Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been more prevalent in primary care in recent years. The idea of “integrative medicine” has been established as a result of the blending of Western and complementary medicine, and Western medical professionals are increasingly accepting of CAM.

Complementary and alternative medicine is described as “diagnosis, treatment and/or prevention which complements conventional medicine by adding to the total, by addressing a need that is not covered by orthodoxy, or by varying the conceptual frameworks of medicine. There are both therapeutic and diagnostic procedures, making up a bewilderingly wide and heterogeneous variety of techniques.

Among other conditions, Complementary Medicine is frequently used to treat pain, psychological issues, heart and lung conditions, as well as to alleviate the symptoms of cancer pain. This therapeutic strategy places a strong emphasis on client participation while concentrating on the individual’s holistic care. A common tenet of these treatments is that the patient has an innate capacity for self-healing. CAM may be referred to as “natural,” “holistic,” “home remedy”.

Every day, researchers discover new things about CAM treatments, but there is still plenty to discover. This serves as an introduction to the various CAM practices. The efficacy of a few of the therapies described below have undergone further study. Different types of CAM include massage therapy which involves kneading, rubbing, tapping, and stroking the body’s soft tissues, chiropractor treatment which is a technique for manipulating the joints, skeletal system, reflexology, a sort of massage wherein pressure is given to certain locations on the hands or feet that are said to correspond with certain bodily sections, acupuncture, tai chi, qi gong, tui nua, cupping therapy herbal medicine and others.

To ensure a high standard of holistic care and favorable outcomes for the patients, complementary and conventional medicine should be provided side by side with each other by practitioners who are properly trained and governed. Integrated medicine is undoubtedly an appealing idea within the healthcare system. A more accepting and optimistic attitude toward various therapeutic modalities may result from the integration of CAM into the current curriculum of health care practitioners. The promising findings that have already been reported regarding the effects of CAM on patient well-being have been validated by additional randomized studies using more objective measures, large sample sizes, and long-term follow-ups. This has brought about the more people adopting CAM and government, health care systems acknowledging its importance and implementing it.