Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States Tonya Passarelli MPHP 439 4/2008Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States Introduction While relatively new in the U.S., complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a fully accepted and integrated form of health care in many areas of the world and has existed since antiquity. For Americans, CAM is one of the fastest growing fields in healthcare and is more widely used today than ever before. Millions of Americans are spending billions of out-of-pocket dollars on CAM therapies. Its widespread use has had impact on users, practitioners, researchers and policy makers. CAM’s growing influence has been described as a “hidden mainstream in American medicine.”1 This surge has resulted in the need to better understand the market, from a personal and public health perspective. The recent increase in the interest and growth of complementary and alternative medicine can be attributed to many reasons including technological, economic, cultural and social trends. Its growth is also fueled by the rising dissatisfaction with the traditional health care & delivery of medicine in the United States. Additionally, self-empowerment, personal savings accounts and the internet are enabling greater access to alternative medicine.2 Some attribute the growth in CAM to the view that the combination of CAM with conventional medicine is better than conventional medicine alone. Additionally CAM treatments fill gaps, such as the treatment of chronic pain and other debilitating conditions, in areas where conventional medical practices are not always successful. CAM is also being used with certain medical conditions that are without a cure or with conditions that have a cure but have significant side effects such as cancer. Other Americans are turning to CAM because they feel the current healthcare system is failing them for many reasons. These include access to health insurance, cost prohibitive prescriptions, impersonal & dismissive physicians, a heavy reliance on drugs, misdiagnosis, and conflicting views regarding the maintenance of wellness.3 A more empowered approach to healthcare is another reason for growing enthusiasm for alternative treatment approaches. CAM users are choosing alternative treatments because they are more personal, less invasive and often have lower costs. There is a growing movement away from disease management to a more holistic approach to healthcare that includes a shift from the emphasis on technology for healing to a focus on the natural healing ability of the body. CAM philosophies align with users’ personal value systems.. Very importantly, interest in CAM research continues to grow as more and more studies are funded to establish the evidence base required for CAM integration and acceptance into routine physical care. Despite its fast growth, there are still low levels of understanding regarding the complementary and alternative medicine market. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a better understanding of the definition of CAM, its origins and background, market trends, users of CAM, and research.What is Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)? “There is no such thing as alternative medicine. There is medicine that works and medicine that does not work.” 4 Arnold Relman, MD The Cochrane Complementary Medicine Field describes CAM as “practices and ideas that are defined by their users as preventing or treating illness, or promoting health and well being…and which are outside the domain of conventional medicine in several countries.”5 Another definition, use by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) defines CAM as “a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine. Conventional medicine is medicine as practiced by holders of M.D. (medical doctor) or D.O. (doctor of osteopathy) degrees and by their allied health professionals, such as physical therapists, psychologists, and registered nurses…”6 CAM is often used as an umbrella term to describe a wide range of both common and more obscure modalities including therapies that can users can administer alone (ex: meditation, herbs) to therapies that require a practitioner (ex: acupuncture, massage, reflexology, homeopathy). A major challenge in studying the field of complementary and alternative medicine is the lack of consensus regarding its definition. There is not a universal, agreed upon definition as to what CAM is and many inconsistencies exist within the market. There are many terms used to describe alternative approaches to health care; other terms used to describe CAM include holistic medicine, alternative medicine, and integrative medicine. Complementary medicine is defined as alternative approaches used in combination with conventional medicine, while alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine.7 Integrative medicine is viewed as the evolution of CAM. It promotes a new philosophy in terms of the relationship between the patient and the physician as well as utilizing evidence-based CAM therapies in combination with conventional medicine. Integrative medicine is further discussed later in the chapter. The emphasis with most CAM therapies is on the natural healing ability of the body versus the emphasis on technology for healing in conventional medicine. Some other commonalities with most CAM therapies include8: • The focus is treating the whole person. • Prevention is a primary concern. • Treatments are highly individualized. • Treatments are aimed at the causes of illness rather than at the symptoms. • Treatments are designed to support the natural healing processes of the body.What is Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)? (cont.) In an effort to create some structure around CAM, NCCAM has created a classification system to encompass the multitude of CAM therapies. The categories are: Whole medical systems Whole medical systems are based on a complete system of theory and practice that has originated separately and often earlier than the development of conventional western medical practices. They are not a single practice or a remedy, but based on a whole philosophy or lifestyle. Some of these were developed in Western cultures such as homeopathy and naturopathy, while others come from the non-western ancient