| Complementary and Alternative Medicine or CAM are | | | | approach and time-tested, natural remedies, hands-on |
| diagnostic or therapeutic techniques that are outside | | | | treatments to help enable the body's own innate |
| the mainstream of Western medicine. Alternative | | | | powers to do the healing, alternative medicine |
| medicine is used in place of conventional medicine | | | | requires the patient to take a highly active part in |
| while complementary medicine is used along with | | | | healing their own body including prevention and |
| conventional medicine though some of the | | | | treatment. Complementary Medicine is sometimes |
| treatments methods are the same. Although most | | | | used by "conventional" medical practitioners as an add |
| people utilize mainstream medicine for diagnosis and | | | | on to "conventional" medical treatments such as |
| basic information, many are now turning to | | | | drugs and surgery. Complementary therapies are |
| alternatives for what they believe to be total body | | | | used to improve wellness, prevent disease or treat |
| health-enhancing measures. CAM is very popular with | | | | health problems but the most popular and prevalent |
| people who are terminally ill and has also been used | | | | use remains pain control. Included in complementary |
| on animals. There have also been sufficient instances | | | | medicine are a large number of practices and |
| of "inexplicable" extension of life and other significant | | | | systems of health care like acupuncture, |
| health benefits for people who have pursued these | | | | homeopathy, aromatherapy, osteopathy, reflexology |
| options that the Western health systems are now | | | | and chiropractic that for many reasons have not |
| seriously starting to further assess these systems. | | | | been fully adopted by mainstream medicine. |
| Alternative medicine is a fairly broad term which | | | | Complementary medicine also includes dietary and |
| covers many different methods of treatment such | | | | nutritional therapies such as macrobiotics, |
| as acupuncture, homeopathy, Chinese herbal | | | | vegetarianism, and orthomolecular medicine. Although |
| medicine, Ayurvedic and more. Therapies such as | | | | CAM is starting to gain popularity in the West, most |
| biofeedback, massage, and exercise are also | | | | clinical research by the health care industry continues |
| considered alternative medicine. Alternative medicine | | | | to focus on the success of each single modality or |
| includes various systems of healing or treating | | | | therapy within these systems. This is unfortunate as |
| disease such as chiropractic, homeopathy, and faith | | | | CAM is generally based on the belief that you need |
| healing. Alternative medicine is a comprehensive | | | | to, simultaneously, treat the whole person - body, |
| approach to healing that uses natural methods to | | | | mind, and spirit - which can include the use of many |
| bring physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual | | | | therapies at the same time. |
| harmony. Alternative medicine systems believe body | | | | Ann is a home based business entrepreneur who |
| has a network of channels (meridians) that carry a | | | | researches popular topics and reviews many internet |
| subtle form of life energy. Since it uses a holistic | | | | products. |