Monica Fenty
Kaplan University HW499-01
October 21, 2013
Professor Edward Eaves
 Complementary
and Alternative Medicine is a
group of therapies that are used alongside
conventional medicine, which is the most
common in the U.S. such as seeing an M.D. in
a clinic and getting a prescription, or in
place of conventional medicine. Some of the
methods of therapy are known and proven to
be effective and others are better for some
than others. Many of these therapies have
been around for centuries or longer and were
used long before conventional medicine.
Statistics:
 Almost 40% of Americans today use some sort of
CAM in their own health to achieve wellness.
 17.7% of Americans use Natural Products as part
of CAM
 12.7% use deep breathing as an attempt to
encourage personal wellness
 9.4% meditate
 8.6% rely on chiropractic and osteopathic
therapies
 8.3% get massages
 6.1% practice Yoga
 3.6% use nutrition or diet based therapies
 2.9% use progressive relaxation
 2.2% use guided imagery
 1.8% use homeopathic treatments
So many people have used Complementary and
Alternative Medicine methods without even
realizing that they have used them, like visiting
the massage therapist or chiropractor.
 While there is plenty of evidence and research
supporting some of the therapies, others are not
quite as scientifically supported, which will be
covered more later; however, there is some
benefit to be gained from each method for most
people.
 It is important to research each type of CAM
therapy before choosing one or more, just like it
is vital to research the methods of conventional
method before agreeing to one; that way the
client knows what is involved with that
treatment method in case they are
uncomfortable with the technique or there is any
reason that it should not be used.

 Integral
Health
 Manual Therapies
 Alternative Western Methods
 Traditional Ethnomedical Systems
Within these Therapy Methods are many of the
familiar practices, like yoga and meditation,
and some maybe less common ones, like
Ayurveda and reflexology. The next session will
be about diving deeper into these Therapy
Types to discover where they originated from
and what they are.
CAM Basics. (2008). National Center for
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
(NCCAM). Retrieved from
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam
Martin, L. (2011). Complementary and
Alternative Medicine (CAM) Overview.
Retrieved from
http://www.webmd.com/balance/whatis-alternative-medicine?page=2
Monica Fenty
Kaplan University HW499-01
October 21, 2013
Professor Edward Eaves
Integral Health
The integral health method of healing is about
balancing the whole person. The mind, body, and
spirit need balance and how they relate to the
environment is crucial. If more emphasis is placed
on the body, biological, then the balance is
disrupted and human flourishing, which is health,
happiness, and wholeness, cannot be gained.
Training of the mind is a way of focusing on the
mind part of integral health and learning how to
develop the mind in a way that gives the person
more control over what the mind focuses on. Being
at peace spiritually is also vital to developing and
studying integral health.
Manual Therapies
 Massage therapy is a topic that will have
slightly more time spent on it. Massage and
touch therapy have been around for thousands
of years. When this type of therapy is used on
an area of the body, it affects the whole body
in some way. When one area of the person
becomes unbalanced, it can often show up as a
problem or pain elsewhere, such as stress
being perceived as tension in the neck and
shoulders. Also, while relieving this tension,
the person can be put into a state of total
relaxation that promotes deep breathing and
healing. This therapy involves manipulating the
tissues of the body to relieve tension to treat
stress and pain, and some touch therapies are
designed to direct the flow of energy in the
person’s body. Massage therapy involves very
high standards of practice in this country.
Massage therapists must remain professional
all times, uphold all legal and ethical
requirements, keep all client information
confidential, use professional and fair business
practices, understand boundaries, practice
good and safe hygiene, and avoid all
misconduct.
 Osteopathic medicine is described as a type of
medicine that believes that health comes form
within the person. This method focuses on the
body as a dynamic system of function and has its
own healing capabilities if it is functioning
properly. Treatment can include surgeries and
medication if the physician believes that it will
bring along balance to restore the body to its
proper functioning performance. Prevention is
focused on as a means of preserving the body’s
structure and function capabilities. Osteopathic
medicine has been around since the mid 1800s.
•
 Chiropractic
therapy is the manual
manipulation of the spine, specifically, by
making adjustments that allow the body to
be aligned properly. This is proven to reduce
migraines and headaches, neck pain, joint
problems and conditions, back pain, and
whiplash. The chiropractic therapy method is
the third largest independent health and
wellness profession in the Western world.
The United States has about 65,000
chiropractors, of the 90,000 in the world,
located here. Some types of spinal
manipulation has been practiced for over a
thousand years, but began in America as is
known today around the middle of the 19th
century.
 Reflexology
is a technique that focuses
pressure on parts of the body, usually the
hands or feet. These parts of the body are
thought to correspond to different parts of
the body and by applying pressure the part
of the body returns to balance; therefore,
restoring homeostasis to the body. This type
of healing has been recorded being used in
Egypt as early as 2,500 B.C.
Alternative Western Methods
 Naturopathic is a term used to describe a
type of medicine that treats the whole
person and has areas that focus on natural
treatments like manual manipulation as
discussed earlier, nutritional treatment,
looking for and treating the cause,
environmental changes, and spirituality.
 Herbalism is the study of using plant
material, herbs, for food, medicine, and the
promotion of health and wellness. This is
when a person recognizes the health benefits
of an herb and uses it to treat illness and
conditions, and uses them to promote health
and prevent disease.



Aromatherapy is when natural essential oils are used
and appreciated in the promotion of health and
wellness within therapy sessions planned specifically
for the individual.
Homeopathy is a practice that also focuses on the
whole person and supports that a cure for the person
cannot be brought about by treating or focusing on
just one single part of the person. The treatment
involves homeopathic medication and remedies taken
in as low dosages as possible.
Nutrition therapy is the study of nutrition to treat
illnesses in the person. This is like analyzing a
person’s diet to see where changes can be made to
help the person treat diabetes or even cancer, for
example. It is studying the nutrient intake and see
where the patient is deficient and understanding
which nutrients to add that have beneficial aspects
that apply to that particular client.



Traditional Ethnomedical Systems
Traditional Medicine of China, TMC, and is a form of
medicine that has been in use for thousands of years.
Acupuncture and Qi Gong are both forms of TMC.
Acupuncture is the systematic placement of very small and
sharp needles all over the body to provide relief to many
issues and illnesses. Qi Gong is a practice of medicine that
is based on the flow of energy, or Qi, and is a way of
directing that energy.
The Traditional Medicine of India is a term used to describe
methods like Yoga and Ayurveda that originate from India
centuries ago. Yoga is a combination of physical posture
techniques and movements, breathing techniques, and
meditation to promote wellness. Ayurveda is over 2,000
years old and uses herbs to promote balance between
mind, body, and spirit. Caution should be used with
Ayurveda because some studies have found toxins in use
with Ayurveda, such as arsenic.
Native American Healing is based on balance, harmony,
and spirituality using traditional ceremonies and some
herbal treatments.
CAM Basics. (2008). National Center for
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM).
Retrieved from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam
Dacher, E. (2006). Integral Health. Basic Health Publications: Laguna
Beach, CA
Martin, L. (2011). Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
Overview. Retrieved from
http://www.webmd.com/balance/what-is-alternativemedicine?page=2
Micozzi, M. (2011). Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative
Medicine. Saunders Elsevier: St. Louis, MO
Standards of Practice. (2009). National Certification Board for
Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork. Retrieved from
http://www.ncbtmb.org/standards-practice
Monica Fenty
Kaplan University HW499-01
October 21, 2013
Professor Edward Eaves

Complementary and Alternative Medicine is not a
one size fits all concept and each treatment
needs to be researched by the individual and the
practitioner. Some techniques may work for one
person, but for the next person another method
may be more beneficial. Most CAM methods are
based on looking at the person as a whole being
and promoting a healthy balance. For example,
if the person is having heart palpations, the body
should be studies and causes could be looked for
on that path; however, it could be stress which is
more the mind that evolves into a physical issue.
 It
is important to find a certified professional
practitioner in the area of CAM chosen and
meet with the professional first to make sure
that both the patient and wellness
professional are on the same page and
understand the situation and the treatment.
 Insurance companies are finally beginning to
recognize the importance and significance of
CAM methods on a person’s health and
wellness and many policies will now cover
many different CAM practices, such as
chiropractic.
How to find out more information
 Online articles are in abundance when it comes
to CAM practices and techniques. Another great
resource online is peer reviews and studies;
these can give the patient knowledge from
different documented studies done on that
practice and reviews from peers about what they
thought about that particular procedure or
treatment.
 In the community, word of mouth is a great way
to find out more about the available CAM sources
in that community. If someone is having an issue
with achy shoulder muscles, several people in
the community may be able to offer reliable
information about a massage therapist in the
area.
 Beware of information from an advertising
source as their job is to sell their product; look
for a more biased source.
The public libraries are great sources of
information about most any topic, including
Complementary and Alternative Medicine. They
offer books and articles written by experts in the
fields they write about when it comes to the
many different types of CAM practices.
 Perhaps one of the best places to get the
information being looked for is straight from the
source. There is no reason that a person should
not be able to consult with the wellness
professional in the field in question for either
just information or for the treatment of a
problem.
 The important thing for anyone to remember is
to stay educated and well advised on any topic
relating to their health and their family’s health.
