- Alternative Systems of
Medical Practice
- Frequently Asked
Questions - FAQs
What Is Complementary and
Alternative Medicine?
Complementary and alternative medicine
(CAM) covers a broad range of healing philosophies, approaches, and therapies.
Generally , it is defined as those treatments and healthcare practices not
taught widely in medical schools, not generally used in hospitals, and not
usually reimbursed by medical insurance companies.
Many therapies are termed
"holistic," which generally means that the healthcare practitioner
considers the whole person, including physical, mental, emotional, and
spiritual aspects. Many therapies are also known as "preventive,"
which means that the practitioner educates and treats the person to prevent
health problems from arising, rather than treating symptoms after problems
have occurred.
People use these treatments and
therapies in a variety of ways. Therapies are used alone (often referred to as
alternative), in combination with other alternative therapies, or in addition
to conventional therapies (sometimes referred to as complementary).
Some approaches are consistent with
physiological principles of Western medicine, while others constitute healing
systems with a different origin. While some therapies are far outside the
realm of accepted Western medical theory and practice, others are becoming
established in mainstream medicine.
How Can I Find More
Information about Complementary and Alternative Medical Practices?
Ask your healthcare provider about
complementary and alternative medical treatments and practices in general, and
about those particular practices used for your specific health problems.
Increasingly, healthcare providers are
becoming familiar with alternative treatments or are able to refer you to
someone who is. For scientific information about the safety and effectiveness
of a particular treatment, ask your healthcare provider to obtain valid
information for you.
If your healthcare provider cannot
provide information, medical libraries, public libraries, and popular
bookstores are good places to find information about particular complementary
and alternative medical practices.
Other resources for information are the 25
Institutes and Centers (ICs) at the NIH. For information on a wide range
of specific diseases or medical conditions, call (301) 496-4000 and ask the
operator to direct you to the appropriate NIH office.
Also, you may want to ask practitioners
of complementary and alternative healthcare about their practices. Many
practitioners belong to a growing number of professional associations,
educational organizations, and research institutions that provide information
about complementary and alternative medical practices. Many organizations are
developing Internet Web sites. Most internet browser programs will have a
mechanism for searching the World Wide Web by keyword or concept.
Remember that these organizations may
advocate a specific therapy or treatment and may be unable to provide complete
and objective health information.
If you have access to a computer with an
Internet connection, you may be able to search medical libraries and databases
for specific conditions and alternative medical treatments. The NCCAM's online
database, the Complementary
and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Citation Index (CCI), is comprised of
approximately 180,000 bibliographic records describing much of the CAM
research that has been published over the last 35 years. The CCI's
user-friendly, menu-driven interface allows for searches by various diseases
or conditions, alternative medicine techniques or systems, and types of
literature.
You may also try accessing and searching
MEDLINE, one of the many computer databases available at the National
Library of Medicine. Also, you may want to contact the NCCAM Clearinghouse
to obtain the fact sheet, "Alternative Medicine Research Using
MEDLINE."
How Can I Find a Practitioner
in My Area?
To find a qualified complementary and
alternative medical healthcare practitioner, you may want to contact medical
regulatory and licensing agencies in your state.
These agencies may be able to provide
information about a specific practitioner’s credentials and background. Many
states license practitioners who provide alternative therapies such as
acupuncture, chiropractic services, naturopathy, herbal medicine, homeopathy,
and massage therapy.
You may also locate practitioners by
asking your healthcare provider, or by contacting a professional association
or organization. These organizations can provide names of local practitioners,
and provide information about how to determine the quality of a specific
practitioner’s services. Contact the NCCAM
Clearinghouse to obtain the fact sheet, "Considering
Complementary and Alternative Therapies," which provides helpful
hints and questions to consider when choosing an alternative healthcare
practitioner.
Also, you may find complementary and
alternative healthcare practitioners by asking people you trust, like friends
and family members, who may have experience with practitioners of
complementary and alternative medicine.
Can I Receive an Alternative
Treatment at the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)?
The NCCAM is not a treatment facility
and cannot answer specific medical questions. The NCCAM cannot make referrals
to individual practitioners or recommend particular therapies for patients.
Will My Experience Help in the
Evaluation of Complementary and Alternative Medical Therapies?
Many people write to the NCCAM with
their own testimony about a successful treatment or a particular healer or
healthcare practitioner. To have this information reviewed, people may ask
their practitioners whether he/she is collecting information on the success of
their treatments. A practitioner can collect and organize the information and
present it to the NCCAM once there is sufficient data to make a case for the
effectiveness of a particular treatment.
Will the NCCAM Evaluate My Own
Invention or Treatment?
Many people contact the NCCAM with ideas
for alternative medical cures. To have a method or cure tested, one must
formulate a research protocol. This entails collaborating with individuals who
have expertise in research and evaluation, if one does not possess this
expertise.
The NCCAM supports rigorous research
into a range of alternative medical treatments either by awarding grants or by
setting up studies. For further information, please contact the NCCAM
Clearinghouse to obtain the "Research Information Package."
Can Complementary and
Alternative Medicine Be Investigated Using the Same Methods Used in Conventional
Medicine?
People sometimes ask whether the NCCAM
uses the same standard of science as conventional medicine. Complementary and
alternative medicine needs to be investigated using the same scientific
methods used in conventional medicine. The NCCAM encourages valid information
about complementary and alternative medicine, applying at least as rigorous,
and, in some cases, even more rigorous research methods than the current
standard in conventional medicine. This is because the research often involves
novel concepts and claims, and uses complex systems of practice that need
systematic, explicit, and comprehensive knowledge and skills to investigate.
National Institutes of Health
Disclaimer: The NIH cautions users
not to seek the therapies described on these pages without the consultation of a
licensed healthcare provider. Inclusion of a treatment or resource on the NCCAM
Web site does not imply endorsement by the NCCAM, the NIH, or the Department of
Health and Human Services (DHHS).
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