Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is slowly becoming better known all over the world. CAM encompasses various types of therapies, such as yoga, reflexology, chiropractic therapy, herbal therapy, ayurveda, meditation, biofeedback, hypnosis, homeopathy, acupuncture, etc. The evidenced-based research, recognition of disconnect between patients and also the positive and negative aspects of CAM modalities are reasons behind the increased attention it has gained in medicals schools all over the United States. (Hart, 2009, p. 287).
The major concern behind CAM is that it covers a rather broad range of therapies, most of which have not been able to establish any proper scientific basis. This results in a lot of objection from the researchers and collegiate officials that it does not qualify to obtain its place as important learning in the medical school curricula. However, cancer patients have said that they have benefited from CAM therapies, during and after their exhaustive treatments. This shows that there is scope for some CAM methods to be legitimate.
The point to pay close attention to is, that these patients went through what is called integrative medicine. Hart definition of it is, integrative medicine can be defined as an approach to practice of medicine that makes use of the best- available evidence, taking into account the whole person (body, mind, and sprit), including all aspects of lifestyle.(as cited in Kligler et al., 2004) . Attitudes of medical students towards CAM seem to be slightly more enthusiastic, at Georgetown University School of Medicine, in Washington D.C. Ninety-one percent believed that CAM should be includes ideas and methods from which allopathic medicine can benefit from. Seventy-five per...
... middle of paper ...
...t preventative therapies which will help to keep people in good shape. These will benefit the entire healthcare system as a whole. It will reduce the expenditure of healthcare, as we will be looking at preventative measure taking precedence. I truly believe that evidence based CAM methods and humanistic approaches should become a part of the medical school curricula. This will make a big impact on healthcare in the future.
Works Cited
Hart, Jane (2009). CAM and Medical Education. Alternative and Complementary Therapies, 15, 287-291
Klinger B,Maizes V, Schachter S, et al. Core competencies in integrative medicine for medical school curricula: A proposal. Acad Med 2004; 79; 521-531
Trask, J. Chapter 8 Alternative Methods [Power Point slides]. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Website: https://compass.illinois.edu/webct/urw/lc5116011.tp0/cobaltMainFrame.dowebct
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a treatment or cure that is given additionally along with doctor’s care. There are many different CAMs such as acupuncture, hypnosis, yoga, massage and herbal therapy. They are very popular in Asia, especially among Chinese communities. However, the use of CAM is very limited in the health care system of many Western countries, including Canada, due to several reasons. In my point of view, it should be formally recognized and provided as a part of mainstream health care system. Firstly, people nowadays would prefer complementary and alternative medicine rather than conventional medicine. Secondly, the altitude of healthcare professionals has changed a lot, most of young physicians are now considering the use of CAMs into their practice. Finally, the government needs to regulate some of the CAM treatments so in order to promote the use of CAMs and create a better healthcare system.
Epiro, E. & Walsh, N., (1997). “Alternative Medicine–Part Two: Mind Body Medicine–Expanding Health Model”. Patient Care 15 Sept. 1997: 127-145. Retrieved: February 13, 2011, from:
According to Sackett, (1996) evidence–based medicine is the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about patient care. Straus, Richardson, Glasziou, & Haynes (2005, p. 1) described evidence-based practice (EBP) as “the integration of the best research evidence with clinical expertise and unique patient values and circumstances.” According to Straus et al, (2005, p.3) those practicing evidence based medicine must follow five specific steps: a) Include the need for data into an answerable question, b) Track down the best evidence, c) Critically appraise the evidence for validity, impact, and application, d) Integrate the critical appraisal into clinical practice, and e) Evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of implementing steps a-e-and seek ways to improve them. Subsequently, without current best evidence, clinical practice cam become out-dated to the detriment of patients, this is an untenable circumstance and one which should never be allowed to happen.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: What is the difference between Comp Integrating into the Nursing Practice. Complementary alternative medicines (CAMs) are not a new-fangled medical practice that has recently come out (Bennett, 2009). Several complementary alternative medicine therapies are homeopathy, aromatherapy, touch therapy, and music therapy, these therapies are just a small number of therapies that are out there, and have been around for two decades according to (Matthew, Whedon, & Weeks, 2011). This paper will explore the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) and how the ACO could possibly benefit the healthcare system and nursing practice (Matthew et al., 2011). In the conclusion of this paper, it will point toward the fact that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) does, in fact, have a place in today’s nursing practice and healthcare systems.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has been around for centuries. It is said to have spanned almost the entire history of man. From primitive medicine, mythology, and folklore of ancient times to the traditional Chinese and Indian Ayurvedic systems of medicine, CAM therapies have a broad and captivating past that extends well beyond American medical history (The History of CAM, 2003). CAM is the term for medical products and practices that are not part of standard care. Complimentary medicine is used in conjunction with conventional medical practices. Alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medical practices. For the projected hundreds of thousands of people that will develop cancer this year, the majority of them will experience cancer related pain. On average seventy-five to ninety percent of cancer patients will feel pain, whether it is pain from a tumor pushing on the surrounding tissue or bone, pain from cancer related treatments, or pain from cancer related surgeries. A growing number of these patients will turn to complementary and alternative therapies to assist with the management of their pain and other cancer-related symptoms. The World Health Organization's suggested approach to pain management begins with the time-honored use of opioids, but recommends the use of adjuvant therapies early in the management process. More patients are using complementary and alternative therapies each year to assist with the management of their pain. Practitioners and researchers must be aware of the evidence that exists to support or refute the use of these therapies (Runnin...
In this paper we will be discussing cancer and how a holistic approach may be a more viable alternative to traditional therapies, in treating the whole patient. We will look at alternative therapies, in conjunction with medical advances, and see how these practices offer patients fewer debilitating side effects, higher rates of success, and a greater quality of life as compared to conventional medicine (CM)
Acupuncture, ayurveda, chiropractice, homeopathy, meditation, osteopathy, and yoga are just a few of the many types of medicine practiced all over the world. According to the western establishment, all these forms of medicine are called alternative medicines. However, some of the aforementioned techniques have been in continuous use for over six thousand years, predating western medicine by over four thousand years. Yet, still many M.D.'s reject alternative forms of medicine. One of the buzzwords in medicine in recent years has been "holistic medicine". Physicians are becoming more aware of the need to treat the whole patient rather than just certain symptoms. Due to this realization, a small percentage of doctors are turning to ancient forms of medicine as a guide to alternative treatments. As alternative forms of medicine emerge in the western world, Christian scientists need to determine the moral, religious, and scientific validity of such techniques in order to gain a more holistic approach to medicine.
Nowadays, complementary alternative medicine is very popular in the United States. It is widely used by adults and children. National health statistic reports done in 2007 shows that 38.3% of adults and 11.8% of children use some form of alternative medicine (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2016). But why is this happening? Why is it becoming so popular? Why are more people turning to it? Many times, this is because conventional medicine has not work and they want to try an alternative. That is the case of the author of this paper.
There has been a growing trend over the past few years in health care using Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) or also known as Eastern medicine. The new and emerging type of health care has been around for thousands of years, but in recent years have been more accepting in Western culture. CAM is described as, “a wide range of practices, technologies and treatments not traditionally associated with the medical professions or medical curriculum” (Solomon & Adams, 2015). There are many different types of CAM health care. Some of the more popular practices include acupuncture, massage therapy, aromatherapy, reflexology, chiropractic and herbal remedies. Each of these therapies are used in different ways to help with the overall
Complementary and alternative therapies are relatively new and essential options in health care, they help to increase the quality of life of patients and provide them with numerous possibilities to ensure growth of their health, beyond current medicine. Recently, these therapies, such as massage therapy and acupuncture, have become more prevalent in research. Consequently, their substitution with standard medicine in the healthcare system has been supported by the literature. The literature that supports these methods has explored why complementary therapies are needed, the different and distinct features of each therapy, and they also examine the education and knowledge those implementing the services must have. To accurately analyze if complementary and alternative therapies are valuable to the health care system, this paper will aim to learn why they are becoming predominant and why nurses should use these therapies’ to assist in improving the health of individuals. To determine the main attributes of these therapies, a variety of resources that extensively discuss complementary and alternative therapies will be examined and the paper will also examine the benefits and weaknesses they have on improving health. Lastly, this paper will aim to determine if these services should be implemented by nurses as alternative options for their patients, as nurses should have substantial knowledge pertaining to implementing these therapies.
Wadjaka presents the evidence that is a significant shift , Supported farther as she detailed the type of folks or alternative healing practices used in the United States today including acupuncture, faith healers, herbalists, reiki masters, and chiropractors..( Stamps-Duston 2016) believes both simple and complex alternative practices a simple example is “an apple a day keep the Dr. away” “ or a walk around the block as a prescription” to more has some solid evidence based research making it a prescription that “Does no further harm”. The number one guiding light rule of western medicine is “do not further harm”. It serves as a useful reminder to Dr’s of the age-old importance of the adage ‘primum non nocere’ or ‘do no further harm’. Giannoudis, P. V.
Complementary and alternative treatments are identified as a group of medical and healing systems different from the traditional ones. This type of approach centers on individualized treatment for the patient, treats the body as a whole, and promotes self healing and search for the spiritual nature of each individual. One of the crucial points that conventional and alternative medicine have in common is the awareness on good nutrition and the promotion of preventive care (White House Commission, 2014).
According to Sandra Augustyn Lawton in Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Teens, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) can be defined as “a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine” (Lawton, 2007, p.3). Although complementary and alternative medicines are often interpreted as the same thing, complementary methods are used in coordination with conventional methods and alternative methods are used in place of conventional methods of medicine (Lawton, 2007, p.3). Another method used is integrative medicine, which uses conventional medicine and CAM together because there is proven scientific evidence to support that the treatment plan is safe and effective (Lawton, 2007, p.3). Complementary and alternative medicines are used throughout the world in many different countries, some more specifically than others.
These alternative treatments include acupuncture, meditation, and therapy among many others.There is growing evidence that the desire for alternative medicine is expanding because people undergoing procedures in today’s health care system has had unmet needs as well as feelings of being uncared for (Acari & Flanagan, 2015). Alternative medicine is able to provide patients with treatments that provide relief for hard to cure problems such as back pain, neck pain, and arthritis. Many of these alternative treatments have been shown to be successful for various problems. The use of complimentary and alternative medicine as well as the open ended communication that holistic nursing provides is gaining popularity from patients who are fed up with traditional care and hospital
You live life how it is, you wake up go to work or school. You eat food and drink water. Then once you touch a doorknob to open the door, but you don’t know that the door knob was previously touched by a person who coughed into his hands. You get sick with a minor flu and a fever, so what is next? Do you go to your doctor knowing she can only see you in like two weeks? She is really busy being a professional in medicine and health. Do you go to the hospital, but is your 5 day flu really an emergency? Or do you just go to the closest CVS and buy Tylenol? Well, 30 percent of adults use Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). CAM is a term describing health and wellness therapies. These typical therapies are not part of the