The terms complementary medicine or alternative medicine refer to a broad. Over 30 percent of americans use some form of nonconventional medicine, according to the national center for complementary and integrative health. Types of alternative medicine the term alternative medicine denotes any method of treatment other than conventional medicine. Traditional medicine is defined as the sum total of the knowledge, skill and practices based on the theories, beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness. Nccam groups alternative medicine practices into the following categories. Pdf it has been estimated that twothirds of the worlds population seek health care from sources other than conventional biomedicine. Alternative medicine is not medicine the stanford daily. Cam refers to forms of health care that are used in addition complementary or instead of. If youll permit the oversimplification, one can imagine a spectrum of tolerance.
Gale encyclopedia of alternative medicine, 2nd edition. Standard care is what medical doctors, doctors of osteopathy, and allied health professionals, such as nurses and physical therapists, practice. There are many definitions of cam, none of them perfect. Alternative medicine definition of alternative medicine. The national center for complementary and alternative medicine nccam is a government agency that performs research in the field. Naturopathic medicine is premised on the healing power of nature, and its a broad branch of alternative medicine. Alternative medicine is used in place of standard medical care. Naturopathic doctors are trained in both conventional and alternative medicines. Complementary medicine is used in addition to conventional medicine, while alternative medicine replaces conventional medicine. Alternative medicine is the term for medical products and practices that are not part of standard care. Exploring the science of complementary and alternative. Its safe to say that most everyone allows for some form of mysticism in their lives.
If a nonmainstream practice is used together with conventional medicine, its considered complementary. Cam stands for complementary or alternative medicine. Pdf to know the research progress of cupping therapy all over the world, the authors analyze the research of cupping therapy in recent 5 years. Alternative medicine definition is any of various systems of healing or treating disease such as chiropractic, homeopathy, or faith healing not included in the.
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