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4.3 Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
Are CAMs charlatanism?
The terms “complementary medicine” or
Non-believers of complementary and “alternative medicine” refer to a broad set
alternative medicines place them at the level of health care practices that are not part of
of charlatanism. One of the reasons why they that country’s own tradition or conventional
classified CAM this way is because they have medicine and are not fully integrated into the
no scientific evidence to back them up and dominant health-care system. They are used
because CAMs follow principles different to interchangeably with traditional medicine
those of conventional medicine. They might in some countries. Complementary health
follow explanations that are not rational, such approaches include:
as in the case of acupuncture e.g., insertion of
needles in certain energy points that stimulate Natural products: This group includes a
energy. For the conventional physician the variety of products, such as herbs (also known
explanation would be the activation of nerves as botanicals), vitamins and minerals, and
in the brain, rather than the establishment probiotics. They are widely marketed, readily
of energy. In the case of homeopathy, it is available to consumers, and often sold as
explained, for most physicians, as quackery, dietary supplements.
witchcraft or placebo. For example, in the
1990s, the Order of Physicians referred to Mind and Body Practices: Mind and body
homeopathy as snake oil, because the active practices include a large and diverse group
ingredient of the drug is diluted numerous of procedures or techniques administered or
times that there is no active ingredient in the taught by a trained practitioner or teacher. Yoga,
remedy capable of having an impact. However, chiropractic and osteopathic manipulation, and
according to homeopaths, water has memory meditation are among the most popular mind and
and registers the action of the drugs. body practices used by adults. Other mind and
body practices include acupuncture, relaxation
What are the differences between traditional techniques (such as breathing exercises,
medicine and CAM? What can be considered guided imagery, and progressive muscle
as an alternative medicine? relaxation), tai chi, qi gong, hypnotherapy,
Feldenkrais method, Alexander technique,
Traditional medicine has a long history. It is the Pilates, Rolfing Structural Integration, and
sum total of the knowledge, skill, and practices Trager psychophysical integration.
based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences
indigenous to different cultures, whether Other Complementary Health Approaches:
explicable or not, used in the maintenance of Some complementary approaches may not
health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, neatly fit into either of these groups – for
improvement or treatment of physical and example, the practices of traditional healers,
mental illness. Ayurvedic medicine, traditional Chinese
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