| Complementary and Alternative Medicine or CAM are | | | | treatment such as acupuncture, homeopathy, |
| diagnostic or therapeutic techniques that are outside | | | | Chinese herbal medicine, Ayurvedic and more. |
| the mainstream of Western medicine. Alternative | | | | Therapies such as biofeedback, massage, and |
| medicine is used in place of conventional medicine | | | | exercise are also considered alternative medicine. |
| while complementary medicine is used along with | | | | Alternative medicine includes various systems of |
| conventional medicine though some of the | | | | healing or treating disease such as chiropractic, |
| treatments methods are the same. Although most | | | | homeopathy, and faith healing. Alternative medicine is |
| people utilize mainstream medicine for diagnosis and | | | | a comprehensive approach to healing that uses |
| basic information, many are now turning to | | | | natural methods to bring physical, mental, emotional, |
| alternatives for what they believe to be total body | | | | and spiritual harmony. Alternative medicine systems |
| health-enhancing measures. | | | | believe body has a network of channels (meridians) |
| CAM is very popular with people who are terminally ill | | | | that carry a subtle form of life energy. Since it uses |
| and has also been used on animals. There have also | | | | a holistic approach and time-tested, natural remedies, |
| been sufficient instances of "inexplicable" extension of | | | | hands-on treatments to help enable the body's own |
| life and other significant health benefits for people | | | | innate powers to do the healing, alternative medicine |
| who have pursued these options that the Western | | | | requires the patient to take a highly active part in |
| health systems are now seriously starting to further | | | | healing their own body including prevention and |
| assess these systems. Alternative medicine is a fairly | | | | treatment. |
| broad term which covers many different methods of | | | | |