People living with cancer frequently turn to complementary and alternative therapies – including acupuncture, herbal medicine and massage – for support during diagnosis or treatment. Such methods might include acupuncture, herbal remedies and massage.
Acupuncture involves inserting needles into various points on the body in order to relieve pain and promote healing, often combined with Chinese herbal medicine and acupressure (stimulating these same points manually).
Complementary medicine
Complementary therapies refer to treatments not typically utilized by traditional medical care to treat cancer, such as acupuncture, massage therapy, meditation or yoga as well as herbal or vitamin supplements. Although some complementary therapies have been proven safe and helpful through scientific trials, others could interfere with or be harmful in terms of your medical treatment plan if used without telling your physician beforehand. It’s always advisable to inform them if considering using any complementary or alternative medicine options.
Conventional or mainstream medicine refers to what’s taught and practiced at most medical schools and hospitals. It includes medicines, surgery and therapies used to treat disease; examples of which may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and diet or exercise modifications. Its goal is to effectively cure or control symptoms as quickly as possible.
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) refers to all health care practices not traditionally included within conventional medicine, such as acupuncture, meditation, yoga and various physical and psychological approaches such as Tai Chi, art therapy or music therapy. Furthermore, complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) often incorporate diet supplements, herbal remedies or homeopathy – these approaches typically being integrated together into holistic approaches to healthcare delivery known as holistic medicine.
No scientific proof exists to support that these therapies can aid those battling cancer, and some could even prove harmful.
Finding a complementary practitioner that works alongside traditional healthcare providers and is knowledgeable of any therapy you are interested in is essential to a positive experience. When asking them questions about scientific sources backing their claims it’s advisable to inform both them as well as your physicians of any medications or other health products you are using at once.
Research into complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) is ongoing, and may lead to some therapies being proven effective. NCCIH supports clinical trials of complementary therapies and other novel approaches designed to enhance quality-of-life for people living with cancer, and make complementary therapies accessible and affordable for everyone. Trials provide essential data on safety, effectiveness and areas where more research may be needed – providing insight into whether such practices are safe and viable alternatives or whether more research may be required in particular areas.
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine refers to health care practices outside of conventional Western medical practice. Alternative therapies, including herbal remedies, acupuncture and massage therapies used as alternatives to mainstream treatments like surgery and medication are referred to as “alternative medicines”, although no rigorous testing has ever been done on them for safety or effectiveness. “Complementary” and “integrative” healthcare approaches refers to approaches used alongside conventional Western medicine rather than as replacements.
Complementary and alternative medicines may help people living with cancer manage their symptoms, but they cannot cure or reduce the risk of recurrence. Some complementary therapies can cause harmful side effects and interact with cancer treatments; before beginning any complementary therapy program, please speak with your healthcare provider first.
Ayurvedic Medicine: This ancient practice from India stems from an understanding that human health relies upon balancing five universal elements – space, air, fire, water, and earth – with three doshas (biological energies).
Herbal medicine refers to any plant-derived remedy used for medicinal or health benefits, including roots, leaves, bark, stems, flowers, fruit or seeds. Many herbal remedies have medicinal uses; others can prevent disease and help maintain overall wellness.
Homeopathy: Homeopathy is an alternative medical system involving small doses of water, alcohol or other substances to treat diseases and enhance overall well-being. Homeopathy operates under the principle that certain substances can trigger similar bodily reactions as would occur with actual diseases in human beings.
No scientific or medical evidence supports alternative cancer therapies as effective. Many claims made by untrained practitioners without formal education in medicine rely on testimonials, anecdotes, testimonials, superstition, supernatural “energies,” errors in reasoning and propaganda to support them – not to mention fraud and other nonscientific sources – making people who use alternative therapies susceptible to false hopes and unrealistic expectations as they stop taking medical treatments when feeling better, increasing the chance that cancer recurs or leading to unwanted side effects.
CAM
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), is an umbrella term encompassing many healing practices that have not been shown to be safe or effective through conventional medical research, such as dietary supplements, herbal medicines, yoga, meditation or massage therapy.
CAM should never replace conventional medical care; people living with cancer must consult their healthcare provider prior to using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Some complementary and alternative therapies could interfere with cancer therapies or cause unpleasant side effects; although there is no scientific proof that complementary and alternative therapies work as cures, some can help people manage side effects better and cope more easily during treatment.
Conventional medical care refers to treatments which have been demonstrated safe and effective through clinical trials, and which have the endorsement of physicians and healthcare providers. It includes medicine, surgery and radiation, hospital care services as well as health promotion initiatives. Conventional medicine may also be known by different names – mainstream or western medicine, allopathy medicine or even orthodox medicine.
All conventional medical therapies such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy have been thoroughly evaluated in clinical trials to ensure their safety, while less research has been conducted into complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) products – many types haven’t even been put through testing; thus exposing consumers to potentially unsafe or ineffective options.
Some complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies such as acupuncture have been scientifically demonstrated to be effective; other practices, like Tai Chi and meditation have shown promise in alleviating anxiety or depression symptoms; yet much work remains.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) aims to understand the basic science underlying complementary and integrative medicine (CAM). Their website offers information for both general consumers and health practitioners regarding this field, including factsheets and research summaries, clinical trials databases, as well as links to federal databases of scientific literature related to complementary and integrative health approaches.
Integrative medicine
Integrative medicine combines conventional healthcare approaches with complementary therapies that have been scientifically verified as safe and effective, to form a therapeutic alliance between patients and practitioners. Its main goal is to foster partnerships between them both.
Integrative medicine professionals understand and support all aspects of your healing journey – mental, emotional, spiritual, social and physical. They consider every patient an equal partner in the healing journey and offer assistance in creating personalized healthy lifestyle choices to suit every individual’s lifestyle needs. Integrative health professionals encourage patients to gain as much knowledge about themselves and any modalities being used to treat them as possible.
Integrative medicine may seem lacking a firm scientific basis, yet its principles are grounded in rigorous research and an aim to promote holistic healing. Integrative medicine takes into account all aspects of health for total well-being: physical, emotional and spiritual needs interact to determine overall well-being.
Integrative medicine practitioners advocate the adoption of healthy dietary practices, regular physical activity and restful sleep as preventive strategies against chronic diseases and enhance long-term patient outcomes. Mindfulness meditation, yoga or acupuncture may also be recommended, along with mindfulness stress management techniques like mindfulness meditation or yoga practiced regularly by their patients. They also teach stress management strategies as a means of controlling unhealthy habits like smoking or excessive drinking – these preventive strategies aim to lower risks associated with chronic conditions and enhance long-term patient wellbeing.
Before engaging in any alternative or complementary therapy, always consult your physician first. Some practices, like certain dietary supplements or herbal products, have been shown to cause harmful side effects and should be avoided; furthermore, certain therapies could interact with any medications you are currently taking.
Complementary medicine refers to techniques that are used in addition to conventional medical approaches like medicines, immunotherapy and radiation; alternative medicine refers to any approach taken instead of conventional treatments like drugs. While both terms can often be confused with each other, these terms have distinct meanings and at GW’s Master of Complementary and Alternative Medicine program students will gain all of the tools necessary for an exciting career as an integrative practitioner.