Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) refers to diverse healthcare products and services considered to be outside the conventional medicine. CAM comes in five categories namely, mind-body medicine, energy therapies, manipulative and body-based methods, whole medical systems and biologically-based therapies. According to the 2008 National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), people use alternative medicine as a replacement for conventional medicine whereas complimentary medicine supplements traditional medicine. People use CAM to prevent or maintain illnesses and to treat actual sicknesses. While others believe that CAM are not effective in disease treatment and management, CAM proves to be the best alternative and supplement to conventional medicine.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine and a Healthy Lifestyle
Complementary and Alternative Medicine leads the user to choose a healthy lifestyle by promoting their bodies’ wellness. Use of CAM incorporates practices such as reducing stress, engaging in regular exercise of the body together with the constant intake of a healthy diet. CAM users consider their health to be a personal responsibility, hence there is a need for their bodies’ health to be in harmony with nature (Kraft, 2009). By taking a wholesome approach of ensuring the wellbeing of the body, mind, and spirit, health becomes a personal wellness activity. As part of self-care, CAM users always make positive health behaviors to their bodies. CAM users also engage in clear lifestyle choices, especially in health-related activities. Such users often avoid a highly technologically advanced medicine, which is usually costly. The effectiveness of CAM use offers their customers an opportunity to use relatively cheap alternate remedies while making less expensive health care choices.
Responsibility for Health and Holistic Healing
Moreover, CAM enables individuals to be more responsible for their health. The reason is that holistic healing teaches patients to regain the balance between their body and mind since the pains and illnesses they feel are caused by imbalance in their systems (Kraft, 2009). CAM focuses on helping patients pinpoint the root cause of an illness and to treat such root cause, instead of healing the warning signs. As such, individuals learn how they can maintain their overall health to realize long-standing optimal health, hence becoming more proactive and empowered in taking care of their bodies and minds.
CAM as Sole, Supportive, or Primary Treatments
Furthermore, CAM can work as sole, supportive, or primary treatments. Recent studies have established that certain foods and herbs help in healing and controlling diabetes respectively (Chang " Gershwin, 2013). Individuals who have depression and anxiety also benefit from taking certain herbs and doing yoga. Similarly, therapeutic massage has been found to help relieve joint and muscle pain. Better still, some complementary therapies entail using only natural ingredients in treatments and medications, all which are readily available in the garden, kitchen cabinet, and natural surroundings (Chang " Gershwin, 2013). For instance, yoga, a common alternative therapy, necessitates only a mat. Such therapies can also be done anywhere without necessitating special equipment.
Pessimistic Views on CAM
Pessimistic views argue against the use of CAM based on the gaps that the service presents. For instance, they contend that there is no evidence on the successful extensive range use of such medicine. Unlike evidence-based medicine that has substantial proof that can back it up, CAM seems to a gamble in the healthcare system (Chang " Gershwin, 2013). Apart from testimonials and information gathered from surveys, little evidence exists to support the use of such alternative medical services. Additionally, alternative medicine does not provide clear cost implications to its use. Cost implication acts as one of the measures of the effectiveness of such medication. National Health Interview Survey’s 2002 report states that besides the conventional medicine health care system, CAM consumers have already spent approximately $34 billion per year on medication. From the statistics, the cost seems to be high through the CAM system claims that the price is quite low compared to conventional medicine. Additionally, CAM users may become victims of inferior product quality with less effective treatment content coupled with the risk of long-term toxicity. However, despite these disadvantages of CAM, their benefits still outweigh their limitations.
Integrative Medicine and the Future of CAM
Overall, with necessary actions, CAM proves to be the best alternative and supplement to conventional medicine. In as much as pessimistic insights on the use of CAM argue that there is limited scientific research with regards to their effectiveness, and potentially dangerous interactions, such concerns should not prevent people from using such medicine. Rather, the concerns should serve to offer more insight in the process of decision making. With integrative medicine, the best version of CAM can be achieved. Scientists and medical stakeholders need to take a keen look at CAM, break down the components of such medicine for analysis and in the end come up with the best version of CAM medicine (Ernst, 2009). Integrative medicine allows the interaction of CAM with evidence-based medicine in creating a diverse health care system. Such an interaction gets rid of the gaps in CAM while improving on conventional medicine. Therefore, despite the shortcomings within the CAM healthcare system, there is room for improvement and the creation of a better system.
References
Chang, C., " Gershwin, M. E. (2013). Integrative medicine in allergy and immunology. Clinical reviews in allergy " immunology, 44(3), 208-228.
Ernst, E. (2009). Complementary and alternative medicine: between evidence and absurdity. Perspectives in biology and medicine, 52(2), 289-303.
Kraft, K. (2009). Complementary/Alternative Medicine in the context of prevention of disease and maintenance of health. Preventive medicine, 49(2-3), 88-92.
