Complementary And Alternative Medicine Essay

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Complementary and Alternative Medicine
There is a renewed interest in complementary and alternative medicine because of the benefits associated with its use. Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is defined as a “group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2011). National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) identified two subgroups of therapies: natural products and mind-and-body practices which are then classified in five categories: biological based, mind-body therapies, manipulative and body-based therapies, energy therapies, and systems of care (Kramlich, 2014). “According
Conventional drug therapy includes nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), acetaminophen, and corticosteroid injections. However, many older adults do not experience any pain relief from these medications and result in serious side effects, such as liver damage, ulcers, and gastrointestinal bleeding, heart attack, and stroke. Older adults, 5.2 percent, are using complementary approaches for joint stiffness and 3.5 percent for arthritis (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, 2014). Dietary supplements used by older adults are glucosamine and chondroitin
“Acupuncture has been considered a viable adjunct therapy of symptoms of knee osteoarthritis” (Siddiqui et al, 2014, p. 16). It is considered to be one of the most popular sensory stimulation therapies that involves inserting and manipulating fine needles to stimulate specific anatomic points to facilitate recovery of health (Wang, 2013). According to Wang (2013), it is estimated that 3 million adults are using acupuncture for treatment of chronic pain and most recently with OA. As Siddiqui et al (2014) discussed how multiple studies have proved that acupuncture had significant reduction of pain and mobility, primarily in knees and hip, greater than pharmacological treatment group with

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