

Innate healing mechanisms

Naturopathy

Most commonly used CAM therapies

Nonvitamin, nonmineral, "natural" products; chiropractic care; deep breathing exercises; meditation; massage; and yoga

Naturopathy

Practitioners work with nature to restore health; work on principle that body has the ability to heal itself and maintain optimal health

Movement Therapy

Pressure aimed at increasing blood flow and inducing relaxation

Chiropractic manipulation

Primary treatment is manipulation of the spine and other joints (should always be done by a licensed chiropractor, physician, or PT)

Chiropractic Medicine

Spinal Manipulation

Qi/ Chi

The life force

Integrative medicine

The integration of complementary health approaches into conventional health care in a purposeful way Conventional health practices sometimes augmented by CAM modalities

What reasons would you give for being an even more critical consumer when considering the use of complementary or alternative therapies?

The research is still in a very primitive state so it has not yet been determined whether these strategies are effective or not

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)

Therapies and practices that do not form part of conventional mainstream medicine

"Natural" products

Used before conventional medicine. Consist primarily of: 1. Herbal therapies or remedies 2. Botanicals 3. Extracts from animal tissues 4. Dietary supplements

Conventional Medicine is also known as

Western Medicine and allopathic medicine

Placebo Effect

When patients given a placebo drug or treatment experience and improved state of health owing to the belief that they are receiving something that will be of benefit

Mind body practices

focus on body's structures and systems - bones, joints, muscles, soft tissues, & circulatory system

Energy therapies

forms of treatment that use energy originating either within the body (biofields) or from other sources (electromagnetic fields)

Acupuncture

insertion of thin needles into the skin

Chiropractic medicine

primary treatment is manipulation of the spine and other neuromuscular structures (Should always be performed by licensed chiropractor, osteopathic physician or physical therapist!)

Massage therapy

soft tissue manipulation (many types)