Complementary and Alternative Medicine
August 26, 2008
The medicine or the medication other than the conventional approach is called Complementary and Alternative Medicine or shortly CAM. The group comprises of variety of health care and medical systems or practices along with the related products, which are not in connection with the conventional or usual the medicine.
Alternative medicine is usually prescribed by the qualified registered medical doctors, or having degree of Doctor of Osteopathy and by medical professionals, such as psychologists, physical therapists, and registered nurses.
There are certain health and fitness service providers, which follow both CAM and regular medicines for the treatment of their patients. These conventional medications and therapies are being used on the basis of some scientific evidences. But there are still many unexplained questions, which needs an explanation through scientific studies and researches. The apprehension may include questions such as whether these medicines are free from side effects as well as they are convincingly healing method for the diseases or any health related shortcoming carrying all safety measures.
This list of conventional and alternative medication keeps changing. It is so because the benefiting and curable therapies found to be safer and effective are gradually accepted by the regular or usual health care.
Few complementary products as a medicine is utilized in combination with the conventional medicine such as applying aromatherapy in order to give the soothing effect to patients in post-surgery condition is an instance of complementary therapy.
In Alternative therapy, the medication is replaced by the conventional medicine, such as treating a cancer patient using special diet in place of radiation, surgery, or chemotherapy is an example of alternative therapy suggested by a conventional health practitioner.
There is another category of Integrative therapy, which comes in combination of treatment methods from conventional and regular medicine along with alternative medicines, which have proven evidence of safety and effectiveness. CAM is grouped under Whole Medical Systems.
Whole medical systems develop from both practical and theory. These approaches may be changed from an early medical systems used in the United States. The whole medical systems which are commonly being followed in western countries include homeopathic medicines and naturopathic medicines. Those cultures which are not westernized include Whole Medical Systems like ancient Chinese medicine, and not to forget Ayurveda in India.
















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