Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM is a common abbreviation in the USA) is a diverse set of medical and health care systems, practices, and products encompassing both complementary medicine and alternative medicine. It is presently not considered to be part of conventional medicine [1]. Alternative medicine is a broad term for any diagnostic method, method of treatment or therapy, and products whose theo ...

Including:

• Complementary and alternative medicine - Contemporary use of alternative medicine
• Complementary and alternative medicine - The top ten CAM therapies

Read more here: » Complementary and alternative medicine: Encyclopedia - Complementary and alternative medicine

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Complementary and alternative medicine, Complementary and alternative medicine - Contemporary use of alternative medicine, Complementary and alternative medicine - The top ten CAM therapies

Read more here: » Complementary and alternative medicine: Encyclopedia II - Complementary and alternative medicine - Contemporary use of alternative medicine

 Complementary Medicine  - This term often is used synonymously with alternative medicine. However, this name suggests that the procedures complement those considered to be conventional.

(See also: Complementary Medicine, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Health science is the discipline of applied science which deals with human and animal health. There are two parts to health science: the study, research, and knowledge of health and the application of that knowledge to improve health, cure diseases, and understanding how humans and animals function. Research builds on the pure sciences of biology, chemistry, and physics as well as social sciences (for example medical sociology). Health science - Historical overview. The foundations for the health science fi ...

Including:

• Health science - Historical overview
• Health science - Acquisition of health-related knowledge
• Health science - Application of health-related knowledge
• Health science - Health delivery
• Health science - Contemporary themes
• Health science - Health practices
• Health science - Conventional Western practices
• Health science - Complementary and alternative medicine
• Health science - Spiritually-based healing
• Health science - Traditional medicine and folk medicine
• Health science - Health practices of historical interest

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The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine or NCCAM, is a United States government agency. NCCAM is dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science, training complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) researchers, and disseminating authoritative information to the public and professionals. U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Organization and history. The National Center for Complementary and ...

Including:

• U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Organization and history
• U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Role
• U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Operation
• U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Other facts
• U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Sources

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Alternative medicine broadly describes methods and practices used in place of, or in addition to, conventional medical treatments. The precise scope of alternative medicine is a matter of some debate and depends to a great extent on the definition of "conventional medicine." The debate on alternative medicine is complicated further by the diversity of treatments that are categorized as "alternative." These include practices that incorporate spiritual, metaphysical, or religious underpinnings; non-European medical traditions; newly develop ...

Including:

• Alternative medicine - Definitions
• Alternative medicine - A misleading term?
• Alternative medicine - Complementary and alternative medicine
• Alternative medicine - Regulation
• Alternative medicine - Contemporary use of alternative medicine
• Alternative medicine - Medical education
• Alternative medicine - Support for alternative medicine
• Alternative medicine - Efficacy
• Alternative medicine - Danger reduced when used as a complement to conventional medicine
• Alternative medicine - Criticism of alternative medicine
• Alternative medicine - Efficacy
• Alternative medicine - Safety

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Medicine is the branch of health science concerned with maintaining human health or restoring it through the treatment of disease and injury. It is both an area of knowledge – a science of body systems, their diseases and treatment – and the applied practice of that knowledge. The practice of medical care is shared between the medical profession (physicians or doctors) and other groups of professionals such as nurses and pharmacists (sometimes known as allied health professionals). Historically, only th ...

Including:

• Medicine - History of medicine
• Medicine - Practice of medicine
• Medicine - Healthcare delivery systems
• Medicine - Patient-doctor relationship
• Medicine - Clinical skills
• Medicine - Settings where medical care is delivered
• Medicine - Branches of medicine
• Medicine - Basic sciences
• Medicine - Diagnostic specialties
• Medicine - Clinical disciplines
• Medicine - Interdisciplinary fields
• Medicine - Medical education
• Medicine - Medical devices
• Medicine - Legal restrictions
• Medicine - Criticism

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Yoga when used as a form of alternative medicine is a combination of breathing exercises, physical postures, and meditation, practiced for over 5,000 years. Template:CamMenu In India, yoga is a daily part of life. It is common to see people performing yoga in the morning or speaking about food diets and body therapy entirely based on Yoga or the Hindu healing system of Ayurveda. A survey released in May 2004 by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine focused on who used complementary ...

Including:

• Yoga alternative medicine - Overview
• Yoga alternative medicine - Hatha yoga

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Wellness is generally used to mean a healthy balance of the mind-body and spirit that results in an overall feeling of well-being. It has been used in the context of alternative medicine since Halbert Dunn began using the phrase high level wellness in the fifties, based on a series of lectures at a Unitarian Universalist Church in Arlington, Virginia, in the United States. The modern concept of wellness did not, however, become popular until the 1970's.[1] The phrase can be seen as an analogue to the medical term "homeos ...

Including:

• Wellness alternative medicine - Introduction
• Wellness alternative medicine - Wellness programs
• Wellness alternative medicine - Secular-based wellness programs
• Wellness alternative medicine - Faith-based wellness programs

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In alternative medicine, body work or massage therapy refers to any treatment which involves some form of touching or physical manipulation. It refers to massages or the application of pressure or vibration to the soft tissues of the body, including muscles, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, and joints. A survey released in May 2004 by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine focused on who used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), what was used, and why it was used in the United State ...

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The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine defines complementary and alternative medicine as "a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine". One distinction that the NCCAM makes is that complementary medicine is used in conjunction with conventional medicine whereas alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine. The NCCAM also defines integrative medicine as the combination of "mainstream medical therapies and CAM therapies for whi ...

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Alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Complementary and alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Regulation, Alternative medicine - Contemporary use of alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Medical education, Alternative medicine - Support for alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Efficacy, Alternative medicine - Danger reduced when used as a complement to conventional medicine, Alternative medicine - Criticism of alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Efficacy, Alternative medicine - Safety

Read more here: » Alternative medicine: Encyclopedia II - Alternative medicine - Complementary and alternative medicine

NCCAM is dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science, training complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) researchers, and disseminating authoritative information to the public and professionals. The four primary areas of focus are: Research - support clinical and basic science research projects in CAM by awarding grants across the country and around the world; we also design, study, and analyze clinical and laboratory-based studies on the NIH campus i ...

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U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Organization and history, U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Role, U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Operation, U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Other facts, U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Sources

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The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is one of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH) within the Department of Health and Human Services of the federal government of the United States. The NIH is one of eight agencies under the Public Health Service (PHS) in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). NCCAM was established in October 1991, as the Office of Alternative Medicine, which was re-established as the NCCAM in October 1998. Its mission ...

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U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Organization and history, U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Role, U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Operation, U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Other facts, U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Sources

Read more here: » U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Encyclopedia II - U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Organization and history

Complementary medicine: Various “alternative” practices such as meditation, homeopathy, massage, etc., that are not usually considered part of traditional Western medicine. They are most often used in conjunction with (“complementing”) conventional treatments such as surgery and drugs. This approach also focuses on developing a strong relationship of trust and care between patient and caregiver. Integrative medicine is the combination of conventional and complementary medicine.

(See also: Complementary medicine, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Advocates of alternative medicine hold that alternative therapies often provide the public with services not available from conventional medicine. This argument covers a range of areas, such as patient empowerment, alternative methods of pain management, treatment methods that support the biopsychosocial model of health, cures for specific health concerns, stress reduction services, other preventive health services that are not typically a part of conventional medicine, and of course complementary medicine's palliative care which is practiced by such world ren ...

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Alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Complementary and alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Regulation, Alternative medicine - Contemporary use of alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Medical education, Alternative medicine - Support for alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Efficacy, Alternative medicine - Danger reduced when used as a complement to conventional medicine, Alternative medicine - Criticism of alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Efficacy, Alternative medicine - Safety

Read more here: » Alternative medicine: Encyclopedia II - Alternative medicine - Support for alternative medicine

Jurisdiction differs concerning which branches of alternative medicine are legal, which are regulated, and which (if any) are provided by a government-controlled health service or reimbursed by a private health medical insurance company. A number of alternative medicine advocates disagree with the restrictions of government agencies that approve medical treatments (such as the American Food and Drug Administration) and the agencies' adherence to experimental evaluation methods. They claim that this impedes those seeking to bring usefu ...

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Alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Complementary and alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Regulation, Alternative medicine - Contemporary use of alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Medical education, Alternative medicine - Support for alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Efficacy, Alternative medicine - Danger reduced when used as a complement to conventional medicine, Alternative medicine - Criticism of alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Efficacy, Alternative medicine - Safety

Read more here: » Alternative medicine: Encyclopedia II - Alternative medicine - Regulation

Alternative medicine broadly describes methods and practices used in place of, or in addition to, conventional medical treatments. The precise scope of alternative medicine is a matter of some debate and depends to a great extent on the definition of "conventional medicine." The debate on alternative medicine is complicated further by the diversity of treatments that are categorized as "alternative." These include practices that incorporate spiritual, metaphysical, or religious underpinnings; non-European medical traditions; newly developed approaches to healing; and a number of others. Proponents of ...

See also:

Alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Definitions, Alternative medicine - A misleading term?, Alternative medicine - Complementary and alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Regulation, Alternative medicine - Contemporary use of alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Medical education, Alternative medicine - Support for alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Efficacy, Alternative medicine - Danger reduced when used as a complement to conventional medicine, Alternative medicine - Criticism of alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Efficacy, Alternative medicine - Safety

Read more here: » Alternative medicine: Encyclopedia II - Alternative medicine - Definitions

Edzard Ernst wrote in the Medical Journal of Australia that "about half the general population in developed countries use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)" (Ernst 2003). A survey (Barnes et al 2004) released in May 2004 by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health in the United States, found that in 2002, 36% of Americans used some form of alternative therapy in the past 12 months — a category that included yoga, meditation, herbal treatments and the Atkins ...

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Alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Complementary and alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Regulation, Alternative medicine - Contemporary use of alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Medical education, Alternative medicine - Support for alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Efficacy, Alternative medicine - Danger reduced when used as a complement to conventional medicine, Alternative medicine - Criticism of alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Efficacy, Alternative medicine - Safety

Read more here: » Alternative medicine: Encyclopedia II - Alternative medicine - Contemporary use of alternative medicine

Due to the wide range of therapies that are considered to be "alternative medicine" few criticisms apply across the board. For more information about a particular therapy or branch of alternative medicine, including specific criticism, please refer to the following link: List of branches of alternative medicine. Criticisms directed at specific branches of alternative medicine range from the fairly minor (conventional treament is believed to be more effective in a particular area) to in ...

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Alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Complementary and alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Regulation, Alternative medicine - Contemporary use of alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Medical education, Alternative medicine - Support for alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Efficacy, Alternative medicine - Danger reduced when used as a complement to conventional medicine, Alternative medicine - Criticism of alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Efficacy, Alternative medicine - Safety

Read more here: » Alternative medicine: Encyclopedia II - Alternative medicine - Criticism of alternative medicine

See main article: Alternative medicine Many cancer patients seek extra help from complementary and alternative therapies, which fall outside of conventional medicine. Most complementary therapies do not have a firm scientific or evidence base. However, some patients undoubtedly find complementary therapies helpful whilst they are undergoing conventional treatment. Whilst most complementary therapies are harmless, they can be expensive. They may also be positively harmful if the patient forgoes conventional treatment altogether, in order to follow altern ...

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Oncology, Oncology - Diagnosis, Oncology - Therapy, Oncology - Follow-up, Oncology - Palliative care, Oncology - Ethical issues, Oncology - Progress and research in oncology, Oncology - Complementary and Alternative therapies

Read more here: » Oncology: Encyclopedia II - Oncology - Complementary and Alternative therapies