Introduction to Complementary & Alternative Medicine

Complementary & Alternative Medicine

COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE OVERVIEW

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is defined by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine as "a group of diverse medical and healthcare systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine

Complementary Medicine

What is complementary medicine?

Complementary medicine is a treatment, practice, or product that is used alongside conventional medical treatment. It is not meant to replace conventional r treatment but is available to alleviate side effects or improve a patient's sense of well- being.

Alternative Medicine

Alternative medicine or alternative therapy is the stream of medicine that exists independently, beyond the domain of conventional medicine. These therapies are called alternative because they may not always be effective or not proved 100% successful. Many of the alternative therapy practices are based on historical or cultural traditions.

Examples of Complementary Medicine

Minerals

What are Vitamins?

Vitamins are essential nutrients that contribute to a healthy life

There are 13 vitamins that the body absolutely needs: vitamins A, C, D, E, K, and the B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 and foliate).

What are minerals?

The minerals in our diet are essential for a variety of bodily functions. They are important for building strong bones and teeth, blood, skin, hair, nerve function, muscle and for metabolic processes such as those that turn the food we eat into energy. This means that minerals are needed for the body to work properly, for growth and development, and overall, for maintaining normal health.

Sodium | Chloride | Potassium | Calcium | Phosphorus | Iron | Magnesium | Sulphur | Zinc | Chromium | Cobalt | Copper | Fluoride | Iodine | Manganese | Molybdenum | Selenium

Herbs or Botanicals

An herb is a plant or plant part used for its scent, flavor, or therapeutic properties. Herbal medicines are one type of dietary Supplement. They are sold as tablets, capsules, powders, teas, extracts, and fresh or dried plants. People use herbal medicines to try to maintain or improve their health

A botanical is a plant or plant part valued for its medicinal or therapeutic properties, flavor, and/or scent. Herbs are a subset of botanicals. Products made from botanicals that are used to maintain or improve health may be called herbal products, botanical products, or phytomedicines.

10 popular Botanicals

Turmeric: Ease arthritis

Cinnamon: Lower blood sugar

Rosemary: Avoid carcinogens

Ginger: Avert nausea

Holy Basil: Combat stress

St. John's Wort: Soothe your worries

Garlic: Lower cancer risk

Green tea: aid in weight loss

Echinacea: strengthen immune system

Ginseng: elevating energy levels

Mind and Body Practices

Massage therapy

Meditation

Acupuncture

Spirituality

Visual or guided imagery 

breathing exercises

Hypnotherapy

Tai chi

Massage Therapy

People use massage for a variety of health-related purposes, including to relieve pain, rehabilitate sports injuries, reduce stress, increase relaxation, address anxiety and depression, and aid general wellness.

Meditation

meditation is a state of deep peace that occurs when the mind is calm and silent.

Meditation for 15 minutes 2 times per day have shown to have beneficial results

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a technique in which practitioners stimulate specific points on the body—most often by inserting thin needles through the skinYou may try acupuncture for symptomatic relief of a variety of diseases and conditions, including: Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting Fibromyalgia Headaches Labor pain Low back painMenstrual cramps Migraines Osteoarthritis Dental pain Tennis elbow

Spirituality

Researchers found that spirituality, when combined with conventional medicine, was an important component in the healing process and was of benefit not only to the patient but also to caregivers and healthcare professionals

Visual or guided imagery 

Visual or guided imagery is a technique that encourages the patient to relax by focusing on calming thoughts or experiences.

Guided imagery has many uses. You can use it to promote relaxation, which can lower blood pressure and reduce other problems related to stress. You can also use it to help reach goals (such as losing weight or quitting smoking), manage pain, and promote healing. Using guided imagery can even help you to prepare for an athletic event or for public speaking.

Breathing Exercise

Deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress in the body. This is because when you breathe deeply it sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. The brain then sends this message to your body. Those things that happen when you are stressed, such as increased heart rate, fast breathing, and high blood pressure, all decrease as you breathe deeply to relax

hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy — Hypnosis is a state of altered consciousness that allows you to focus away from your pain, anxiety, or nausea. You are not sleeping while hypnotized but are actually in a state of heightened imagination, similar to daydreaming. An expert can hypnotize an individual, or you can learn self-hypnosis techniques. Hypnosis is safe and has few side effects

Tai Chi

Tai chi is an ancient Chinese tradition of self-defense that is practiced as a form of exercise. Tai chi includes a series of movements that are executed in a slow, focused method along with deep breathing. There are specific styles of Tai chi that focus in on health maintenance

Tai CHI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=MXbwIfqSq_Q

Mind and Body Practices Statistics

Are You Considering Complementary Medicine?

Key Points Find out and consider what scientific studies have been done on the safety and

effectiveness of the complementary product or practice that interests you. Discuss the information with your doctor before making a decision.

If you are considering a therapy provided by a complementary medicine practitioner,

such as acupuncture. choose the practitioner as carefully as you would choose a conventional health care provider.

If you are considering a dietary supplement A product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements and treats them as foods, not drugs. , such as an herbal product, find out about any potential side effects or interactions with medications you may be taking.

Complementary products or practices that have not been proven safe and effective should never be used as a replacement for conventional medical treatment or as a reason to postpone seeing a health care provider about any health problem.

Tell all your health care providers about any complementary approaches you use.

Knowledge is power

Think twice about chasing the latest headline. Sound health advice is generally based on research over time, not a single study touted by the media. Be wary of results claiming a "quick fix" that departs from scientific research and established dietary guidance.

More may not be better. Some products can be harmful when consumed in high amounts, for a long time, or in combination with certain other substances.

Learn to spot false claims. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Examples of false claims on product labels include:

Quick and effective "cure-all" Can treat or cure disease "Totally safe," "all natural," and has "definitely no side effects" Other red flags include claims about limited availability, offers of

"no-risk, money-back guarantees," and requirements for advance payment.

Food and Drug Administration

The manufacturer of a dietary supplement or dietary ingredient is responsible for ensuring that the product is safe before it is marketed.

FDA is responsible for taking action against any unsafe dietary supplement product after it reaches the market.

WORD SEARCH

QUESTIONS

Resources  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2013). National Center for Complementary

and Alternative Medicine. Retrieved from http://nccam.nih.gov   Mayo Clinic Staff. (2013). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com   Ernst, MD, PhD, E. (2013). Uptodate. Retrieved from http://www.uptodate.com   WebMD. (2013). WebMD. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com   National Institue of Health. (2013). Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved from

http://ods.od.nih.gov   Kalish, N. (2013). Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.prevention.com   The Johns Hopkins University. (2013). Johns Hopkins Medicine. Retrieved from

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org   U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2013). U.S Food and Drug

Administration. Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov