Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Complementary and Alternative Medicine, often abbreviated CAM, is a field that is continuing to grow. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine defines CAM as a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine.

Some of the practices that currently fall under the category of CAM, at least in the United States, include chiropractic care, acupuncture, meditation and even prayer. Complementary medicine is used along with conventional treatments. Alternative therapies are used instead of conventional treatments.

Herbal, naturopathic and homeopathic remedies also fall under the broad heading of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Naturopathic remedies may include all herbal medicine, but complete treatment plans usually include dietary and lifestyle changes, as well.

The term homeopathic remedies is often misused. I have heard radio advertisements that really annoy me because they say that their product is "homeopathic" and that homeopathic means safe and all natural. In fact, homeopathic remedies may be natural, but the way that they are used is totally different from all herbal medicine and other Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Homeopathic medicine actually means treating "like with like". After evaluating a person's symptoms, a homeopath would select a compound that in a healthy individual would cause those same symptoms. The compound is then diluted until, scientifically speaking, no trace of the original compound can be detected. Homeopaths feel that the water used for dilution retains some aspect of the original compound. Personally, I do not believe in homeopathic remedies, but to each his own.

Herbal medicine, on the other hand, is actually the basis for modern medicine. Traditional healers used herbs in the same way that medical doctors use drugs to relieve, prevent or treat a condition. In fact, many prescription drugs are composed of compounds found in plants, herbs and botanicals that can be synthetically reproduced. For example, penicillin was originally derived from an ascus fungus, a kind of mold. And molds were used since ancient times to treat infection.

Next: A look at some popular herbal medicines and how they work.