Transcript File

Complementary / alternative
medicine
What is complementary and alternative
medicine (CAM)?
 It
is a group of diverse medical and
health care systems, practices and
products that are not presently
considered to be part of conventional
medicine.
Are complementary medicine and
alternative medicine different
from each other?
Yes, they are different
 Complementary
medicine is used
together with conventional medicine. An
example of a complementary therapy is
using aromatherapy to help lessen a
patient’s discomfort following surgery.
 Alternative
medicine is used in place
of conventional medicine. An example of
an alternative therapy is using a special
diet to treat cancer instead of undergoing
surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy that
has been recommended by a conventional
doctor.
What are the major types of
complementary and alternative
medicine?
Classify CAM therapies into
five categories, or
domains
1.
Alternative Medical Systems. e.g.
Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda
2.
Mind-Body Interventions. e.g. prayer,
meditation, art, music, or dance.
3.
Biologically Based Therapies. e.g.
dietary supplements & herbal products
4.
Manipulative and Body-Based
Methods. e.g. chiropractic manipulation &
massage
5.
Energy Therapies.
I. Biofield therapies. e.g. qi gong
II.Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies.
Medical Herbalism
 Medical
herbalism is the use of plant
remedies in the prevention and
treatment of illness.
 Today,
medical herbalism, practiced by
medical herbalists, draws on traditional
knowledge, but increasingly this is
interpreted and applied in a modern
context.
Aspects of medical herbalism
1.
Herbalism takes an holistic approach.
2.
Herbalists select herbs on an individual basis for each
patient.
3.
Herbalists aim to identify the underlying cause (e.g.
stress) of a patient’s illness and to consider this in the
treatment plan.
4.
Herbs are used to stimulate the body’s healing
capacity, to ‘strengthen’ bodily systems and to
‘correct’ disturbed body functions rather than to treat
presenting symptoms directly.
5.
Herbs may be used to provide long-term relief from
the particular condition.

1.
2.
One of the tenets of herbalism is that
the different constituents of a herb act
together in some way that has
beneficial effects. These could be:
Additive effect:
The combined effect of two drugs is
equal to the sum of their individual
actions.
Synergistic effect:
The combined effect of two drugs is
greater than the sum of the individual
effects.
Conditions treated

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Medical herbalists treat a wide range
of acute and chronic conditions. e.g.
Irritable bowel syndrome
Premenstrual syndrome
Menopausal symptoms
Eczema
Types of arthritis
Depression
Acne and other skin conditions
Cystitis (Inflammation of the urinary bladder)
Migraine
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Herbalist’s prescriptions
 Generally,
a combination of several
different herbs (usually 4-6) is used in
the treatment of a particular patient.
 sometimes, a single herb may be given,
e.g. chasteberry (vitex agnus castus) for
premenstrual syndrome and
dysmenorrhea.
 Each patient’s treatment is reviewed
regularly and is likely to be changed
depending on whether or not there has
been a response.
Aromatherapy



1.
2.
3.
4.
Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use
of aromatic substances extracted from
plants.
The most important group of these
substances is the essential oils.
How essential oils are obtained ?
Distillation
Enfleurage
Solvent extraction
Expression
Aspects of aromatherapy
1.
2.
3.
4.
Aromatherapists believe that essential oils can be
used not only for the treatment and prevention of
disease, but also for their effects on mood and
emotion.
Aromatherapy is claimed to be an holistic therapy.
Aromatherapists believe that the constituents of
essential oils work synergistically.
Essential oils are described not only with
reference to reputed pharmacological properties
(e.g. antibacterial), but also by terms that are not
recognized in conventional medicine (e.g.
balancing, energizing).
How Essential Oils Work

Essential oils are believed to act both
by exerting pharmacological effects
following:
1.
Absorption into the circulation.
2.
The effects of their odor on the
olfactory system.
Conditions treated
Aromatherapy is widely used as an approach
to relieving stress, and many essential oils
are claimed to be ‘relaxing’.
 Many aromatherapists also claim that
essential oils can be used in the treatment of
a wide range of conditions. For example:
digestive problems, eczema, headaches,
insomnia.
 Aromatherapy is also used in a variety of
conventional healthcare settings, such as
mental health units and in specialized units
caring for patients with HIV/AIDS, physical
disabilities and severe learning disabilities.

Ways of Using Essential Oils
1.
2.
3.
4.
Inhaling through vaporization
Bathing
Compress
Massage
Special considerations
 Some
oils should be avoided by people
with certain conditions, such as:
1. High
blood pressure
2. Epilepsy
3. pregnancy