Many health professionals recognize the benefits of complementary and alternative therapies. If you use any treatments of this nature, be sure to inform your physician of them so they can monitor any side effects that arise.
CAM, or complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), refers to “the study and practice of holistic systems that have emerged independently, parallel, or in conjunction with allopathic (conventional) medicine,” such as whole food supplements, herbal remedies, acupuncture, massage therapy and meditation.
What is Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)?
Alternative and complementary medicine provide additional healing resources beyond conventional medicine, including complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Although most CAM therapies fall under this category, some treatments can overlap significantly enough that they may also be referred to as “alternative”.
Over the past decade, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) usage has significantly increased worldwide and even faster in Europe. Surveys reveal that an impressively large portion of EU citizens use CAM, with multiple factors at work including an impression that conventional medicine often is not enough effective, personal responsibility/self-empowerment motivations, as well as naturally sourced medicines with lower risks being primary influences for this growth.
Complementary therapies (CAMs) are used in tandem with medical treatment to enhance quality of life and facilitate healing. Although some CAM therapies have been studied scientifically, others may not. When selecting complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies for your care it’s important to be mindful that some may interfere with traditional approaches or cause serious side effects; always consult your physician or nurse when selecting therapies so they can assist you in selecting safe and effective methods to incorporate into your treatment plan.
Complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) encompass a range of methods. Common examples include acupuncture, hypnotherapy, massage and herbal remedies as complementary therapies based on theories about how the body functions and what causes disease.
Studies have proven some complementary and alternative medicine therapies effective, including Tui na (Chinese massage), Acupuncture, Dietary Supplements and Herbal Medicine. The Cochrane Database of System Reviews can be an excellent source for evidence-based information on CAM treatments.
Alternative or complementary medicine therapies (CAM therapies) have not been thoroughly scientifically studied and should therefore not be considered effective treatments for any condition. However, many of these practices are rooted in ancient traditions and an inherent belief in nature’s healing powers, making them popular choices even among people without serious illnesses – though their use should always be approached with caution; if considering one as part of your healthcare regime it would be prudent to consult your physician first.
Biologically-Based Therapies
Biological therapies encompass herbs, supplements and other natural products (such as nutritional therapy) used to facilitate healing. These approaches may be combined with standard medicine treatments or used instead.
These therapies include acupuncture and herbal remedies. Although numerous studies have examined their effect in cell cultures and animal models, little research exists regarding long-term clinical effects. Some evidence indicates that such therapies could help alleviate side effects associated with cancer treatments like nausea, pain and fatigue.
These techniques use energy manipulation techniques to manipulate invisible fields that surround our bodies, such as Reiki, Acupuncture or Massage therapy. Practitioners believe illness occurs because there is an imbalance in these energies; by correcting this imbalance they believe they can cure their patients. Reiki, Acupuncture and Massage therapy are among the many therapies which use these practices.
Energy medicine encompasses an expansive category within complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). This category encompasses numerous medical systems and practices that aim to heal by manipulating energy fields, from centuries old traditions to new practices that may only just have started being recognized today by mainstream medicine. Some forms may have existed for a very long time while others only just recently become mainstream based on evidence they provide.
Many of these practices remain poorly researched or understood, leaving their potential risks unclear. Some therapies may interact with medications while others can prove dangerous if not administered correctly; some have even been linked with increased mortality rates.
Herbal and dietary supplements are often included as part of this category; however, rehabilitation professionals must recognize that these are distinct from conventional medications in terms of safety and efficacy considerations. Reputable sources must conduct thorough screening processes in terms of mechanisms of action, interactions with drugs and dosing considerations for these remedies.
Rehabilitation professionals must become acquainted with complementary and alternative therapies so they can act as informed intermediaries for their clients seeking them out, discussing these methods with them and taking any associated risks or interactions into consideration when prescribing conventional medication to their clients.
Energy Therapies
The human body can be thought of as an energy field and many therapies aim to align its vital energy flow. Acupuncture, Qigong, Reiki and healing touch are among the many treatments used to align vital energy flow; each takes its own approach in helping the body find balance. In Chinese medicine qi (pronounced CHEE) or prana is targeted while Ayurveda uses prana.
Practitioners of these practices believe that when this energy becomes blocked or imbalanced, illness results. By unblocking it they believe this will promote healing and well-being; benefits include reduced stress levels as well as improvements to measures related to autonomic nervous systems such as blood pressure or heart rate.
Studies published in 1989 demonstrated that when cardiac surgery patients underwent music therapy during their hospital stay, complications were reduced significantly due to its effects on reducing cortisol levels – which have been associated with inflammation and tissue damage.
Reiki, developed in Japan during the 1980s, is another energy healing modality which involves placing one or both hands close to a patient and using light touch to influence the energy field that surrounds their body. Practitioners of this technique are known as biotronicists and only those gifted individuals should attempt this approach.
Before embarking on any type of therapy treatment, selecting an appropriate therapist and developing clear communication with them are of vital importance. Furthermore, discussing any plans you have regarding this type of therapy with healthcare providers so they are aware what you plan to do is also recommended. These therapies tend to be considered safe; however they should never replace medical or psychotherapeutic care, according to Blythe. For optimal results they should be integrated into an overall holistic recovery plan.
Whole Systems of CAM
Complementary and alternative therapies may be used alone or alongside medical treatments to alleviate side effects associated with cancer and its treatments, but many have not undergone rigorous scientific testing to prove they are safe or effective; some could interact with existing medications and cause side effects; if you decide to utilize any complementary or alternative therapies it’s essential that your healthcare team be informed so they can check for potential issues or interactions that could arise.
No matter where CAM and TM are practiced, most users access conventional medicine. Research suggests that many forms of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are compatible with mainstream health and medical practice (Mertz 2002); for instance a study in Peru revealed that patients using homeopathy, herbal medicine, yoga, massage therapy, spinal manipulation and meditation were just as satisfied with their care than those only receiving Western treatment (EsSalud and OPS 2000).
The scientific validity of complementary and alternative medicine remains debatable, yet CAM practitioners and consumers expect evaluation of CAM in terms of effectiveness, safety, cost-effectiveness and cultural appropriateness. Unfortunately, however, this goal may prove difficult when its research paradigms differ significantly from biomedicine; researchers often don’t view CAM as its own field of knowledge.
As health care marketplaces expand rapidly, traditional and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices may coexist peacefully for some time to come. If CAM is to gain mainstream acceptance, however, scientific testing must demonstrate its efficacy and safety – something which requires a significant paradigm shift in research methods from reductionist mechanistic science towards holistic world views and nonlinear outcomes associated with disease processes.
Complex systems science provides an ideal model for research into whole system complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). It combines principles of nonlinear dynamical complex systems theory with an understanding of how human health is determined by social, cultural and biological complexity; furthermore it attempts to pinpoint causal pathways based on nonlinear relationships and interactions which may prove more applicable for WS-CAM than linear mechanistic results from conventional biomedical efficacy studies.
