Complementary and alternative medicines are different from each other
- Complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine. An example
of a complementary therapy is using aromatherapy to help lessen a patient's
discomfort following surgery.
- Alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine. An example of an
alternative therapy is using a special diet to treat cancer instead of undergoing
surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy that has been recommended by a conventional
doctor.
- Integrative medicine, as defined by NCCAM, combines mainstream medical therapies
and CAM therapies for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of
safety and effectiveness.
Ethnic Differences in CAM Usage
In addition to the type and severity of illness one has, people's cultural and
ethnic backgrounds can influence their propensity for using CAM. For example,
surveys of CAM usage among Mexican-American and Hispanic populations have demonstrated
that almost half of respondents have used a CAM practitioner one or more times during
the previous year. Herbal medicine, spiritual healing techniques, and traditional
healers are used quite frequently by these groups. Similarly, surveys of Native American
populations have found that they tend to have higher rates of CAM usage than the general
U.S. population and are also frequent users of herbal remedies, spiritual healing
techniques, and traditional healers. Income, not belief systems, prohibits interaction
with traditional healers by Native Americans.
