Complementary Health

Complementary health is important because it may NOT cure but it can help with care and millions of people know or have used at least one home remedy. Alternative practices may alleviate symptoms and are sometimes assumed to work as well as formal medicine at a cheaper cost. However, read about the cautions below… CAM (complementary/alternative medicine) also involve terms that are frequently used interchangeably so it can be confusing on what or how treatment is being used, as opposed to taking medications… but to distinguish some differences, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) defines some of the common terms:

  • Alternative: a non-mainstream practice used in place of conventional medicine.
  • Complementary:  a non-mainstream practice used together with conventional medicine
  • Integrative: brings conventional and complementary approaches together in a coordinated way
  • Homeopathy: also known as homeopathic medicine, is a medical system that was developed in Germany more than 200 years ago. It’s based on two unconventional theories:
    1. “Like cures like”—the notion that a disease can be cured by a substance that produces similar symptoms in healthy people
    2. “Law of minimum dose”—the notion that the lower the dose of the medication, the greater its effectiveness. Many homeopathic products are so diluted that no molecules of the original substance remain.
  • Naturopathy: also called naturopathic medicine: a medical system that has evolved from a combination of traditional practices and health care approaches.

5 categories of therapies

The NCCIH recognizes 5 different forms of complementary health:

  1. Alternative medicine: (homeopathy, naturopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, and Ayurvedic medicine)
  2. Mind-body interventions: (meditation, prayer, mental healing, art, music, or dance)
  3. Biologically based therapies: (dietary supplements and herbal medicine)
  4. Manipulative and body-based therapies: (chiropractic, osteopathic, massage)
  5. Energy therapies: (qi gong, Reiki, therapeutic touch, pulsed fields, and magnetic fields)

Reasons people may choose to go with alternative treatment: 

  1. Compatibility with the user’s own values and spiritual beliefs regarding the nature of their illness.
  2. Dissatisfaction with conventional medicine is expensive, impersonal, or ineffective.
  3. Feeling empowered to make decisions about one’s care.

Major Supporters

Most Used Practices for Adults and Children: yoga, chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, meditation, and massage therapy.

Natural Products:

  • Adults: Coenzyme Q10, Cranberry (pills, capsules), Echinacea, Fish oil/omega-3 fatty acids, Garlic supplements, Ginkgo biloba, Ginseng, Glucosamine and/or chondroitin, Melatonin, Probiotics/prebiotics.
  • Children: Combination herb pill, Cranberry (pills, capsules), Echinacea, Fish oil/omega-3 fatty acids, Garlic supplements, Ginseng, Glucosamine and/or chondroitin, Melatonin, Probiotics/prebiotics.

NHIS Highlights

  • In 2012, as in 2007 and 2002, the most commonly used complementary approach was natural products (dietary supplements other than vitamins and minerals). 17.7% of adults and 4.9% of children aged 4 to 17 use natural products.
  • Pain—a major condition for which people often use complementary health approaches
  • About 59 million Americans spend money out-of-pocket on complementary health approaches, and their total spending adds up to $30.2 billion a year.–NCCIH Statistics

*NCCIH was formerly known as the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

A Growing List of Mental/Complementary Health Topics

Issues with Complementary, Alternative Therapies

It’s important to understand the potential risks and benefits of supplements, vitamins, and alternative practices, as they can impact health in both positive and negative ways. Educating others on these risks versus benefits can help prevent harm and promote informed choices. Awareness of general concerns surrounding complementary and alternative practices is key to ensuring safety and effectiveness, here are the risks:

  • Confusion about the application of complementary health, its licensure, and the certification process.
  • Failure to detect an actual medical problem or assigning the wrong diagnosis.
  • Financial loss resulting from paying for ineffective treatments and/or complications from the disease.
  • Misunderstandings related to biased or incomplete/inadequate information and research.
  • The Placebo Effect so it’s not based on major evidence or objectivity.
  • Unintentional damage due to delay in diagnosis/treatment.
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