CAM THERAPEUTIC MODALITIES 1

Cam Therapeutic Modalities

Kim Eschler

SOC201

November 12, 2011

Chad Wiet

CAM THERAPEUTIC MODALITIES 2

CAM Therapeutic Modalities

Illness is something every human deals with. Traditional avenues of treatment are

questioned regularly, while patients look for alternative treatments for what ails them. Many

westerners are pursuing preventative health and well-being, beyond just a pill for what is wrong

today. This is leading many looking for other possibilities from alternative or complementary

medical options. According to National Center for Complementary and Alternation Medicine

(CAM) 38% of adults use CAM for their medical needs, and it is believed that some 68% of all

adults have used some type of CAM treatment in the past year.

This paper will show the difference between conventional medicine, complementary

medicine, and alternative medicine. Outline the CAM treatment for menopause and highlight

notes from the scientific community about CAM treatments for menopause.

Conventional Medicine

Conventional medicine is a system used in which medical doctors, nurses, and other

health care professionals treat systems and diseases using drugs, radiation, or surgery. This is the

mainstream choices for medical care in the United States. This is not the only method of

medicine available, but it does have a role in various optional methods.

Alternative medicine: Any medicine that does not fall in the normal realm of

conventional medicine. Many of these treatments and ideas come from historical or

cultural traditions. Examples are traditional Chinese medicine, biofeedback, homeopathy,

and Native American medicine. In many of these alternative methods conventional

medicine is not present, and at the basic level is quite at odds with not only the reasons

for the ailments, but most definitely the treatments.

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Complementary medicine: A treatment or medicine used in addition to conventional care.

Examples are acupuncture, hypnosis, yoga, massage, herbal, and aromatherapy.

Conventional medicine and complimentary can work side-by-side. Many conventional

doctors agree with using alternative treatments along with their recommendations and are

fine with patients seeing comfort in their own ways, as long as it does not show risk to

the treatment they are prescribing.

Integrative medicine: The combination of traditional medicine, complementary, and

alternative therapies. Examples are truly a mix of the three other systems, including

herbal supplements, nutritional changes, chiropractic care, acupuncture, and biofeedback.

Conventional medicine is a large part of integrative medicine and requires finding a

doctor who is open to various methods of treatment.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) emphasizes healing and disease

prevention by treating the mind, body, and spirit. CAM is built on the ideal that the human body

had the innate ability to heal itself and should be allowed to do so. CAM has five major domains

practitioners use when focusing treatment.

Biologically based therapies: Include of botanicals, animal-derived extracts, vitamins,

minerals, fatty and amino acids, proteins, whole diets, and functional foods.

Manipulative and body-based method: Include of chiropractic, massage therapy,

reflexology, structural integration, cupping, scraping, and moxibustion.

Mind-Body interventions: Include aromatherapy, art therapy, Hatha yoga, meditation,

journaling, visualization, and self-hypnosis.

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Energy Therapies: Include veritable energy medicine; magnet therapy and light therapy.

Energy Medicine involving putative energy fields; therapeutic touch, healing touch, and

magnet therapy.

Alternative medical systems: Includes Chinese medicine, Native American medicine, and

Ayurveda.

Treating menopause with CAM

Menopause is a normal event that affects all women as they enter the end of their

reproductive period of life. Symptoms from menopause are quite bothersome, and woman can

experience very mild to extreme symptoms that may include hot flashes, sleep issues, lack of sex

drive, and more. With each woman’s experience being so different, every possible suggestion to

elevate the symptoms is considered.

Conventional medicine says that menopause requires no direct treatment because it is not

a disease. Regardless, woman want help and the most common treatment is hormone

replacement therapy. This treatment method does not work for all women, and has even been

linked to causing cancer, so woman often seek alternative treatments.

An alternative medicine approach to menopause is Chines medicines use of acupuncture

to reduce hot flashes, sleeping issues, and sex drive. A method of complementary therapy is

yoga, to assist the mind-body relaxation of taking control of the symptoms. An integrative

process is dietary supplements and minerals to control better the symptoms.

Limited studies are available regarding the benefits of alternative treatments. Many

studies have been conducted regarding the negative effects of hormone replacement and most

focus has been stopped there. In American Family Physician (Cutson, & Meuleman, 2000)

Managing Menopause there is a small section on using yam root, soy products, vitamin E, black

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cohosh, Chasteberry, and vitamin D. The article states “no herbal derivative has been shown to

be effective in the treatment.” Included in the article is a small chart showing some diet

suggestions, exercise suggestions, and a couple of life changes that may improve the symptoms

of menopause. Additional studies that have been done on alternative treatments are available at

NCCAM.gov.

Conclusion

Conventional medicine is practiced by approximately 62% of the western world, but for

the other 38% alternative options meet their personal or religious needs that traditional medicines

do not. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is

available to meet the needs of those with questions and seeking to learn more about alternative

options. NCCAM is available to meet the needs with focus on five major domains filled with

many options for individual treatment.

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References

Cutson, T. M., & Meuleman, E. (2000). Managing Menopause. American Family Physician,

61(5), 1391. Retrieved on November 10, 2011 from

http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=5f472173-ea82-4c2a-84ab-

7e767caf0141%40sessionmgr4&vid=3&hid=6.

Fontaine, K. (2005) Complementary & Alternative Therapies for Nursing Practice, Second

Edition, Published by Prentice Hall.

Menopause (unkn) Therapy of Menopause (2011). Retrieved on November 10, 2011 from

http://www.menopause.org.

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2011). Retrieved on November

10, 2011 from http://nccam.nih.gov.

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2011) Menopausal Symptoms

and CAM. Retrieved on November 10, 2011 from

nccam.nih.gov/health/menopause/menopausesymptoms.htm.