INTRODUCTION TO COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE:
WHAT IT MEANS TO USE NONCONVENTIONAL MEDICAL THERAPY

If you've ever taken high-dose vitamins, used an herbal remedy, or sought treatment from a chiropractor, you're among the millions all over the world who use alternative medicine to ward off illness or treat a variety of ailments. Known by a variety of terms — complementary, holistic, unorthodox, integrative — alternative medicine refers to most treatment practices that are not considered conventional medicine (widely practiced or accepted by the mainstream medical community). Although the majority of medicine practiced in the United States is conventional, worldwide, approximately 70 percent to 90 percent of health care is delivered by what would be considered an alternative tradition or practice.

Incorporating hundreds of different philosophies and procedures, alternative therapies are usually ideologically based. Most of these therapies often are not backed by scientific research that measures safety or effectiveness. Some alternative therapies have dangerous side effects. Another concern is that people who use alternative therapies in the place of conventional medical therapy may delay or lose the opportunity to benefit from scientifically based treatment.

The use of alternative medicine in the United States is growing in popularity. According to a new study in the November 11, 1998, The Journal of American Medical Association theme issue on alternative medicine, 4 out of 10 Americans use some form of alternative medicine. Americans visited alternative therapy practitioners 629 million times in 1997, a 47 percent increase over the 427 million visits made in 1990. They spent approximately $27 billion out-of-pocket (not covered by insurance) on alternative therapies in 1997, which is about the same as estimated 1997 out-of-pocket spending for all U.S. physician services.

Some Types of Alternative Medicine

· Acupuncture: Insertion of needles into specific points in the body for therapeutic purposes; also may involve use of heat, pressure, or electromagnetic energy to stimulate anatomic acupuncture points in the body

· Aromatherapy: Use of essential oils extracted from flowers, leaves, stalks, fruits, and roots for therapeutic purposes

· Chiropractic: Based on the idea that spinal misalignments are the principal cause of disease; uses manual procedures and interventions to manipulate the spine

· Folk medicine: Medical treatment based on the beliefs, traditions, or customs of a particular society or ethnic/cultural group

· Herbal medicine: Use of various parts of plants to treat symptoms and promote health; herbs have a long history in medicine, but many herbs that have been proven to be effective years ago have been replaced by more effective synthetic compounds; the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not currently regulate herbal products, and herbal products can only be marketed as dietary supplements because manufacturers and distributors cannot make any specific health claims without FDA approval

· Homeopathy: Remedies made from plant, animal, or mineral substances that are highly diluted with the intent to stimulate the body only enough to trigger a healing response

Issues to Consider About Alternative Therapies

· Safety and effectiveness: The product or practice should not cause any harm and should provide benefit when used as intended. Specific information about the safety and effectiveness of any alternative or complementary therapy should be readily available.

· The practitioner's expertise: Closely examine the training, qualifications, and competence of any potential health care practitioner. Alternative medicine is not as well regulated as conventional medicine.

· Quality of service delivery: Determine if the delivery of service adheres to standards for medical safety and care; contact state or local regulatory agencies or health care consumer organizations; visit the practitioner's office, clinic, or hospital; and talk to people who have used the service.

· Costs Many alternative therapies are not covered by health insurance, so compare the costs with those of other practitioners or through professional medical associations.

· Consult your physician: Discuss any type of medical therapy with your doctor. Your doctor needs to know about any conventional and alternative therapies you have used or are currently using to treat you more effectively and to prevent medication interactions.