Chapter 15: Complementary and Alternative Medicine – Flashcards
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Western medicine / conventional medicine
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Based on belief that disease is caused by identifiable physical factors Rather than mental or spiritual imbalances (identifies internal and external causes such as pathogens, genetic factors, and unhealthy lifestyles)
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Complementary medicine
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Practices used together with conventional modalities
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Alternative medicine
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Practices used instead of conventional modalities
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Integrative
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Conventional health practices sometimes augmented by CAM modalities
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Holistic health care
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CAM focuses on intergration of mind, body, and spirit in seeking ways to restore the whole person to harmony
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Placebo effect
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A beneficial effect in a patient following a particular treatment that arises from the patient's expectations concerning the treatment rather than from the treatment itself.
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Qi/Chi
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The life force, belief that free and harminous flow of the qi or chi produces health
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Be able to identify the characteristics that are typical of CAM therapies.
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1. Most practices based on the concept of life force or energy 2. Disease viewed as disturbance in life energies in the mind, body, and spirit 3. Treatments based on restoring balance, harmony, equilibrium 4. Belief that body has the ability to heal itself 5. The whole person is treated (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual) 6. Multiple remedies and techniques often used 7. Each person is unique, so treatment is individualize
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Know several reasons why people might use CAM.
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1. Conventional treatments not successful 2. Seeking to improve health and well-being 3. Relieve symptoms of a chronic disease or illness 4. Seeking a more holistic approach to health 5. Most often used in the treatment of back pain
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What are the most commonly used CAM therapies?
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Nonvitamin, nonmineral, "natural" products; chiropractic care; deep breathing exercises; meditation; massage; and yoga
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Acupuncture
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Insertion of thin needles into the skin. Qi is believed to flow through the body along several meridians (pathways); acupuncture points located along those meridians
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Homeopathy
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1. Based on the premises of "like cures like" 2. Treatments involve the use of very diluted doses of remedies that would produce symptoms of those illness in larger doses (ex. Poison ivy used in a homeopathic form can be beneficial to some skin conditions that consist of itching and blistering
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Naturopathy
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1. Main principle that body has the ability to heal itself and maintain optimal health, especially through nutrition 2. Focus on cleansing and strengthening the body rather than on treating the symptoms of specific illness
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Mind body practices (examples?)
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Make use of the integral connection between mind and body 1. Meditation 2. Yoga 3. Qigong 4. Music and art therapy 5. Prayer 6. Visualization 7. Taijiquan/T'ai Chi 8. Biofeedback 9. Hypnotherapy
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Biologically-based practices / "Natural" products
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Used before conventional medicine. Consist primarily of: 1. Herbal therapies or remedies 2. Botanicals 3. Extracts from animal tissues 4. Dietary supplements
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Manipulative and body-based practices:
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Focus on body's structures and systems- bones, joints, muscles, soft tissues, & circulatory system
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Osteopathic medicine
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Considered a form of conventional medicine
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Massage therapy and bodywork
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Pressure aimed at increasing blood flow and inducing relaxation
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Chiropractic manipulation
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Primary treatment is manipulation of the spine and other joints (should always be done by a licensed chiropractor, physician, or PT)
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Energy therapies
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Forms of treatment that use energy originating either within the body (biofields) or from other sources (electromagnetic fields) 1. Qigong-channeling breathing with movement 2. Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies 3. Therapeutic touch; healing touch 4. Reiki
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What is the difference between the terms "complementary" and "alternative" when describing CAM?
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Complementary means that it is used along with conventional medicine while alternative means it is used in replacement of alternative medicine.
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What safety concerns exist for herbal and botanical products marketed as dietary supplements?
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1. No FDA regulation for dietary supplements 2. Potential interactions with other drugs 3. Contaminants
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What reasons would you give for being an even more critical consumer when considering the use of complementary or alternative therapies?
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The research is still in a very primitive state so it has not yet been determined whether these strategies are effective or not
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Familiarize yourself with the CAM Fact sheet from Nat'l Institute of Health (NIH) posted on Canvas.
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