What is CAM?
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Complementary medicine defines an approach to medicine that complements or enhances
standard or conventional practice. Frequently, “Complementary” is coupled
with the term “Alternative” to indicate options that provide treatments
different from those offered by standard medicine. Complementary and Alternative
Medicine (CAM) consists of a diverse group of therapies, practices, products and
systems.
CAM Perspectives
Many of the principles and approaches at the heart of CAM therapies are based on
theories of treatment and wellness that may seem markedly divergent from conventional
or standard medicine’s counterparts. All approaches to medicine assume certain
starting points, and some differences exist in CAM treatment models and approaches.
For instance, your CAM provider’s specialty could involve some of the following
perspectives:
- A central focus on mind-body relations
- An emphasis and belief in the body’s self-healing capacity
- The use of biologically rooted medicine, such as nutrition, botanical therapies,
and other treatments
- The use of ‘hands-on’ techniques and body-centered methods, like through
the physical manipulation involved with osteopathic, medical massage, and chiropractic
care
- Other alternative medicine systems, such as acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine
(TCM) or naturopathic medicine
CAM frameworks may at first glance seem unfamiliar, but many of the central assumptions
of CAM therapies are also reflected in common attitudes. For instance, the ‘mind-body’
emphasis echoes the widely held belief that meditation, prayer, and plain old ‘positive
thinking’ can assist in the healing process. Even the simple statement “you
are what you eat” is rich with the truism that nutrition is an important part
of health and wellness.
CAM and Effectiveness
These differences in approach have impacted the kind of information available about
CAM treatment methods, which have not necessarily been evaluated through the same
means as conventional medicine (research, clinical trials, drug testing, etc.).
Moreover, such means are not unanimously considered the exclusive standard by which
CAM treatments ought to be assessed in evaluating the standards and quality of care.
Many CAM treatments have been used for thousands of years and simply put, have stood
the test of time, and despite the paradigmatic differences, there are numerous studies
and sources that support confirm the effectiveness of CAM therapies. Furthermore,
there are growing research opportunities in CAM approaches.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is the coordinating authority for health
within the U.N and a leader in global health matters and research. WHO statistics
confirm the reliability and widespread use of CAM methods:
- 25% of modern medicines are made from plants first used traditionally.
- Acupuncture has been proven effective in treating numerous conditions, including
relieving postoperative pain, nausea during pregnancy, nausea resulting from chemotherapy,
dental pain, and in alleviating anxiety, panic disorders, and insomnia.
- In Europe, North America and other industrialized regions, more than 50% of the
population have used complementary or alternative medicine at least once.
- In the United States, 158 million of the adult population use complementary medicines.
- According to the USA Commission for Alternative and Complementary medicines, $17
billion was spent on traditional remedies in 2000.
- Learn more from
WHO.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is the
U.S. government’s leading agency for research on CAM therapies. NCCAM is 1
of 27 institutes and centers of the NIH. The NCCAM provides growing opportunity
for exploring CAM therapies with:
- A number of funded research centers of excellence focusing on examining a variety
of CAM approaches including acupuncture, botanicals, energy medicine, and Traditional
Chinese Medicine (TCM)
- A research budget of more than $120 million (FY 2008) dedicated to evaluating the
effectiveness of many CAM therapies
- Cooperation with a number of other nationally funded research organizations, including
the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and other centers through the National Institute
of Health (NIH)
- A Clearinghouse of information and resources for those interested in CAM treatments
- Learn more from NCCAM
|