Unit 11 Ch 11: Complementary and Alternative Therapies

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)

set of diverse therapies and healing systems outside mainstream health care, used for disease prevention and self-healing

CAM characteristics

- focus on treating each person as an individual

- consider the health of the whole person

- emphasize the integration of mind and body

- promote disease prevention, self-care, and self-healing

- acknowledge the role of spirituality in health and healing

Complementary

when a non-mainstream practice is used together with conventional medicine

Alternative

non-mainstream practice used in place of conventional medicine

Integrative medicine

traditional and complementary approaches being used in a coordinated way to improve wellness

Biological-based therapies

herbal therapies, nutritional supplements, special diets

Alternate healthcare systems

naturopathy, homeopathy, chiropractic, Indigenous medicine, Chinese traditional medicine

Manual healing

massage, pressure point therapies, hand-mediated biofield therapies

Mind-body interventions

yoga, meditation, hypnotherapy, guided imagery, biofeedback, movement-oriented therapies

Spiritual therapies

shamans, faith, prayer

Other CAM therapies

bioelectromagnetics, detoxifying therapies, animal-assisted therapy

Dietary supplements

products available OTC intended to add or supplement the nutritional value of a diet

- herbal products, speciality supplements, vitamins and minerals

Herb

a botanical (plant-based substance) that does not contain woody tissue such as stems or bark OR any plant product with some useful application as either a food enhancer or as a medicine

Factors increasing popularity of CAM therapies

- availability in supermarkets and pharmacies

- marketed on the Internet as viable and natural alternatives; misleading info

- renewed interest of baby boomers

- aging population seeking alternatives for chronic conditions

- impression that they are safer

- less expensive

- promoted by HCPs

Natural health products (NHPs)

vitamins and minerals, herbal products, homeopathic medicines, etc

- complementary medicines, traditional remedies

- Natural Health Products Regulations of the FDA in Canada

Standardization of herbal products

the process by which one or more active ingredients of an herb are identified and all batches of the herbs produced by a single manufacturer contain the same amount of active ingredient specified on the label

- active ingredient extracts

- marker extracts

Active ingredient extracts

standardize the amount of biologically active substances in the hearb

Marker extracts

standardize the potency of the herb based on a common substance in the whole herb that may not be the active ingredient

Basic formulations of herbal products

- solid (pills, tablets, capsules, salves, ointments)

- liquid (made by extracting the active chemicals using solvents such as water, alcohol, or glycerol)

Speciality supplements

nonherbal dietary products used to enhance a wide variety of body functions

- more specific than herbal products and targeted for one/smaller group of condition(s)

Assessment of CAM therapy use

1. include questions on the use of CAM when obtaining medical hxs

2. ask clients why they are taking the dietary supplement and what benefits they are receiving or expecting to

3. advise to never take dietary supplements while on insulin, warfarin, digoxin, etc without discussing with HCP

4. advise pregnant or lactating clients not to take without discussing with HCP

5. older adults more likely to have chronic ailments that could increase the risk of drug-herb interaction

6. advise caution with serious allergies

7. advise to be skeptical of advertised claims and seek reputable sources

8. advise not to take more than recommended dose