What is complementary medicine?
Complementary medicine, or complementary therapy, is generally used to maintain or improve wellness and treat health problems. It is any health approach that is not a part of your medical doctor's conventional practice and standard clinical care. Therefore, what may be considered complementary or alternative in one culture may be considered conventional or standard in another. For example:
* Acupuncture is standard in China but is unconventional in the United States.
* Hypnosis is a standard part of psychiatry and psychology, but it may be considered alternative when used in the treatment of cancer.
Is research being done on complementary medicine?
Many complementary therapies have not yet been scientifically studied for safety or effectiveness. Traditional research techniques may not be effective or appropriate for studying certain complementary therapies, such as prayer or music therapy, whose very nature makes them difficult to evaluate.
In the U.S., the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine was formed within the National Institutes of Health to test the safety and effectiveness of complementary medical treatments. The center will develop guidelines to help you choose safe and appropriate complementary therapies.
What are the risks of complementary medicine?
The greatest risk of using complementary medicine is that you will not seek diagnosis or treatment from a practitioner of conventional medicine. Complementary medicine should enhance, or "complement," treatment from your medical doctor. Avoiding conventional treatment can mean missing important, even lifesaving, diagnosis and treatment.
There is also the potential for dangerous interactions between complementary medicine and conventional medicine. It is important that you consult your primary doctor about any complementary therapy you are considering. The FDA regulates many complementary medicines as "dietary supplements," but the potency of products may vary greatly between manufacturers.
Since there is generally less regulation of complementary medicine, you may risk becoming a victim of health fraud or quackery. Be wary of practitioners who require large payments up-front, promise quick and miraculous results, and warn you not to trust your doctor.
What are the benefits of complementary medicine?
One benefit of complementary medicine is in the holistic approach of many of its practitioners. Many of them take an hour or more to ask you questions about your lifestyle, habits, and background in order to get a better idea of your overall health. Most complementary medicine practitioners and many medical doctors use this "whole person" approach, which makes many people feel better about their practitioners, their treatments, and their conditions.
In some cases complementary therapies work as well as conventional therapies. For example, recent research shows St. John's wort can treat mild to moderate depression but also moderate to severe depression as effectively as a commonly prescribed antidepressant medication while causing fewer side effects. 1
A person who seeks complementary medicine often feels a sense of empowerment from being more involved in maintaining his or her own health. And since most complementary medicine emphasizes the connection between mind and body, many people who use it feel better because they are working toward overall wellness instead of just relief from a specific condition.
Complementary medicine, or complementary therapy, is generally used to maintain or improve wellness and treat health problems. It is any health approach that is not a part of your medical doctor's conventional practice and standard clinical care. Therefore, what may be considered complementary or alternative in one culture may be considered conventional or standard in another. For example:
* Acupuncture is standard in China but is unconventional in the United States.
* Hypnosis is a standard part of psychiatry and psychology, but it may be considered alternative when used in the treatment of cancer.
Is research being done on complementary medicine?
Many complementary therapies have not yet been scientifically studied for safety or effectiveness. Traditional research techniques may not be effective or appropriate for studying certain complementary therapies, such as prayer or music therapy, whose very nature makes them difficult to evaluate.
In the U.S., the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine was formed within the National Institutes of Health to test the safety and effectiveness of complementary medical treatments. The center will develop guidelines to help you choose safe and appropriate complementary therapies.
What are the risks of complementary medicine?
The greatest risk of using complementary medicine is that you will not seek diagnosis or treatment from a practitioner of conventional medicine. Complementary medicine should enhance, or "complement," treatment from your medical doctor. Avoiding conventional treatment can mean missing important, even lifesaving, diagnosis and treatment.
There is also the potential for dangerous interactions between complementary medicine and conventional medicine. It is important that you consult your primary doctor about any complementary therapy you are considering. The FDA regulates many complementary medicines as "dietary supplements," but the potency of products may vary greatly between manufacturers.
Since there is generally less regulation of complementary medicine, you may risk becoming a victim of health fraud or quackery. Be wary of practitioners who require large payments up-front, promise quick and miraculous results, and warn you not to trust your doctor.
What are the benefits of complementary medicine?
One benefit of complementary medicine is in the holistic approach of many of its practitioners. Many of them take an hour or more to ask you questions about your lifestyle, habits, and background in order to get a better idea of your overall health. Most complementary medicine practitioners and many medical doctors use this "whole person" approach, which makes many people feel better about their practitioners, their treatments, and their conditions.
In some cases complementary therapies work as well as conventional therapies. For example, recent research shows St. John's wort can treat mild to moderate depression but also moderate to severe depression as effectively as a commonly prescribed antidepressant medication while causing fewer side effects. 1
A person who seeks complementary medicine often feels a sense of empowerment from being more involved in maintaining his or her own health. And since most complementary medicine emphasizes the connection between mind and body, many people who use it feel better because they are working toward overall wellness instead of just relief from a specific condition.
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