Complementary and alternative medicine: What is it?

Start sneezing and before you know it, your friends are suggesting you try this or that herb or homeopathic remedy. You wonder if you should follow their advice. You've heard about complementary and alternative medicine (called CAM for short), but you don't know that much about it. Before you decide, get the facts. And make sure to talk with your doctor before you try something new — especially if you're pregnant or nursing, take medications, or have chronic health problems.

Because of the increasing popularity of complementary and alternative medicine — nearly 40 percent of U.S. adults report using it — doctors are learning more about these nonconventional approaches. When doctors use the term "alternative medicine," they're referring to practices not typically used in conventional Western medicine. Exactly what's considered alternative medicine changes constantly as more treatments undergo study and move into the mainstream. When an alternative medicine therapy is used in addition to — not instead of — conventional therapy, it's called complementary. And when you use a complementary therapy in addition to a conventional one, it's called integrative medicine.

What are some examples of complementary and alternative medicine?

To make sense of the many therapies available, it helps to look at how they are classified by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), the lead agency that funds for scientific research on CAM in the United States. The NCCAM categories are:

• Whole medical systems
• Mind-body medicine
• Biologically based practices
• Manipulative and body-based practices
• Energy medicine

Keep in mind, however, that the distinctions between therapies aren't always clear-cut, and some systems use techniques from more than one category.

Whole medical systems
A system isn't just a single practice or remedy — such as massage — but many practices that center on a philosophy, such as the power of nature or the presence of energy in your body. Examples of whole medical systems include:

• Ancient healing systems. These healing systems arose long before conventional Western medicine and include ayurveda from India and traditional Chinese medicine.
• Homeopathy. This approach uses minute doses of a substance that causes symptoms to stimulate the body's self-healing response.
• Naturopathy. This approach focuses on noninvasive treatments to help your body do its own healing and uses a variety of practices, such as massage, acupuncture, herbal remedies, exercise and lifestyle counseling.

Mind-body medicine
Mind-body techniques strengthen the communication between your mind and your body. Complementary and alternative medicine practitioners say these two systems must be in harmony for you to stay healthy. Examples of mind-body connection techniques include meditation, prayer, and relaxation and art therapies.

Biologically based practices
Examples include dietary supplements and herbal remedies. These treatments use ingredients found in nature. Examples of herbs include ginseng, ginkgo and echinacea, while examples of other dietary supplements include selenium, glucosamine sulfate and SAMe. Herbs and supplements can be taken as teas, oils, syrups, powders, tablets or capsules.

Manipulation and body-based practices
These methods use human touch to move or manipulate a specific part of your body. They include chiropractic and osteopathic manipulation and massage.

Energy medicine
Some complementary and alternative medicine practitioners believe an invisible energy force flows through your body, and when this energy flow is blocked or unbalanced you can become sick. Different traditions call this energy by different names, such as chi, prana and life force. The goal of these therapies is to unblock or re-balance your energy force. Energy therapies include qi gong, therapeutic touch, reiki and magnet therapy.

Why are some doctors hesitant about complementary and alternative medicine?

Many conventional doctors practicing today did not receive training in CAM therapies, so they may not feel comfortable making recommendations or addressing questions in this area. However, as the evidence for certain therapies increases, doctors are increasingly open to complementary and alternative medicine.

At the same time, conventional doctors also have good reason to be cautious when it comes to complementary and alternative medicine. Conventional medicine values therapies that have been demonstrated through research and testing to be safe and effective. While scientific evidence exists for some CAM therapies, for many there are key questions that are yet to be answered. In addition, some practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine make exaggerated claims about curing diseases, and some ask you to forgo treatment from your conventional doctor. For these reasons, many doctors are conservative about recommending CAM therapies.

Why is there a lack of evidence about complementary and alternative treatments?

One reason for the lack of research in complementary and alternative treatments is that large, carefully controlled medical studies are costly. Trials for conventional medications or procedures are often directly or indirectly funded by the government or drug companies, giving conventional treatments more resources to do studies. CAM trials are more difficult to fund, so there are fewer trials. Nonetheless, a number of studies are under way on CAM treatments ranging from herbs to yoga. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is the lead U.S. agency that supports research into complementary and alternative treatments, and it makes research findings available on its Web site.

Talk to your doctor about risks and benefits of complementary and alternative treatments

Work with your conventional medical doctor to help you make informed decisions regarding complementary and alternative treatments. Even if your doctor can't recommend a specific complementary and alternative treatment, he or she can help you understand possible risks and benefits before you try a treatment. Though some of these treatments can be helpful, many have side effects and can cause problems with certain medications or health conditions. A final piece of advice: Don't forget to tell your primary care doctor if you're using any alternative therapies. And don't stop or change your conventional treatment — such as your prescription medications — without talking to your doctor first.