Complementary and Alternative Medicine CAM Learning objectives What

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)

Learning objectives • • • What is ‘conventional’ medicine? How is the scientific method used to determine the efficacy of a particular treatment? What is a clinical trial? What is ‘double blind’? What is the placebo effect? What are ‘complementary’, ‘alternative’, and ‘integrative’ approaches to treatment? What are some (general) benefits and risks of treatment with dietary supplements or herbal medicines? Understand that scientific studies on Mind-body practices such as taichi, yoga, hypnosis, meditation etc as well as holistic approaches such as traditional chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, homeopathy, and naturopathy. have mostly failed to show much benefit of the treatment except generally for pain reduction. This may be due to a lack of such studies (they are very difficult to do well), or a small effect of the treatment that is difficult to pinpoint.

Conventional medicine • • Pathogens and organic changes to body cause illness Reductionist — body is like a machine that can be reduced to its parts and individual parts can be treated Illness is defined by a set of symptoms that are similar for everyone that has the illness. Investigations into cause of disease happen via scientific method.

Placebo effect • Measurable, observable, or reported improvement in health or behavior not attributable to medicine or invasive treatment that has been administered

Clinical trials • • The last step in developing treatments Control for placebo effect Double-blind Assess risks and efficacy of treatment

CAM • • • Complementary Medicine: Used WITH conventional medicine Alternative Medicine: Used in place of conventional medicine Integrative medicine: CAM treatments integrated into and coordinated with conventional medicine

Natural Products • • Dietary supplements Herbal medicines

Mind-body practices • Acupuncture and acupressure

Mind-body practices • Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Yoga

Mind-body practices • Hypnosis

Mind-body practices • Meditation

Mind-body practices • Massage

Mind-body practices • chiropractic medicine

Other holistic approaches • Traditional Chinese medicine

Other holistic approaches • Ayurvedic medicine

Other holistic approaches • homeopathy

Other holistic approaches • naturopathy

HOW DO WE CHOOSE? • • • Making decisions about CAM is difficult • Very little information • Information on internet is often advertisement or other promotion Sickness caused by pathogens Pain Evaluate YOUR symptoms Coordinate with a doctor Don’t delay care that is known to be effective.