1. Complementary
and Alternative
Medicine (CAM)
Chapter 28
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2. 2
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
(CAM)
1. Define complementary and alternative medicine (CAM),
and describe CAM therapies currently in use.
2. Recognize the most common herbal products used in the
United States and recognize conditions they are used to
treat.
3. Understand potential risks, such as side effects and
drug-herbal interactions, that can occur with herbal
product use.
4. Write the common and scientific names for the herbal
products discussed in this chapter.
5. Recognize other CAM practices, including those
pertaining to mind and body medicine and manipulative
practices.
Lesson 28.1

3. What Is Alternative Medicine?
 Traditional medicine (allopathic medicine):
Prescriptions and over-the-counter (OTC) medications,
doctor visits, x-rays, laboratory tests, follow-up and
regular visits
 Alternative medicine: Visits to chiropractor,
homeopathic doctor, or other practitioner, followed by
specific treatments
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4. Alternative Medicine
 Many types of alternative medicine are based on the
belief in life forces or energies that have been disrupted
in some way.
 Many accepted traditional practices were once
considered complementary and alternative therapies,
such as physical and occupational therapy, group
psychotherapy, and midwifery.
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5. Types of CAM
 Natural products
 Manipulative practices
 Mind and body medicine
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6. Organization Related to CAM
 National Center for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine (NCCAM)
 Three goals: Do research, train individuals, and provide
consumer with information
 Applies Western scientific methods to prove or disprove
the safety and effectiveness of various complementary and
alternative treatments.
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7. Natural Products
 Include: Herbals, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics
 Herbal is most common form
 18% of adults take a nonvitamin of some kind
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8. Herbal Facts
 Pharmacognosy= study of medicinal compounds derived
from natural products, especially plants.
 Researchers often work to identify the biochemical
mechanism responsible for the therapeutic effects of an
herbal preparation.
 For example, there are many current studies on known
antioxidants, such as green tea.
 FDA does not regulate herbs and herbal supplements in
the same way as drugs; herbs are considered dietary
supplements.
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9. Herbal Products
 Growing field: Increasing age of population, and increasing
costs
 Herbal medicine is experiencing a resurgence in the United
States
 Harmful interactions: Important to distinguish between
legend drugs, OTC drugs, and herbal remedies
 Many drugs used in traditional medicine derived from
herbs; however, extensive testing and documentation has
preceded their use
 Specific herbal chemicals have been synthetically made in
laboratories
 Most American medicines discovered from plants do not use
the whole plant
 There are many different names for the same plant.
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10. Garlic and Echinacea
 Stress relief, anticancer, decreases blood pressure,
colds, flu, and overall wellness
 Overmedication: Heartburn, gastrointestinal (GI)
burning
 Do not take if diabetic
 Colds and infections; general immune booster
 Interaction: Immunosuppressants, and diabetics
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11. Saw Palmetto
 Treats benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
 Mild diuretic
 Antiseptic
 Antiinflammatory agent
 Saw palmetto should not be used during pregnancy.
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12. Ginkgo Biloba and Soy
 Living fossil
 Poor circulation, asthma, blood pressure (BP), liver
function, increasing memory, and heart disease
 Interactions: Anticoagulants, BP medications, epilepsy,
and infertility
 Leaf: Medicinal agent
 Soy: Milk substitute
 Infant use for lactose intolerance is common.
 Can be used for up to 16 weeks safely
 Doses up to 60 g per day
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13. Cranberry and Ginseng
 Cranberry
 Treats urinary tract infections (UTIs)
 Considered safe
 Ginseng
 Treats diabetes
 Treats respiratory tract infections
 Overall antiinflammatory
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14. Black Cohosh and Milk Thistle
 Used for hormone replacement, rheumatism, cough,
and insect repellent
 Blue or white cohosh are different; not used for same
things and may have different reactions
 Milk thistle treats liver conditions
 No major contraindications
 Used intravenously for mushroom poisoning
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15. Herbal Preparations
 Know the family name of herb
 Know species of herb (they vary)
 Safe dosages: Hard to determine; variety in batches
 Strength varies according to time harvested, parts of
plant used, concentrations, and method of preparation
 Brewed for teas: More potent than capsule form
 Tea preparation: Infusion, brew, decoctions, and cold
infusions
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16. Herbal References
 One book used to reference herbal treatments is the
multilingual Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica,
which details 530 of the most common herbs in the
traditional Chinese medicine pharmacopoeia.
 In addition to properties and dosage information for
each herb, it includes sections on herb identification
and preparation.
 European monographs are also important reference
tools.
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17. Mind and Body Medicine
 Fast growing and is a significant part of CAM.
 This is based on interaction among body, mind, and
behavior.
 Meditation
 Yoga
 Acupuncture
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18. Meditation and Yoga
 Meditation originated in religious/spiritual traditions
 Focus attention to achieve calmness
 Yoga
 Maintain physical health and flexibility
 Hatha yoga is most common
 The 2007 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)
identified yoga as one of the top 10 complementary health
practices used by adults in the United States;
approximately 6% of respondents reported using yoga for
health purposes in the previous 12 months.
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19. Acupuncture and Acupressure
 Used for conditions such as chronic pain, depression,
and addiction
 Based on Chinese belief that body is made of energy
channels
 Needles are applied to specific points of body to
unblock channels
 Acupressure
 Closely related to acupuncture
 Uses specific energy points across the body
 Pressure applied by hand to specific points to unblock
channels
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20. Spinal Manipulation and
Massage Therapy
 Changes in skeletal structure interfere with nervous
system and others
 Treatment by chiropractor is called manipulation
 Hands-on adjustments of spine/joints
 Massage and beat therapy
 Massage: Use of hands, fingers, elbows, and forearms to
manipulate muscles and soft tissues
 Variety of health-related uses
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21. Spinal Manipulation and
Massage Therapy Con’t
 Research has proved that some forms of manipulation
can be helpful, specifically manipulation of the lower
back.
 Practitioners must attend an accredited school to attain
the degree Doctor of Chiropractic (DC).
 It is used for a variety of health-related purposes, such
as to relieve pain, rehabilitate physical injuries, induce
relaxation, and reduce anxiety and stress.
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22. Ayurveda
 Ancient Indian approach to medicine
 Takes both behavior/personality and physical body type
into account
 Based on person knowing spiritual self
 Each person is a combination of the three mind/body
types, or dosha.
 Positive effect and negative effect on body
 Colors, sounds, clothing, environmental stimuli, food
types, and herbs
 Treatment based on type of personality
 Alter food and/or lifestyle to cure and prevent illness
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23. Biofeedback
 Connects mind to body
 Used for anxiety, back pain, neuromuscular dysfunction,
and tension headaches
 Key component to its symptom relief is teaching the
patient how to relax.
 Body divided into two movements: Voluntary and
involuntary
 Voluntary: Musculoskeletal, and purposeful actions
 Involuntary: Heartbeat, breathing, and digestion
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