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Complementary Treatment

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) encompasses health care provided outside the realm of conventional Western medicine (medicine as practiced by medical doctors, doctors of osteopathy, and ancillary professionals, such as registered nurses and physical and occupational therapists). As more and more complementary treatments are studied and proven effective, they are being adopted by, and thus called, conventional therapy. With increasing public awareness, elements of CAM are being absorbed into conventional medicine and into the everyday lives of people. Surveys and studies are increasingly demonstrating the frequent use of CAM therapies by athletes at varying levels of play.

Among the other names by which CAM is known are complementary medicine, alternative medicine, and integrative medicine, each with a slightly different connotation. Complementary medicine refers to health care provided outside the realm of, yet as a complement to, conventional medicine. In contrast, alternative medicine describes health care provided outside the realm of and instead of conventional medicine. Integrative medicine, as its name implies, is a combination of studied and proven complementary and conventional medicine.

Throughout the ages, CAM has developed with different methods of application and focuses, of which there are several. Whole medical systems, such as ayurveda, homeopathy, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), provide complete systems of medical practice. Mind-body medicine works within the mind's capacity to affect bodily function and health and includes therapies such as meditation and prayer. Cognitive behavior therapy, now considered conventional treatment, was once considered mind-body medicine. Biologically based practices, such as aromatherapy, vitamin therapy, and herbal therapy, use naturally occurring substances in health and healing. Chiropractic manipulation and massage are classified as manipulative and body-based practices, under which passive movement of one or more body parts promotes health and healing. The last general focus is energy medicine, including Reiki therapy, which uses energy fields in health and healing. This entry provides an introduction to some of the more commonly used CAM-focused therapies, their history, philosophy, and uses.

Acupuncture

Philosophy and History of Acupuncture

Part of TCM, acupuncture is used to promote health and to maintain balance of yin (cold, slow, passive principle) and yang (hot, excited principle). Acupuncture is practiced using a variety of techniques to stimulate specific points on the body and unblock the flow of energy (qi) along the body's meridians and, thus, achieve balance.

Practitioners and Practice of Acupuncture

Although the stimulation of specific body points can be practiced in several different ways, the most common acupuncture technique involves the use of thin, solid, stainless steel needles of varying length and gauge, placed at specific body points along the meridians. These needles may be stimulated by movement or by electrical current. The needles themselves are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are required to be sterile, nontoxic, single-use only, and used by a licensed practitioner. Another commonly used method of stimulating the body is acupressure, during which the specific body points receive manual manipulation with the therapist's hands and fingers instead of with needles.

Although acupuncture practitioners can come from any of several different professional bases, most states require a license of some kind, although the requirements for attainment of that license (i.e., specific training) may vary. Although it may seem harmless, potentially dangerous side effects of acupuncture, if performed by an unskilled practitioner, include infection and punctured organs. Licensed acupuncturists are those who have studied for 3 years or more in an Oriental college of medicine. Chiropractors can practice acupuncture provided that they have received additional training in acupuncture. Physicians and dentists can also add acupuncture to their practices if they obtain additional training in acupuncture, although the length of training required varies by state from none to up to 300 hours. Physicians may also become board certified in acupuncture by the American Board of Medical Acupuncture.

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