CAM Overview: Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), including definitions of complementary medicine, alternative medicine, pseudoscience, placebo, and nocebo effects.

CAM

Stands for complementary and alternative medicine; general preventative measures and treatments that have not undergone clinical trials to prove that they are safe and effective.

Complementary medicine

Treatments designed to be used in conjunction with evidence-based treatments; they may have some proof of efficacy, but their effectiveness is often more limited than their traditional use (e.g., massage therapy, herbal remedies, hypnosis).

Alternative medicine

Treatments that have no evidence, often based on traditional beliefs, and may be scams supported by pseudoscience.

Pseudoscience

The practice of using scientific words incorrectly to make false claims.

Placebo

A simulated treatment.

Placebo effect

A perceived or actual improvement in a condition that takes place after using a placebo (simulated treatment).

Nocebo

Something harmless that a person believes affects them negatively.

Nocebo effect

The sensation of feeling sick after exposure to a nocebo.