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No 1131517
Therapies & Complementary / Alternative Therapy (CAM)
Nutrition and Exercise should be considered to be the backbone of good health / wellness, not as a cure for disease.
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are forms of treatment that are not
widely in use in conventional medicine. There are a number of CAM therapeutic approaches
that may be helpful in the treatment of serious disease. The use of CAM by people
with serious disease is widespread -
As well as any direct therapeutic benefits, CAM can offer psychological help. If an individual considers that they have lost control of their body and the medications available offer no cure and, in some case, limited symptomatic help, following a therapy from outside the mainstream of medicine can offer a feeling of regaining some sort of control. Even if particular therapies that are tried prove not to be helpful, the process of exploring and experimenting with CAM can have its own benefits.
Through the Internet, there is a great deal of information about CAM, however it
may be neither impartial nor reliable. There is very little published research evidence
to indicate the efficacy of different therapies and who might obtain a benefit from
their use. If a particular therapy sounds potentially useful, where possible, consult
a practitioner who has been recommended by a trustworthy source -
Always check that a practitioner has appropriate qualifications and be aware of the cost of treatment and how long it is likely to last. Therapies can be expensive, so it is sensible to know when to stop if no benefit is being obtained. Also, not everything works for everybody. Decide in advance how long it is reasonable to try something out and be prepared to recognise if something isn't working.
There is a widespread belief that complementary therapies must be safe since they
are 'natural' but this is not necessarily true. Complementary therapies can interact
with conventional therapies. It is important for health professionals to know all
the treatments being followed -
A CAM therapist may not have an in depth knowledge of a particular disease, however the same can be said of a conventional clinician.
A provider (doctor -
The difference between complementary and alternative therapies
The phrases complementary therapy and alternative therapy are often used as if they
mean the same thing. They may also be combined into one phrase complementary and
alternative therapies -
- CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
- CAM is an American term which covers both complementary and alternative medical therapies.
- The use of the term ‘CAM’ is becoming more and more recognised in the UK and Europe.
A complementary therapy -
An alternative therapy -
Some may not start conventional treatment and may choose to use an alternative therapy instead. Or they might stop conventional treatment and switch to an alternative therapy. An alternative therapist may suggest an alternative approach will work better than a conventional treatment. There is usually no scientific or medical evidence to back this up. Some alternative therapists may claim they can cure you, and may say that other treatments are damaging, however giving up a conventional treatment may harm your chances of obtaining a benefit from it.
Some alternative therapies are not entirely safe and can cause serious side effects.
It is not always easy to decide whether something is a complementary or alternative therapy. Some therapies that are considered alternative could be safe to use alongside a conventional treatment as a complementary therapy. There are currently very few alternative treatments being tested, so generally we don’t know how safe they are. It is very important to talk to your doctor about the safety of any therapies you are thinking of using.
Terms used to describe complementary and alternative therapies
You may see therapies described as:
- Unconventional.
- Unorthodox.
- CAM -
Complementary and Alternative Medicine. - Integrated healthcare or medicine.
- Traditional medicine.
- Unconventional therapies.
These generally refer to treatments that aren’t normally used by doctors to treat
a disease -
Integrated medicine or integrated healthcare
These terms are generally used to describe the use of conventional medicine and complementary therapies together. Different types of complementary therapies and support such as:
- Aromatherapy.
- Acupuncture.
- Massage.
- Reflexology.
- Visualisation.
- Counselling services.
- Support groups.
- Up to date information about disease and its treatment
Conventional medicine -
All conventional treatments have to go through rigorous testing by law in order to prove that their efficacy. Nearly half of all conventional medicines or drugs are developed from plants or other natural substances. As conventional drugs, they are tested and used in a controlled way. Clinical trials make sure that conventional treatments work, that we know what their side effects are, and that any benefits of using them to treat diseases may outweigh any risks.
Many complementary therapies are also developed from plants and natural substances.
What works for one person does not always work for another with the same problem.
Proventus continues to push for treatments to be made available as early as is safe and reasonable whilst not ignoring the urgency of need in individual cases.
Other Web Sites
For complementary healthcare guide. www.fih.org.uk