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Complementary and Alternative Medicine

The treatments used by most doctors are considered conventional medicine. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) consists of a group of health care practices and products that are considered out of the mainstream.

An "out-of-the-mainstream" treatment is called complementary if you use it together with conventional medicine. For example, using acupuncture along with painkilling drugs to reduce labor pains. A treatment is called alternative if you use it instead of conventional medicine. For example, using acupuncture as your only treatment for headache.

Many studies have looked at how well CAM therapies work. Yet, there are still many unanswered questions. Key questions include: Are these therapies safe? Do they work for the diseases or medical conditions they are used for?

If you choose to try a CAM treatment, be sure to talk to your doctor first. He or she can tell you if the therapy might be helpful. You should also ask your doctor if the therapy is safe to try with your current treatments.

It's especially important to talk to your doctor about any herbal treatments you might be using. Some CAM products, although derived from plants, can cause health problems. For instance, ephedra, a Chinese herbal product, was being sold in the United States to help people lose weight and to improve athletic performance. Because ephedra increased the risk of heart problems and stroke, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the sale of ephedra.

Also, some CAM products interfere with how prescription drugs work. For instance, St. John's wort, which some people take to treat depression, can interfere with drugs for treating HIV, cancer, and other diseases. It may also cause birth control pills not to work as well. St. John's wort is also dangerous when combined with traditional anti-depressants.

Additional Resources

Publications

Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Cancer Treatment: Questions and Answers — This fact sheet introduces complementary and alternative therapies, explaining what they are, and how they are used today. It explains how the National Institutes of Health evaluates alternative therapies and lists clinical trials for the study of alternative therapies. It also provides advice for patients on what to do when considering complementary and alternative therapies.

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/therapy/CAM

Medicines and You: A Guide for Older Americans — This booklet provides a guide for older Americans on how to manage taking their prescription medications.

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/ucm163959.htm

Menopausal Symptoms and CAM — Many women and their health care providers have become interested in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for menopausal symptoms. This fact sheet is based on findings from a 2005 National Institutes of Health (NIH) State-of-the-Science (SoS) conference on the management of menopause-related symptoms. It answers some frequently asked questions and lists resources for more information.

http://nccam.nih.gov/health/menopause/menopausesymptoms.htm

What Is Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)? — This publication contains information on what complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is, the different types of CAM that exist, and what the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) does in the field of CAM. It also provides a list of resources for additional information on CAM.

http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (Copyright © AARP) — This publication provides information on the different types of alternative treatments, finding good care, and the safety, effectiveness, and quality of alternative treatments. If also provides a list of things to consider before selecting an alternative care provider.

http://www.aarp.org/health/staying_healthy/prevention/complementary_and_alternative_medicine.html...

Complementary and Alternative Medicines (Copyright © FHA) — This publication explains what alternative therapies are and how they are used and provides information on the safety, possible side effects, and regulations for dietary supplements. It also gives a description of some of the more common alternative therapies used by older adults.

http://www.healthinaging.org/agingintheknow/chapters_ch_trial.asp?ch=7

Organizations

= Indicates Federal Resources

Content last updated March 5, 2009.