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Complementary and alternative
medicine
In a recent Journal of the American Medical Association, St.
John's wort was reported as ineffective in the treatment of
severe major depression, according to a randomized
controlled clinical trial. On April 21, Deepak Chopra,
former endocrinologist and author of books that have sold
more than 10 million copies, packed B.C. Place Stadium in
Vancouver, Canada, with people wanting to hear more. He
preaches a philosophy of health, integrating ideas as
diverse as Ayurvedic medicine and quantum physics. His
recommendations include herbal or aromatic therapies and
even crystals as part of a wide-ranging selection of cures
to affect a person's harmony with the cosmos, and hence,
their health.
What is CAM, complementary, and alternative medicine? Most
definitions cover a broad range of healing philosophies,
approaches, and therapies outside of the domain of
conventional or allopathic medicine. These therapies may be
separated into 5 major groups:
1. Alternative medical systems, such as naturopathic or
Ayurvedic medicine.
2. Mind-body interventions such as music therapy and
meditation.
3. Biologically-based treatments that include most herbal,
special diet, and megadose vitamin therapies.
4. Manipulative and body-based treatments such as
chiropractic and massage therapies.
5. Energy therapies, examples of which are Qi gong, Riki,
and Therapeutic Touch.
Many mainstream therapies of today were once herbal,
alternative, or complementary treatments that were proven
effective and safe. The name "complementary" hints
at the helpful role treatments such as chiropractic
manipulation, massage therapy, or acupuncture may play when
carefully selected, administered by trained professionals,
and combined with more conventional medical therapies in
treating complex disorders.
As Canada's physicians are under greater pressure to
practice scientific or evidence-based medicine, more and
more people are flocking to the fringe, to unproven
alternatives for their health concerns. Why? Could it be
because our world is more complex and frightening and we
seem to have less control over our own lives? Or is it
because powerful mass marketing of health enhancing
substances, devices and cure-all therapeutic approaches is
having unprecedented influence on our behaviour as
consumers, convincing us we need more youth, vigour, or sex
drive to be whole? Since earliest recorded history humans
have shown a need to worship and to believe, yet now we see
traditional religious systems being challenged and
discarded. Some health techniques come complete with a
religion or philosophy of hope. Doctors, our traditional
western healers, under worsening time pressure as they earn
their wages (fee-for-service), find themselves with too
little time to provide the answers, offer support, or
maintain healthy relationships with their patients.
What are the dangers of alternative therapies? Some diseases
are dangerous and require timely investigation and treatment
with proven therapies. Some herbal preparations can
interfere with traditional medications, making conditions
such as diabetes or HIV less responsive to proven
medications. Certain substances can mask important symptoms
of serious medical conditions. Here's my advice on
complementary and alternative therapies: first check out the
credentials of the person offering them. If they don't have
training, experience, and haven't established a track record
of successfully treating people with your condition, run -
don't walk - to the nearest exit. Second, remember, the
questions you need answered are:
* effectiveness: show me evidence that it works
* safety: prove that it will not harm me
* cost: is the potential benefit worth the cost or are there
cheaper alternatives with equal effectiveness?
Go to the Internet and read about alternative therapies for
your condition. Some examples include: Consumer Reports
Online, The National Center for Complementary and
Alternative Medicine, The National Institute of Health
Office of Dietary Supplements, The National Cancer Institute
CancerNet Treatment Options, The National Council for
Reliable Health Information, and Quackwatch.
And finally, discuss alternative and complementary medicines
with your doctor, but be patient with us: it's nearly
impossible to keep up with the latest medical developments
as well as the mushrooming volume of complementary and
alternative therapies. Your physician might be able to give
you helpful advice to guide you on your journey. And when
you do decide to use complementary and alternative therapy,
for safety's sake, keep your doctor informed.
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