What is CAM?

“CAM” stands for complementary alternative medicine and represents a diverse group of medical systems and practices outside of conventional medical practice. Conventional medicine is practiced by holders of M.D. (medical doctor) or D.O. (doctor of osteopathy) degrees and by allied health professionals, such as physical therapists, and registered nurses. What is considered to be CAM evolves, as therapies are adopted into conventional health care and as new approaches to health care emerge.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) support research-based studies of CAM to validate safety and efficacy. The latest statistics reflect that 38.3% of Americans utilize CAM therapies, including:

Whole Medical Systems
Whole medical systems are built upon complete systems of theory and practice. Some examples are Homeopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Ayurveda.

Mind-Body Medicine
Techniques are utilized that recognize the mind’s relationship to the body and its physical, emotional and mental functions. Included are: meditation, prayer, and creative therapies such as art, music, or dance. Somatic therapies including yoga fall under this category.

Biologically Based Practices
These practices employ substances found in nature, such as herbs, foods, and vitamins. Some examples include dietary supplementation, and herbal intervention.

Manipulative and Body-Based Practices
Manipulation is performed as a part of other therapies or whole medical systems, including chiropractic medicine, massage, and naturopathy. Somatic therapies can fall under this category.

Energy Medicine
Energy therapies involve the use of energy fields. They are of two types:
• Biofield therapies are intended to affect energy fields that purportedly surround and penetrate the human body. This includes Reiki, Qi-gong, Healing Touch.
• Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies involve the unconventional use of electromagnetic fields, such as pulsed fields, magnetic fields, or alternating-current or direct-current fields.