Complementary
and Alternative Medicine
Definitions
Types
of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
Safety Issues
More Information
University
News
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
The use of complementary and alternative medical practices (CAM) continues to be a controversial subject today. Many people believe that these medical practices are beneficial while others are concerned about the effectiveness and safety of these practices. The popularity of these treatments has grown rapidly over the past decade. In 1997 alone, Americans spent about $21 billion dollars for these treatments. In 2001, the amount spent is estimated to be much higher. This issue of Health in Our Hands will discuss different types of alternative and complementary medicine and associated safety concerns.
The terms complementary and alternative
medicine describe a large variety of healing practices and beliefs.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM),
a division of the National Institutes of
Health, defines this field as “those treatments and healthcare practices
not taught widely in medical schools, not generally used in hospitals,
and not usually reimbursed by medical insurance companies.”
Alternative medicine is when these nontraditional types of
treatments are used alone. Complementary medicine
is when alternative treatments are used in combination with conventional
treatments. Practices can also be described as holistic which
means the provider considers the whole person, including the physical,
mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of self.
Types of Alternative and Complementary Treatments
The NCCAM groups CAM into five
basic categories. These include: 1)alternative medical systems, 2)mind-body
interventions, 3)biologically-based treatments, 4)manipulative and body-based
methods, and 5)energy therapies.
1) Some examples of alternative medical
systems are acupuncture, and homeopathic and naturopathic medicines.
Acupuncture usually involves puncturing the skin with a needle in order
to stimulate specific anatomic points in the body for therapeutic purposes.
Homeopathic medicine is based
on the principle that “like cures like.” The belief is that if large
doses of a substance cause an illness, then very small doses of the same
substance will cure the illness. Homeopaths use small doses of specially
prepared plant extracts and minerals to stimulate the body’s defense mechanisms
and healing processes to treat illnesses.
Naturopathic medicine believes
that disease is manifestations of alterations of the processes the body
uses to naturally heal itself. The big emphasis of this treatment
is on health restoration instead of disease treatment. Some of these
practices include: diet and clinical nutrition, acupuncture, herbs, spinal
and soft-tissue manipulation, and hydrotherapy.
2) Mind-body interventions include
many kinds of techniques that all aim to use the mind to affect bodily
function and symptoms. Some of these treatments, such as patient
education and cognitive-behavioral approaches, have been proven effective
and are now a major part of mainstream medicine. Other CAM techniques
are meditation, some forms of hypnosis, dance therapy, music therapy, art
therapy, and mental healing.
3) Natural and biologically-based
practices, interventions, and products make up the category of biologically
based therapies. Many of these products overlap with
dietary supplements often used in conventional medicine. Some of
these include: herbal medicines, special dietary, orthomolecular, and individual
biological therapies. Herbal therapies use individual or mixtures
of herbs for therapeutic values. Herbs are any plants or plant part
that produces and contains chemical substances that act on the body.
Some examples of specific herbal medicines include St. John’s Wort, gingko
biloba, and
milk thistle. Orthomolecular therapies treat disorders
by using varying concentrations of chemicals like magnesium, melatonin,
and mega-doses of vitamins. Some biological therapies include using
bee pollen to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and shark cartilage
to treat cancer.
4) Manipulative and body-based
methods are areas which include well-known treatments like massage
and manual manipulation.
5) Energy therapies focus on
energy fields originating within the body (called biofields) or from energy
fields from other sources (electromagnetic fields). Biofield therapies
are meant to affect the energy fields that surround and penetrate the human
body. However, these fields have not yet been proven to exist.
Some examples of these treatments are Qi gong, Reiki, and Therapeutic Touch.
Qi gong is a combination of movement, meditation, and regulated breathing
meant to improve the
flow of vital energy into the body while improving circulation
and increasing immune function. Reiki is used based on the belief
that channeling spiritual energy through the healthcare practitioner will
heal the patient’s spirit and eventually their body. The basis of
Therapeutic Touch is that the healing force of the therapist enhances the
patient’s recovery and that healing is promoted when the different energies
of the body are in balance. Some bioelectromagnetic therapies use
different fields or currents to treat disorders like cancer, asthma, and
migraine headaches.
Both the safety and effectiveness
of many of these treatments continues to be debated. These CAM treatments
are not evaluated using standards required for mainstream medicines and
treatments. For example, herbal supplements are not subjected
to an extensive premarket approval by the FDA. The FDA can only remove
these products if they are found to be unsafe. Another problem is
that herbal products can be marketed without stating standards for dosage
or evidence of safety.
The best way to make an informed decision is to do research
on a particular treatment you are interested in. More research is
now becoming available on many of these alternative treatments.
Another important safety issue
deals with drug interactions. Studies have shown that a large number
of people who regularly take prescription drugs often take herbal medicines
also. Many people feel that they do not need to tell their physician about
any CAM treatments. On the contrary, it is extremely important to
inform your physician about these or any other drugs. Many herbal
medicines can cause reactions when combined with prescription medications.
There are many different types
of herbal medicines available on the market today. Some common
herbal medicines include St. John’s wort, gingko biloba, and glucosamine.
St. John’s wort is often taken for depression and other psychological problems.
When this drug is taken in combination with prescription antidepressants
like Prozac, the person may experience tremors, nervousness, confusion,
or nausea. Gingko biloba is often taken to improve memory.
When it is combined with blood thinners like aspirin or Coumadin, it can
cause easy bruising, bleeding gums, nosebleeds, or problems during surgery.
Glucosamine may interfere with diabetic medicines and will require dosage
alterations. These are only a few possible drug interactions, but
these examples show the importance of talking to your physician about all
medications you currently take including prescriptions, over-the-counter
drugs, and herbal medicines.
For more information about alternative and complementary medicine, check out the NCCAM’s website at http://nccam.nih.gov/nccam/ Contact the medical regulatory and licensing agencies for Arkansas in order to find a qualified complementary and alternative medical healthcare practitioner. The NIH recently made CAM information available for searches on PubMed. This provides direct access to over 220,000 references and abstracts about CAM. Many full text articles are also available about these topics.
* Mark your calendar for the annual Race for the Cure
on September 29 in Little Rock.
* The College of Nursing
and Health Professions will be hosting a free program titled “A Public
Health Response to Asthma” on May 17, 2001. This program is open
to the public. The program will be from 12:00 - 2:30 in CNHP Room
601.
* The Wilson Student Health Center would like to ask
all faculty to encourage students to join the Peer Education Team.
For more details, contact the Health Center at ext. 2054.
* This will be our final issue of Health in Our Hands
before the summer break. See you in August!
ooOoo
The Arkansas State University Employee Wellness Newsletter is published monthly during the academic year by the College of Nursing and Health Professions. Health questions can be addressed to Dean Susan Hanrahan, Ph. D., ext. 3112 or hanrahan@crow.astate.edu.
Produced by Kimberly McGaughey, graduate student in the
College of Nursing and Health Professions, Physical Therapy Program.