This document provides an overview of alternative and traditional medicine. It defines key terms like complementary medicine, alternative medicine, and integrative medicine. It describes the main categories of alternative medicine practices including natural products, mind-body medicine, manipulative practices, and energy or whole medical systems. Specific alternative therapies like herbal medicine, acupuncture, chiropractic, massage and meditation are discussed. The document contrasts alternative medicine with conventional Western medicine and notes alternative medicine focuses more on holism, spirituality and vital energy forces while conventional medicine is more materialistic.

1. ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS YEAR 3

2. General Objective:
By the end of this course, the student should be able to gain necessary comprehension of
alternative/traditional medicine.
Specific Objective
The student should be able to;
- Define key terminologies of alternative medicine
- Understand the concept of complementary medicine
- Gain distinguishable insights between contemporary medicine and alternative
medicine
- Identify certain limitations of alternative medicine

3. PRE-AMBLE
The objective of alternative medicine is to address people’s unavoidable needs for emotional
and physical healing. The discipline has evolved over millennia by drawing on the religious
beliefs and social structures of numerous indigenous peoples, by exploiting natural products in
their environments, and more recently by developing and validating therapeutic and preventive
approaches using the scientific method. Public health and medical practices have now advanced
to a point at which people can anticipate—and even feel entitled to—lives that are longer and
of better quality than ever before in human history.
Yet despite the pervasiveness, power, and promise of contemporary medical science, large
segments of humanity either cannot access its benefits or choose not to do so. More than 80
percent of people in developing nations can barely afford the most basic medical procedures,
drugs, and vaccines. In the industrial nations, a surprisingly large proportion of people opt for
practices and products for which proof as to their safety and efficacy is modest at best, practices
that in the aggregate are known as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) or as
traditional medicine (TM).
Here we consider the formidable challenges to advancing human health through the further
dispersion of effective and economical medical practices. We will consider both proven and
unproven but popular CAM and TM approaches and attempts to portray their current and
potential place in the overall practice of medicine. With globalization, the pattern of disease in
developing countries is changing. Unlike in the past, when communicable diseases dominated,
now 50 percent of the health burden in developing nations is due to noncommunicable diseases,
such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, hypertension, depression, and use of tobacco and
other addictive substances. Because lifestyle, diet, obesity, lack of exercise, and stress are
important contributing factors in the causation of these noncommunicable diseases, CAM and
TM approaches to these factors in particular will be increasingly important for the development
of future health care strategies for the developing world.

4. Definition:
The terms complementary and alternative medicine describe practices and products that people
choose as adjuncts to or as alternatives to Western medical approaches. Increasingly, the terms
CAM and TM are being used interchangeably (Kaptchuk and Eisenberg 2001; Straus 2004).
Defining CAM is difficult, because the field is very broad and constantly changing. NCCAM
defines CAM as a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products
that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine. Conventional medicine (also
called Western or allopathic medicine) is medicine as practiced by holders of M.D. (medical
doctor) and D.O. (doctor of osteopathy) degrees and by allied health professionals, such as
physical therapists, psychologists, and registered nurses. The boundaries between CAM and
conventional medicine are not absolute, and specific CAM practices may, over time, become
widely accepted. “Complementary medicine” refers to use of CAM together with conventional
medicine, such as using acupuncture in addition to usual care to help lessen pain. Most use of
CAM by Americans is complementary. “Alternative medicine” refers to use of CAM in place
of conventional medicine. “Integrative medicine” (also called integrated medicine) refers to a
practice that combines both conventional and CAM treatments for which there is evidence of
safety and effectiveness.
WHAT IS CAM?
According to the definition used by the Cochrane Collaboration, ‘complementary and
alternative medicine’ is a broad domain of healing resources that encompasses all health
systems, modalities, practices and their accompanying theories and beliefs, other than those
intrinsic to the politically dominant health system of a particular society or culture in a given
historical period. CAM includes all such practices and ideas defined by their users as preventing
or treating illness or promoting health and well-being. Boundaries within CAM and between
the CAM domain and that of the dominant system are not always sharp or fixed.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION TO ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

5. COMPLEMENTARY and alternative medicine (CAM) refers to a broad range of healing
philosophies, approaches and therapies that exist largely outside the institutions where
conventional health care is taught and provided. But some of these are now institutionalized.
Complementary medicine is an increasing feature of health-care practice, but considerable
confusion remains about what exactly it is and what position the disciplines included under this
term should hold in relation to conventional medicine. The Western health-care system has
expanded and changed remarkably in recent years. Medical practices outside the mainstream of
‘official’ medicine (allopathy) have always been an important part of public health care. The
prominence and configuration of these ‘irregulars’ as they were called, has waxed and waned
depending on the perceived value of the orthodox medicine, the needs of the public, and the
changing values of the society. The prominence of these practices subsided with the
development of scientific medicine and its dramatic advances in the understanding and
treatment of the disease. However, in India, diverse systems of medicine are official and
professionalized as to their service in education and research.
TYPES OF CAM
CAM practices are often grouped into broad categories, such as natural products, mind-body
medicine, manipulative and body-based practices. Although these categories are not formally
defined, they are useful for discussing CAM practices. Some CAM practices may fit into more
than one category.
NATURAL PRODUCTS
This area of CAM includes use of a variety of herbal medicines (also known as botanicals),
vitamins, minerals, and other “natural products.” Many are sold over the counter as dietary
supplements. (Some uses of dietary supplements—e.g., taking a multivitamin to meet minimum
daily nutritional requirements or taking calcium to promote bone health—are not thought of as
CAM.)
CAM “natural products” also include probiotics—live microorganisms (usually bacteria) that
are similar to microorganisms normally found in the human digestive tract and that may have
beneficial effects. Probiotics are available in foods (e.g., yogurts) or as dietary supplements.
They are not the same thing as prebiotics—nondigestible food ingredients that selectively
stimulate the growth and/or activity of microorganisms already present in the body.

6. Historical note: Herbal or botanical medicines reflect some of the first attempts to improve the
human condition. The personal effects of the mummified prehistoric “ice man” found in the
Italian Alps in 1991 included medicinal herbs. By the Middle Ages, thousands of botanical
products had been inventoried for their medicinal effects.
Current use: Interest in and use of CAM natural products have grown considerably in the past
few decades. The 2007 NHIS found that 17.7 percent of American adults had used a non vitamin
/ non mineral natural product. These products were the most popular form of CAM among both
adults and children. The most commonly used product among adults was fish oil/omega 3s
(reported by 37.4 percent of all adults who said they used natural products); popular products
for children included echinacea (37.2 percent) and fish oil/omega 3s (30.5 percent).
MIND-BODY MEDICINE
Mind-body practices focus on the interactions among the brain, mind, body, and behavior, with
the intent to use the mind to affect physical functioning and promote health. Many CAM
practices embody this concept—in different ways.
- Meditation techniques include specific postures, focused attention, or an open attitude
toward distractions. People use meditation to increase calmness and relaxation, improve
psychological balance, cope with illness, or enhance overall health and well-being.
- The various styles of yoga used for health purposes typically combine physical postures,
breathing techniques, and meditation or relaxation. People use yoga as part of a general
health regimen, and also for a variety of health conditions.
- Homeopathy; Homeopathy is a success in terms of its broad appeal and use, not
because of the strength of evidence supporting it. Indeed, few conventional scientists
and physicians find homeopathy to be plausible. According to the “principle of similars”
underlying homeopathy, practitioners choose remedies that, when given in high
concentrations, produce symptoms similar to those that the patient presents with. The
substance is then put in solution and serially diluted by as much as 1060, well beyond
the point defined by Avogadro’s number (at which a single molecule of the original
substance could remain in the solution). Homeopathy claims that the acts of serial
diluting and vigorous shaking imprint information into water so that medicinal
properties are retained even when no or few molecules of the starting medicine are
present. Other examples of mind-body practices include deep-breathing exercises,
guided imagery, hypnotherapy, progressive relaxation, qi gong, and tai chi.

7. - Mind-body medicine: Many ancient cultures assumed that the mind exerts powerful
influences on bodily functions and vice versa. Attempts to reassert proper harmony
between these bodily systems led to the development of mind-body medicine, an array
of approaches that incorporate spiritual, meditative, and relaxation techniques.
MANIPULATIVE AND BODY-BASED PRACTICES
Manipulative and body-based practices focus primarily on the structures and systems of the
body, including the bones and joints, soft tissues, and circulatory and lymphatic systems. Two
commonly used therapies fall within this category:
- Spinal manipulation is performed by chiropractors and by other health care
professionals such as physical therapists, osteopaths, and some conventional medical
doctors. Practitioners use their hands or a device to apply a controlled force to a joint of
the spine, moving it beyond its passive range of motion; the amount of force applied
depends on the form of manipulation used. Spinal manipulation is among the treatment
options used by people with low-back pain—a very common condition that can be
difficult to treat.
- Chiropractic medicine and osteopathic medicine: Both originated in an attempt to
relieve structural forces on vertebrae and spinal nerve roots that practitioners perceived
as evoking a panoply of illnesses beyond mere musculoskeletal pain.
- The term massage therapy encompasses many different techniques. In general,
therapists press, rub, and otherwise manipulate the muscles and other soft tissues of the
body. People use massage for a variety of health-related purposes, including to relieve
pain, rehabilitate sports injuries, reduce stress, increase relaxation, address anxiety and
depression, and aid general well-being.
- Acupuncture is a family of procedures involving the stimulation of specific points on
the body using a variety of techniques, such as penetrating the skin with needles that are
then manipulated by hand or by electrical stimulation. It is one of the key components
of traditional Chinese medicine, and is among the oldest healing practices in the world.
Historical note: Spinal manipulation has been used since the time of the ancient Greeks and
was incorporated into chiropractic and osteopathic medicine in the late 19th century. Massage
therapy dates back thousands of years. References to massage appear in writings from ancient
China, Japan, India, Arabic nations, Egypt, Greece (Hippocrates defined medicine as “the art
of rubbing”), and Rome.

8. Current use: According to the 2007 NHIS (National Health Insurance Scheme),
chiropractic/osteopathic manipulation and massage ranked in the top 10 CAM therapies among
both adults and children. The survey found that 8.6 percent of adults and 2.8 percent of children
had used chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, and 8.3 percent of adults and 1 percent of
children had used massage.
OTHER CAM PRACTICES
CAM also encompasses movement therapies—a broad range of Eastern and Western
movement-based approaches used to promote physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual
wellbeing. Examples include Feldenkreis method, Alexander technique, Pilates, and Trager
psychophysical integration. According to the 2007 NHIS, 1.5 percent of adults and 0.4 percent
of children used movement therapies.
National Institutes of Health has grouped them into five Complementary and Alternative
Medicine Haile T. Debas, Ramanan Laxminarayan, and Stephen E. Straus somewhat
overlapping domains as follows:
- Biologically based practices: These include use of a vast array of vitamins and mineral
supplements, natural products such as chondroitin sulfate, which is derived from bovine
or shark
- Alternative medical systems. The ancient Greeks postulated that health requires a
balance of vital humors, Asian cultures considered that health depends on the balance
and flow of vital energies through the body. This latter theory underlies the practice of
acupuncture, for example, which asserts that vital energy flow can be restored by
placing needles at critical body points.
- Energy medicine: This approach uses therapies that involve the use of energy—either
biofield- or bioelectromagnetic based interventions (magnet therapy). An example of
the former is Reiki therapy, which aims to realign and strengthen healthful energies
through the intervention of energies radiating from the hands of a master healer. Others
include Tai chi and Qi-gong.
Historical note: The concept that the mind is important in the treatment of illness is integral to
the healing approaches of traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine, dating back
more than 2,000 years. Hippocrates also noted the moral and spiritual aspects of healing and

9. believed that treatment could occur only with consideration of attitude, environmental
influences, and natural remedies.
Current use: Several mind-body approaches ranked among the top 10 CAM practices reported
by adults in the 2007 NHIS(National Health Insurance System). For example, the survey
found that 12.7 percent of adults had used deep-breathing exercises, 9.4 percent had practiced
meditation, and 6.1 percent had practiced yoga; use of these three CAM practices had increased
significantly since the previous (2002) NHIS. Progressive relaxation and guided imagery were
also among the top 10 CAM therapies for adults; deep breathing and yoga ranked high among
children. Acupuncture had been used by 1.4 percent of adults and 0.2 percent of children.
Alternative systems of medicine use elements from each of these CAM and TM domains. For
example, traditional Chinese medicine incorporates acupuncture, herbal medicines, special
diets, and meditative exercises such as tai chi. Ayurveda in India similarly uses the meditative
exercises of yoga, purifying diets, and natural products. In the West, homeopathic medicine and
naturopathic medicine each arose in the late 19th century as reactions to the largely ineffectual
and toxic conventional approaches of the day: purging, bleeding, and treatments with heavy
metals such as mercury and arsenicals.
Practices of traditional healers can also be considered a form of CAM. Traditional healers use
methods based on indigenous theories, beliefs, and experiences handed down from generation
to generation. A familiar example in the United States is the Native American healer/medicine
man. The 2007 NHIS found that 0.4 percent of adults and 1.1 percent of children had used a
traditional healer (usage varied for the seven specific types of healers identified in the survey).
Some CAM practices involve manipulation of various energy fields to affect health. Such fields
may be characterized as veritable (measurable) or putative (yet to be measured). Practices based
on veritable forms of energy include those involving electromagnetic fields (e.g., magnet
therapy and light therapy). Practices based on putative energy fields (also called biofields)
generally reflect the concept that human beings are infused with subtle forms of energy; qi
gong, Reiki, and healing touch are examples of such practices. The 2007 NHIS found relatively
low use of putative energy therapies. Only 0.5 percent of adults and 0.2 percent of children had
used energy healing/Reiki (the survey defined energy healing as the channeling of healing
energy through the hands of a practitioner into the client’s body).

10. Finally, whole medical systems, which are complete systems of theory and practice that have
evolved over time in different cultures and apart from conventional or Western medicine, may
be considered CAM. Examples of ancient whole medical systems include Ayurvedic medicine
and traditional Chinese medicine. More modern systems that have developed in the past few
centuries include homeopathy and naturopathy. The 2007 NHIS asked about the use of
Ayurveda, homeopathy, and naturopathy. Although relatively few respondents said they had
used Ayurveda or naturopathy, homeopathy ranked 10th in usage among adults (1.8 percent)
and 5th among children (1.3 percent).
Overview
The characteristic common to traditional (alternative system of health (vital force, spirituality
and holism) seems to distinguish it from biomedicine. Biomedicine is founded in part on
materialism (in contrast to the vital force explanation). Materialism, in this context, refers to
the theory that ‘physical matter is the only or fundamental reality, and that all beings and
processes and phenomena are manifestation or result of matter’ While biomedicine does not
necessarily reject religion or spirituality, it does not routinely incorporate these aspects into
diagnosis and treatment (unlike the traditional system). It negates any evidence of the role of
the spirit, and the mind is viewed as merely a product of the brain.
Traditional medicine teaches that energy flows within, around and through all things in the
universe. Energy cannot be destroyed, but can be affected negatively, leading to flow imbalance
or disease. Traditional medicine does not exclusively view disease as an invasion or poisoning
of the body by a foreign organism. Instead it sees the disease as a condition when the human
body is out of balance with its milieu. Healing, therefore, is the art of manipulating the flow of
energy to re-establish balance in the whole person, rather than just the area of complaint.
Spirituality, unlike in allopathy, is an integral part of traditional medicine and, as a result,
traditional medicine therapy can be very individualized, with no two people receiving the same
CHAPTER II
CONCEPTUAL DIFFERENCES AND
COMMONALITIES BETWEEN
BIOMEDICINE AND CAM

11. treatment, despite similar complaints or the same disease. In contrast, Western medicine tends
to divide the body into systems and compartments and measures functions by evaluating tissues
and examining body fluids. Although there is a great deal of knowledge regarding the body’s
complex interactions, abnormalities are often diagnosed and treated as individual entities apart
from the patient. Western physicians frequently subspecialize and view disease as an invasion
of the body by foreign organisms or a proliferation or death of individual cells. The focus of
Western medicine is therefore to provide a cure for a specific ailment. The Western scientific
method is applied rigorously and claims of its efficacy are documented and proved by repeated
independent studies. Like traditional medicine, biomedicine also now advocates some changes
in diet, environment and lifestyle to promote health.

12. SECTION I
DIFFERENT COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINAL SYSTEMS
CAM can be broadly divided into seven major categories, viz. (i) mind–body medicine, (ii)
alternative medical systems, (iii) lifestyle and disease prevention, (iv) biologically-based
therapies, (v) manipulative and body-based systems, (vi) Energy therapy (biofield and
bioelectromagnetics). Within each category, medical practices that are not commonly used,
accepted or available in conventional medicine are designated as CAM. Those practices that
fall mainly within the domains of conventional medicine are designated as ‘Behavioural
Medicine’. Practices that can be either CAM or behavioural are designated as overlapping.
Mind–body medicine involves behavioural, psychological, social and spiritual approaches to
health. It is divided into four subcategories: (i) mind–body system, (ii) mind–body methods
(e.g. yoga, internal Qi Gong, hypnosis, meditation), (iii) religion and spirituality (e.g.
confession, spiritual healing, prayer), and (iv) social and contextual areas (e.g. holistic nursing,
intuitive diagnosis, community-based approaches). Alternative medical systems involve
complete systems of theory and practice that have been developed outside the Western
biomedical approaches. They are divided into four subcategories:
(i) acupuncture and Oriental medicine;
(ii) traditional indigenous systems (e.g. Ayurvedic medicine, Siddha, Unani-tibbi,
native American medicine, Kampo medicine, traditional African medicine);
(iii) unconventional Western systems (e.g. Homeopathy, psionic medicine,
orthomolecular medicine, functional medicine, environmental medicine), and
(iv) naturopathy.
Lifestyle and disease prevention category involves theories and practices designed to prevent
the development of illness, identify and treat risk factors, or support the healing and recovery
process. This system is concerned with integrated approaches for the prevention and
management of chronic disease in general, or the common determinants of chronic disease. It
is divided into three subcategories:
(i) clinical prevention practices (e.g. electrodermal diagnosis, medical intuition,
panchakarma, chirography);
(ii) lifestyle therapies and
(iii) health promotion.

13. Biologically-based therapy includes natural and biologically-based practices, interventions and
products. Many overlap with conventional medicine’s use of dietary supplements. This
category is divided into four subcategories:
(i) phytotherapy or herbalism (plant-derived preparations that are used for therapeutic and
prevention purpose, e.g. Ginkgo biloba, garlic, ginseng, turmeric, aloe vera, echinacea,
saw palmetto, capsicum, bee pollen, mistletoe);
(ii) special diet therapies (e.g. vegetarian, high fibre, pritikin, ornish, Mediterranean, natural
hygiene);
(ii) orthomolecular medicine (products used as nutritional and food supplements and are
not covered in other categories. These are usually used in combinations for prevention
or therapeutic purpose, e.g. ascorbic acid, carotenes, folic acid, vitamin-A, riboflavin,
lysine, iron, probiotics, biotin), and
(iv) pharmacological, biological and instrumental interventions (include product and
procedures applied in an unconventional manner, e.g. Coley’s toxin, ozone, 714X,
enzyme therapy, cell therapy, EDTA, induced remission therapy, chirography, neural
therapy iridology, MORO device, bioresonance, apitherapy). Manipulative and body-
based systems are based on manipulation and/or movement of the body. They are
divided into three subcategories:
(i) chiropractic medicine;
(ii) massage and body work (e.g. osteopathic manipulative therapy, kinesiology,
reflexology, Alexander technique, rolfing, Chinese tui na massage and acupressure),
and
(iii) unconventional physical therapies (e.g. hydrotherapy colonics, diathermy, light and
colour therapy, heat and electrotherapy). Biofield medicine involves systems that
use subtle energy fields in and around the body for medical purpose, viz. therapeutic
touch, Reiki and external Qi Gong. Bioelectromagnetics refers to the unconve
(iv)
(v) ntional use of electromagnetic fields for medical purposes. A number of
complementary and alternative medicinal systems are popular in India, with
Ayurveda being the most popular. CAM is mostly associated with the treatment of
chronic diseases. Patients are also found using naturopathy, herbal medicine,
biopathy, hom remedies, wheat-grass therapy, hydrotherapy, electroenergizers, auto

14. urine therapy, vipasana and traditional healing methods for the treatment of cancer
pain. Fish medicine is tried out in a large number of patients for the treatment and
prevention of asthma. Mass meditation is practised for treatment of chronic
problems. Ayurvedic medicines are tried for epilepsy. Other popular CAMs in India
are yoga, massage, prayers, spiritual healing tantra/mantra, astromedicine, gem
therapy, hypnosis, acupuncture and magnet therapy. India, as quoted by Vaidya is
literally a ‘therapeutic jungle’ with awaited serendipitous discoveries as well as
lurking prelature of hazardous practices.
WHY DO PEOPLE USE CAM ?
The increasing popularity of CAM reflects changing needs and values in modern society in
general. This includes a rise in prevalence of chronic diseases, an increase in public access to
worldwide health information, reduced tolerance for paternalism, an increased sense of
entitlement to quality life, declining faith that scientific breakthrough will have relevance for
the personal treatment of disease, and an increased interest in spiritualism. In addition, concern
about the adverse effect and skyrocketing cost of conventional health care are fueling the search
for alternative approaches to the prevention and management of illness. As there are many
factors like the sociocultural and personal (health status, belief, attitude, motivation, etc.),
underlying a person’s decision to use alternative therapies, at present, there is no clear or
comprehensive theoretical model to account for the increased use of alternative forms of health
care. Three assumptions have been proposed to explain the use of alternative medicine:
(1) Dissatisfaction: Patients are dissatisfied with conventional treatment because it has been
ineffective, has produced adverse side effects, or is seen as impersonal, too technologically-
oriented, and/or too costly.
(2) Need for personal control: Patients seek alternative therapies because they see them as less
authoritarian with more personal autonomy and control over their health care decisions.
(3) Philosophical congruence: Alternative therapies are attractive because they are seen as more
compatible with patients’ values, world-view, spiritual/religious philosophy or beliefs
regarding the nature and meaning of health and illness.

15. SECTION II
REGULATION OF CAM
The interaction of politics and science in the arena of health care, one of the most lucrative
industries in the US, has played a significant role in the recent development of alternative
medicine there. In October 1991, the US Congress instructed the NIH to create an Office of
Unconventional Medical Practices, later renamed the Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM).
The mandate was met with a less-than-enthusiastic response from the NIH but simultaneously
with high public expectation. Compounding the difficulties other key governmental agencies,
in particular the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), were overlooked in the mandate,
although their role was necessary and complementary to that of the OAM. Similar to other
federal programmes, the activities of the OAM must comply with FDA regulations and policies.
Yet, FDA regulations designed for conventional drugs are devices not applicable for alternative
medicine products. Many contemporary cures are not pills and potions, but lifestyle-oriented
remedies. These remedies are usually beyond the regulatory responsibility of the FDA. Often
the remedies of CAM are masked under the label of ‘dietary supplements’. Regulation of CAM
practitioners varies widely. In most countries only registered health professionals may practice,
but in the UK practice is virtually unregulated, except for osteopathic and chiropractic. The
General Osteopathy Council and the General Chiropractic Council have been established by
the act of parliamentary and statutory self-regulation status with similar powers and functions
as those of the General Medical Council. A small number of other disciplines, such as
acupuncture, herbal medicine and homeopathy, have a single main regulatory body and are
working towards statutory selfregulation1.
SAFETY ISSUE OF CAM
CAM remedies are popular among patients with chronic diseases such as cancer, AIDS,
arthritis, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, etc. Cancer patients throughout the world use alternative
medical methods. Treatments include vitamins, herbs, diet, healing, ‘psy treatment, folk
medicines and homeopathy. However, the recent failure of the Luigi Di Bella cancer therapy
and the wonder anti-cancer drug advocated by Asru Kumar Sinha has raised questions on the
effectiveness of alternative therapies in dealing with chronic diseases like cancer. According to

16. Durant, most of the alternative cancer therapies are nothing but an attractive nuisance. However,
there are remarkable anecdotal cure and survival up to five years in cancer patients treated with
CAM, which need to be studied. All medicines can be toxic under specific circumstances, there
is always a risk that an adverse reaction will present a hazard to patients with licensed
medicines. However, regulations are expected to ensure that the risk is small and the
pharmaceutical industries monitor the medicine’s efficacy, safety and quality. No such global
control over natural medicine or herbal medicine exists. India has ayurvedic and herbal
pharmacopoeias and the approval process for manufacturers of CAM. Patients with cancer and
AIDS should be warned that some of the adverse effects of natural medicines are often similar
to symptoms of problems associated with their disease or treatment, thus making it difficult to
discern if the disease or the ‘remedy’ is the problem. The harm caused by unproven therapies
or poor quality CAM is not only medical, but also societal and can be summarized as follows:
 Economic harm – through loss of resources. It is estimated that four times more money
is spent on quackery than on cancer research. In 1983 an estimated $ 200 million was
to have been spent on cancer chemotherapy, and in 1981, $ 1 billion was estimated to
have been spent on laetrile, which was found to be ineffective, despite anecdotal
success.
 Direct harm – cyanide toxicity death related to laetrile; metabolic disturbances caused
by some diet, harmful effect of some megavitamin regimens and ruptured colons with
coffee enemas. Transmission of viral and bacterial diseases with contaminated serologic
product, etc. can recur.
 Indirect harm – the harm of omission, total avoidance or delay in seeking responsible
therapy while pursuing alternative therapies. Utilization of diet for cure rather than
nutritional preservation. The psychological effect of prolonged denial, guilt associated
with inability to self-control the disease and feelings of inadequacy. The incorrect
diagnosis of cancer by iridology, kinesiology or a variety of serologic tests, and the
resultant questionable treatment with its consequences.
 Societal harm – the impact of large groups advocating mistrust of established
institutions, frequently supported by the media, legislative bodies, etc., distorts progress
by altering expenditure of funds, delaying public health measures and formation of laws.
Alternative medicine offers more than physical and mental health care. In the words of one
observer, it comprises a medical system that also dispenses a heavy dose of unconventional
religion. Through the patient’s participation in Nature, vital forces and a ‘human’ science, the

17. quest for health takes on sacred proportions, allowing the patient to discern the ultimate
meaning and make profound connections with the universe. Since ancient times, it has been
known that the state of mind of a sick person influences the response to treatment. A recent
study by Harris et al. suggests that prayer may be an effective adjunct to standard medical care.
However, the general uses of prayer as a modality of treatment for the sick is not itself a prima
facie argument in favour of the efficacy of prayer. In a recent incident, fundamentalist Christian
parents resisted the conventional treatment of their son suffering from osteogenic sarcoma and
believed a regimen of vitamins and prayer would heal their child, which was really unfortunate.
There is no doubt that the faith of an individual patient is relevant to recovery, but not at the
cost of neglecting scientific therapy. Complementary practitioners do not need a conventional
diagnosis to initiate treatment. In fact, many think that their treatments are most effective in
patients without organic pathology. The risks of missing serious conditions if complementary
treatments are given to patients without definite diagnosis, are of great concern. Little is known
about the malpractices of practitioners of CAM or about the relationship between conventional
and alternative medicine.
The amount of money some patients spend on complementary medicine is considerable. Costs
vary widely, and higher prices do not necessarily mean better or more effective treatment. The
lack of evidence concerning many complementary interventions means that the likelihood of a
successful outcome is often impossible to predict, patients should be aware of the risk. They
should also know in advance about the estimated cost for a complete course of treatment,
including tests and medications, before starting complementary therapy.

18. REASONS FOR INCREASED POPULARITY
The increased popularity of alternative medicine can be attributed to the emergence of a number
of factors. Primarily, most people have resorted to the use of alternative medicine in the belief
that they stand to accrue benefits that are not available in conventional medicine and related
therapeutic interventions. Consumers, for example, tend to pursue alternative medicine for the
resolution of conditions that are taking long for conventional medicine to resolve, all with the
expectation that their condition and wellbeing will improve in less time. This perception among
consumers has significantly contributed to the success of the placebo effect in the practice of
alternative medicine, as will be observed later (Rees, 2001). Contemporary consumers are also
resorting to alternative medicine because of the personal compassion and attention that is
attached to its practice, as opposed to the impersonal nature of conventional and technological
medical care. According to Rees (2001) the physician-patient relationship in conventional
medicine has deteriorated over the years because of economic constraints, as well as the
assembly-line nature of modern medicine. As doctors rush to attend to more patients and
maximize on available resources, the warmly touch that was associated with most physicians is
quickly disappearing. In contrast, this personal touch has not only been preserved in alternative
medicine, but it has also been emphasized as one of the prerequisites of the healing process.
Alternative medicine not only seeks to improve the condition of patients, but to better their
general health and wellbeing, as well. As such, the development of an emotional bond between
the physician and the patient has been an innate part of the healing process used in alternative
medicine and its related therapeutic interventions. In turn, modern consumers are more
accommodating towards physicians who are not quick to prescribe drugs, but who are willing
to listen and explore other means through which preexisting conditions could be resolved.
In addition, unlike the medical establishment which regards alternative medicine with suspicion
and significant levels of contempt, the general public has come to perceive alternative medicine
as a genuine public health alternative that will not fade away. To a large number of patients that
seek alternative medicine, the most appealing aspect about this medicine is the emphasis that it
places on the holistic development of the individual. The popularity of the practices attached to
alternative medicine has also been on the increase because of the perceived, time-tested nature
of these practices. Alternative therapeutic interventions such as the Chinese acupuncture have

19. been practiced for hundreds of years, leading to the perception that they are a safe bet for the
average patient (Harlington, 2010).
SAFETY AND OTHER FRINGE CONCERNS
Whereas safety concerns have been mentioned by practitioners in the medical establishment as
the main reason for their opposition towards alternative medicine, such concerns do not seem
paramount to consumers who seek alternative medicine. According to Harington (2010) the
overriding notion among most consumers is that natural therapies (which is what most
alternative remedies are perceived as) are safe. In part, this demonstrated lack of awareness
among consumers who pursue alternative medicine has been the main reason why conventional
physicians regard alternative medicine with significant reservations. In addition, alternative
therapies such as herbal medicines have been classified as dietary supplements under most
health legislations, thus exempting them from the stringent analysis that conventional drugs are
subjected to prior to their use among the public. The fact that a number of alternative therapies
and medicines are not screened by public health-based establishments such as FDA has thus
attracted concerns from the conventional medical practitioners about the safety of these
therapies Rees, 2001). In addition, the lack of sufficient research and information about the
therapies pursued under alternative medicine places grave concerns about their safety. The
extent of these safety concerns can be highlighted through the comparison of standard practices
as exercised when conventional drugs are being rolled out. In the United States, for example,
conventional drug are placed in shelves for sale once the FDA has ascertained that sufficient
clinical trials have been carried out in a bid to determine the safety of the drugs in question.
Once the drugs are out for sale, it is upon the FDA to prove that drugs are unsafe for them to
be recalled. The classification under which most alternative therapies fall, combined with the
fact that scarch. information exists concerning the efficacy and safety of alternative therapies
(even with the conduction of a significant number of clinical trials) makes these therapies
problematic for the FDA to assess and control. In view of this assertion, a number of
conventional practitioners have been on record asserting that the practice of alternative
medicine is one huge, “uncontrolled experiment” (Rees, 2001).
In addition, significant concerns have been raised over the use of alternative medicine alongside
conventional medicine without knowledge of the impact that this interplay might have on the
health of the patient. Herbals used in alternative medicine such as garlic, for example, tend to
interfere with the administration of anesthesia in the course of surgery. In addition, the

20. consumption of some of the herbal materials might be fatal for cardiovascular patients since
they contain anti-clotting properties. The fact that contemporary consumers are using
alternative medicine alongside conventional medicine prescriptions with little knowledge of the
risk that they are placing on their health has only compounded the safety concerns attached to
the use of alternative medicine (Rees, 2001).
THE HEALING PROCESS
In an analysis of the healing process Moerman (2002) cites three major responses that human
beings make towards the resolution of injuries and ailments. According to Moerman (2002)
autonomous responses are not only a first, but are also the most important responses in the
context of the healing process. These are responses that a patient usually invokes towards
regaining equilibrium and ultimately, the optimal health. Autonomous responses include the
invocation of immunological, as well as other related systems. In this context, Moerman (2002)
asserts that a cut finger could be “healed” by merely licking it. The other two responses are
specific and meaning responses. Specific responses are responses that the body makes towards
the content of medicine. The antibiotic quality of penicillin, for example, enables the body to
achieve healing. Meaning responses, on the other hand, enable healing through the interaction
that the patient makes with the healing mechanisms. The use of bright colors in the hospital
environment, for example, often serves to speed up the healing process. Other conventional
frameworks that have been used to explain the healing process point out to the essence of
external symbols and interactions to a greater extent than that which Moerman highlights. Rakel
(2012), for example, asserts that the healing process involves four basic components:
- A patient-physician relationship that is emotionally charged
- A healing setting
- A succinct explanation of factors that contributed to the condition and the subsequent
symptoms
- A procedure, plan or ritual that involves both the physician and the patient and an
companying mutual belief that the problem will be resolved through these efforts.
It is essential to note that the input of medicinal content has not been cited as a prerequisite
within this healing process.
HOW CAMS ENHANCE HUMAN CAPABILITIES

21. Sointu (2013) argues that unlike the scientific methods of healing which are mainly focused on
eliminating pathogens or inducing strength and comfort among sick people, complementary
and alternative medicines offer a form of energy that leads to the harnessing of inner power.
Through empowerment, people feel more in control of their healing process, their feelings, their
resistance to diseases and most importantly, their immunological agency. As such, the author
argues that the importance of CAMs in medical practice should not be based on their
scientifically proven medicinal value but rather their mental power which is more important as
compared to the healing process. CAMs thus spell positivity and optimistic perspectives which
likewise enhance the healing process. CAMs thus call for analysis that overpowers biomedical
and scientific effects, and their overall influence on positive perspective among the ailing
patients. The focus on the complementary medicine as a scientifically proven healing capacity
should thus be ignored and the key focus should be on their influence of the patient’s mental
well being. The positivity that accommodates the use of these drugs for non-medicinal healing
is the key strength to understanding CAMs and embracing them in clinical practice. Regardless,
negativity associated with discouragement of these methods is the key reason why most people
undergo pain and suffering when clinical medicine fails to work as efficiently as assumed.

22. SECTION III
CONTEMPORARY MEDICINE VS. THE BODY’S INNATE HEALING CAPACITY
From an anthropological perspective, placebo effect is comparable to the physiology symbols
of healing which are derived from manipulation of healing power to induce the healing power
in people. The placebo effect however, is not a contemporary western medical healing process
but rather one derived from non-western sources (Moerman, 2002). This thus shows that there
is a possibility of other drugs and treatment methods that can be adopted from cultural
backgrounds. The anthropology of medicine that not only encompasses the use of scientifically
proven ways to heal people, but rather should focus on the non-western unknown treatment
methods which seem to work efficiently. From Moerman’s (2002) perspective human beings
are cultural animals, and the culture in which people exist determines their healing abilities.
Western cultures believe in medicine as a healer, whereas some religious cultures believe in
prayer as a healer. The bottom line in both cultures is that it leads to healing and it promotes
health among its members. As such, contemporary ways are all bound to drugs as a source of
healing, and in such a case, then the use of inert drugs which have no medicinal value
whatsoever, will work efficiently for people in western nations. For religious people on the
other hand, in the absence of drugs, their faith in prayer likewise results in healing, and as such,
medicine or pills used on such people would be relatively inefficient despite the efficiency of
the drug in the contemporary world. Exploring the effects of culture on immunity and the health
of people thus sheds light on the healing capacities of the human body. The cognitive responses
inscribed in a human being from their culture thus explore the overall efficiency in the
administration of drugs which thus evokes positive outcomes. Moerman (2002) assesses the
origins of placebo, which has been translated as a meaning for "I shall walk, or I shall please
the lord" (Moerman, 2002:11) which is based on a human being’s overall influence on their
capacity. Placebo has also prompted some scientists to assess the overall capacity of the brain
in harnessing inner power and influencing the performance.
SPIRITUALITY, VITALITY, HOLISM AND FAITH: CAMS OF THE FUTURE
Ning (2013) argues that for long, alternative and conventional medicine sources such as holism,
vitalism, spirituality, natural healing and individual responsibility for health have been ignored

23. by medical practitioners. Most pharmacists and doctors are scientists and thus spirituality and
holism are not some critical areas that make a lot of sense to them. In fact, such contentions are
argued as not only ineffective, but rather aspects of ignorance that has increased among the
population. However, this is not entirely the case. The focus on the body as a self sustaining
system developed to fight pathogens on its own as opposed to using scientific medicine needs
to be embraced by most people practicing medicine. This being the case, most people bear the
contention that they need medicine to heal, because their physicians and doctors advocated such
methodologies to them, convincing them that this is the only way through which they can heal
Faith, which is the belief that something will actually happen is the same contention used by
clinical practitioners in RCTs, where placebo tablets, pills or injections work for most patients.
As such, faith, whether spiritual or in medicine is a key reason why people heal. As such Ning
(2012) argues that exploring these fields would result in more positive outcomes among not
only the patients but also to the medical field since the medical field’s main purpose is
promoting healing. Doctors who discourage the healing through other "unconventional" ways
which would be the emphasis of health should thus shun from such discouragements and in
actual fact promote them
WHY CAMS ARE NOT POPULAR
Most people who believe in CAMs as a treatment alternative understand the healing capacity
this method has. However, science, which is based on facts and not the possibility of healing,
focuses on more "scientific" approaches to solve any given problem. In the world of medicine,
the main role is not to develop solutions to countless problems using a superior way, but rather
solving the problem through whatever means. Basing one’s arguments on facts shows prove,
but not all solutions can be proven. Regardless, science and medicine are disciplines that have
had positive results from their previous assessments and their problem solving skills. And on
such an argument it is evident that people might argue that science is based on factual truths
and until CAMs are scientifically proven to induce healing, the acceptability of the method has
been constricted. However, various people in the contemporary society understand that since
the invention of medicine as a field, instead of more cures being developed, more diseases have
emerged. The reliance on medicine has increased in the United States and everywhere else in
the world. The advertisement for drugs and the marketing strategies used by people to
popularize conventional medicine and scientific medicine has steadily increased in the past few
years. As such, convincing people otherwise would be one of the trickiest tasks to people who
understand the healing capabilities of CAMs. As such, the only way through which these

24. methods can be introduced to the world and popularized is through the definition of these
methods as complementary, which are to be used alongside scientific medicine to foster quicker
healing. Regardless, this does not present a solid argument that all other unconventional healing
processes are ineffective. In fact, there is a higher possibility that the world health issues in the
world today can be solved through embracing these methods as the sole sources of medicine.
Anthropology presents a chance for alternative medicine with higher levels of success to be
discovered. Some "uncivilized" tribes lack medical ports or hospitals within their communities
yet they have longer life spans than we from the civilized world. The efficiency of traditional
methods in improving health, such as yoga and acupuncture presents a possibility that there are
other medicinal products out there with much superior healing powers as compared to
contemporary medicine. However, physicians and doctors need not be alarmed, since some
problems in the world are absolutely incurable using these methodologies. The levels of
capitalism and competition need not hinder the population from becoming healthier if they are
focused on creating a healthier population. Any method out there that is efficient in enhancing
immunity should be given to the world.
PLACEBOS AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
In order to understand the value of the placebo in alternative medicine; whether it plays any
significant role in the healing process or whether it is central to this healing process as
hypothesized, it is essential to understand:
- The healing process
- The nature of patients who seek alternative therapies
- The correlation between these two constructs can be used to infer whether or not placebos are
central to the healing process of alternative medicine. If the healing process involves some form
of non-scientific element (such as non-medical reassurances) which are continually and
primarily emphasized in alternative medicine, then the placebo effect takes a significant amount
of dominance in such surroundings. In addition, if the nature of patients who seek alternative
medicine is such that they are not usually ill per se, then it can be hypothesized that a range of
medical gestures (which have no medical value as such) would be sufficient to make them
better, thus highlighting the value of the placebo in alternative therapies.
HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE PLACEBO EFFECT

25. Placebo effect is a medical treatment methodology used in expanse in contemporary medicine.
The placebo effect as a form of treatment is based on deception, which not only improves the
medical conditions of the patients applying it but also deceives them into selftreatment. Since
its inception, placebo effects not only focus on the disease but also the mind state that the patient
is in. for instance, if a patient think or believes that he is sick, the mind somewhat makes the
patients believe and the body to view the effects of the ailment to manifest themselves on a
patient’s body. This mode of treatment has had some critical and relatively bad receptions. For
instance, in most cases the placebo effect is viewed as a strategy that not only makes it difficult
for patients to heal, but have also been termed by some as relatively unethical. The question
still lies in how efficient the placebo effect is and its influence on patients. Commonly, the
placebo effect is used in most medical research journals and projects as a control mechanism
which is used to identify the various causative agents of a new or an existing ailment. The drug
which is administered to subjects is not only focused on curing the ailment but also the
assessment of side effects and their influence on the human body. The placebo effect, unlike
other medical practices does not work on testing subject who are not human. The placebo effect
is thus not only a medical or a clinical philosophy that is widely applied to ‘trick’ patients into
self-healing, but also a psychological drug that is used to assess the functionality of the human
brain, assessing its performance and its set limits to curativeness