Effective & Trusted Medications Guide

What is meant by complementary and alternative medicine, commonly referred to as CAM?? To put it rudely and briefly – it’s a bunch of various non-standard healing approaches and therapies originating from the non-western world – China, Tibet, India, Africa etc. and based mostly on health-care wisdom of the ancients.

Complementary and alternative medicine introduces treatment methods that are not lectured and demonstrated in medical schools, practiced in hospitals or covered by health insurance companies.

Not to confuse our reader a meaning specification is required:

• Alternative medicine = alternative medicine treating techniques.
• Complementary medicine = alternative + conventional medicine treating techniques.

Now, in order to provide a deeper understanding of what alternative medicine is and how it differs from conventional medicine - we need to present a comparative analysis of the two branches. The difference in between them is more of a philosophical nature.

If you ask a conventional medicine practitioner to define “Health” – he/she will describe it something like “a disease-free body” and enumerate a few most common isolated (!) factors responsible for the occurrence of various illnesses (e.g., viruses, bacteria, biochemical imbalance). Use of pharmaceuticals and surgical intervention will most probably feature among offered treatment schemes.

In contrast, if you ask an alternative medicine practitioner to provide his/hers interpretation of “Health” – be ready to hear about balance of physical, emotional and spiritual body systems as a perfect health guarantee and the disharmony in between these 3 as the main disease process launcher. That is, as you can see, a more integrated approach. The treatment idea is to restore the shattered balance by reinforcing body’s own defensive abilities.

Alternative medicine also stresses the importance of cultivating a preventive approach to potential health problems.

Inhabitants of Western countries have been lately exploring alternative medicine techniques as part of their overall treatment programs. Some patients even switched over to CAM completely and for good. In 1997, American people made half a billion visits to alternative medicine practitioners - an almost 50% increase compared to the 1990-number.

Among popular “alternatively treated” conditions are stress, chronic lower back pain, arthritis, migraine headaches. Also, more and more hopeless patients turn to CAM treatments whenever conventional medicine is no longer effective and offers little hope.

In 1992, within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was formed the “Office of Alternative Medicine” department. Its main responsibility was to research the effectiveness and safety of alternative medical practices. The office was renamed into the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in 1999.

Now, alternative medicine treatment techniques and practices… are they truly effective??
Many proved to be effective for certain conditions…
Many didn’t even undergo thorough examination and assessment procedures… However, this is not at all stating a therapy is ineffective, but rather, that its effectiveness is yet to be studied and proved/disproved.

But what happens if some CAM-technique is voted ineffective? Nothing much… it does not acquire a scientific explanation basis but it still remains accessible to the public. However, consider and reconsider twice before you turn to such “ungrounded” technique. Especially if there is an already proven conventional approach you could resort to instead.

What about safety?? Safety/unsafety of some alternative therapies is regarded as another stumbling block in modern medical circles. For instance, herbal-based medicines are not FDA-regulated and can be manufactured without any safety guarantee. This poses the “lack of trust”-dilemma. Therefore, the ingredients should always be thoroughly revised and marked “safe” prior to swallowing and/or applying.

Most CAM techniques and practices are labeled as safe and effective… And only some of them have proven to be potentially harmful. Now, don’t get confused! But make smart choices, i.e., anytime you feel like trying out a new CAM-technique - take your time and evaluate all the information available, all the pros and the cons if any… and only then (!) feel free and safe to take a well-considered decision.

Official classification of CAM techniques and practices

According to the classical NCCAM (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) classification, all Alternative Medicine treatment approaches can be sorted and partitioned into 5 major categories:

• Alternative Medical Systems;
• Mind-Body Interventions;
• Biologically-Based therapies;
• Body-Based Therapies;
• Energy Therapies.

Some of the approaches can be scientifically understood and explained. Others are considered to be deprived of all scientific logic and method and, therefore, are totally inexplicable within that context. I.e., for now - their mechanism of action remains a mystery….

Alternative Medicine = New Age Medicine and, to be successfully implemented, requires a whole New Age Thinking Pattern! If you think you are ready - Go For It!

Teach Your Body To Self-Heal… Master Your Health!