Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) refers to medical practices that are not part of conventional medicine. CAM includes practices like acupuncture, herbalism, and meditation. CAM can be used together with conventional medicine as a complement or as an alternative in place of conventional treatments. The document outlines different types of CAM, including whole medical systems from various traditions, mind-body interventions, biologically based treatments, manipulative therapies, and energy therapies. It also discusses traditional medicine, modern allopathic medicine, integrative medicine, and ethnomedicine.

1. Complementary
and
Alternative Medicine
1

2. Complementary and Alternative Medicine
(CAM)
Topic outline
• Definition of Terms
 Traditional medicine
 Allopathy
 CAM
 Ethnomedicine etc.
• Traditional Medicine Vs modern medicine
2

3. What is Complementary and
Alternative Medicine
• CAM is a group of diverse medical and health care
systems, practices and products that are not presently
considered part of conventional medicine.
• Complimentary medicine is used together with
conventional therapies: for example, aromatherapy
following surgery to lessen discomfort.
• Alternative medicine is used in place of conventional
medicine.
• Many theories of alternative medicine attempt to
provide single explanation for most illnesses and
attempt to correct the source of the problem.
• Relies on the potential for certain stimuli to enhance the
bodies natural healing.
3

4. What is CAM?
• Medical and health care practices outside the
realm of conventional medicine, which are yet to
be validated using scientific methods
• Complementary: together with conventional
practices
 Aromatherapy to lessen a patient’s discomfort after
surgery
• Alternative: in place of conventional practices
 Using garlic to lower blood pressure
 Use a special diet to treat cancer instead of surgery or
radiation
4

5. 1. Introduction
1.1 Definition of terms
– Health practices can broadly be categorized
into two:
 Modern
(conventional, orthodox, Western or
allopathic)
 Traditional
(indigenous or folk medicines,
complementary, alternative or integrative)
5

6. Traditional medicine (TM)
• TM
 also called indigenous medicine or folk medicine
 describes medical knowledge systems, which
developed over centuries within various societies
before the era of modern medicine.
 It is an amorphous concept that comprises a
range of long-standing and still evolving practices
based on diverse beliefs and theories
6

7. TM cont.
According to WHO, TM refers to
“health practices, approaches, knowledge and
beliefs incorporating plant, animal and mineral
based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual
techniques and exercises, applied singularly or
in combination to treat, diagnose and prevent
illnesses or maintain well-being.”
7

8. TM cont.
It is “the sum total of all knowledge and practices
used in the prevention, diagnosis, and elimination of
physical, mental or social imbalances and which
relies exclusively on practical experience and
observation handed down from generation to
generation, whether orally or in writing.”
8

9. TM cont.
TM include medicines, which are very well-known
also in Western countries, such as
herbal medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, Unani
medicine, acupuncture, traditional Chinese
medicine,
but also all other medical knowledge and
practices all over the globe, which have been so
far only orally transmitted.
9

10. TM cont.
Various types of TM such as herbs, tree or plant
roots, fruits, insects and food items are used for
treatments of any illness ranging from AIDS,
cancer, malaria, warts, and sore throats to
arthritis, impotence, high blood pressure and
infected wounds.
10

11. Modern medicine (Allopathy)
 Is clearly defined, with minor regional variations in its
underlying philosophy and clinical methods.
 In modern medicine, knowledge expansion is achieved
through scientific research, which can involve global
collaboration and commitment.
 Such research is well supported financially by industry,
governments and philanthropic organizations.
11

12. Allopathy cont.
• Allopath ( Greek root: allo- "different or
opposite“ and pathos- “suffering or disease".
– It is a system of medical practice which treats disease
by the use of remedies which produce effects
different from those produced by the disease under
treatment
– A system of medicine that embraces all methods of
proven value in the treatment of disease.
• Conventional medicine, Western Medicine
12

13. Allopathy cont.
• The term "allopathy" was coined in 1842 by C.F.S.
Hahnemann to designate the usual practice of
medicine (allopathy) as opposed to homeopathy.
– Homeopathy is based on the principle that substances
that are poisonous in large doses can be very beneficial
in small doses.
– He claimed that his theory of homeopathy, which
attempts to mimic the symptoms (hence homeo-, "the
same"), was a more effective and human alternative.
13

14. Allopathy cont.
– He used the term allopathy to refer to what he saw
as a system of medicine that combats disease by
using remedies that produce effects in a healthy
subject that are different (hence Greek root allo-
"different") from those of the disease to be treated.
14

15. Allopathy cont.
• Thus it was coined to differentiate homeopathic
practices from conventional medicine, based on
the types of treatments used.
• Practitioners of alternative medicine have used
the term "allopathic medicine" to refer to the
practice of conventional medicine
15

16. CAM
 CAM can be defined as
 “a group of diverse medical and health care systems,
practices, and products that are not presently
considered to be part of conventional medicine”.
 While some scientific evidence exists regarding some
CAM therapies, for most there are key questions that
are yet to be answered through well-designed scientific
studies
 Questions such as whether these therapies are safe and
whether they work for the diseases or medical
conditions for which they are used.
16

17. CAM cont.
 Complementary medicine and alternative medicine differ
from each other
 Here follows some definitions and terminologies related to
CAM
• Definitions
 Different terminology has been used over time
from
– the negative
 “quackery” to “unorthodox"," unconventional”, “questionable”,
“unproven” and “alternative”
– proponents may use terms such as
 ‘holistic’, ‘non-toxic’, ‘integrative’, ‘medicine douce (gentle medicine)’
17

18. CAM cont.
 Complementary therapies are used in addition to conventional
treatment
– include supportive approaches that treat symptoms and
enhance well-being
– An example is using aromatherapy to help lessen a
patient's discomfort following surgery.
 Conversely, alternative therapies are frequently promoted for
use
– in place of mainstream treatment
» An example is using a special diet to treat cancer
instead of undergoing surgery, radiation, or
chemotherapy that has been recommended by a
conventional doctor.
• CAM is an umbrella of both.
18

19. CAM cont.
The terms “complementary medicine” and
“alternative medicine” are used interchangeably with
“traditional medicine” in some countries.
• Eg. In industrialized countries, the term "traditional
medicine" is very often confused with the term
Complementary and alternative medicine.
CAM often refers to traditional medicine that is
practiced in a country but is not part of the country’s
own traditions.
19

20. CAM cont.
• TM is traditional because it is deeply rooted in a
specific socio-cultural context, which varies from
one community to another.
• Each community has its own particular approach to
health and disease even at the level of ethno
pathogenic perceptions of diseases and therapeutic
behavior.
20

21. CAM cont.
 5 Major types of CAM
• Whole (Alternative) medical systems
– are built upon complete systems of theory and practice.
– Often, these systems have evolved apart from and earlier than the
conventional medical approach.
 Examples include:
oThose that have developed in Western cultures
 Homeopathic medicine (originated in Europe)
 Naturopathic medicine (originated in Europe)
oThose that have developed in non-Western cultures
 Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) (originated in China)
 Ayurveda (originated in India )
21

22. CAM cont.
• Mind-body interventions
– uses a variety of techniques designed to enhance the
mind's capacity to affect bodily function and
symptoms
» Examples include meditation and prayer
• Biologically based treatments
– use substances found in nature, such as herbal
products and dietary supplements;
• Manipulative and body based methods
– Such as massage and chiropractic manipulation
• Energy therapies
– Such as Reiki and qi gong
22

23. Integrative medicine
Combines mainstream medical therapies and
CAM therapies for which there is some high-
quality scientific evidence of safety and
effectiveness.
23

24. Ethnomedicine
• Ethnomedicine
is a sub-field of ethnobotany or medical
anthropology that deals with the study of
traditional medicines:
 Not only those that have relevant written sources
(e.g. TCM, Ayurveda), but especially those, whose
knowledge and practices have been orally
transmitted over the centuries.
24

25. Ethnomedicine cont.
• While Ethnomedicine refers to the beliefs
concerning sickness and health,
Ethnopharmacology refers to the medication
itself (which can take a variety of forms) (Drugs,
Plants, Foods…)
25

26. Ethnomedicine cont.
• Ethnomedicine is any medical system linked to a
particular language group or community of people,
Folk medicine is a culturally-specific way to treat
physical, emotional-psychological and spiritual
afflictions.
 “Folk” simply means “people”
 “Folk medicine,” then, refers to any of the
various remedies, behaviors, substances used in
the course of home-treatment of an ailment
26

27. Ethnomedicine cont.
Classification of Ethnomedicine
• The personalistic systems where supernatural
causes ascribed to angry deities, ghosts, ancestors
and witches predominate, and
• The naturalistic systems where illness is explained in
impersonal, systemic terms.
27

28. Definitions
• 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.
– Medicine as practiced by holders of a medical doctor (M.D.) or
doctor of osteopathy (D.O.) degrees and by their allied health
professionals (physical therapists, psychologists, registered
nurses, etc.)
• 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.
• Integrative medicine, combines mainstream medical
therapies and CAM therapies for which there is some high-
quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness. 28

29. Categories
• Five categories of alternative
medicine are generally recognized
–Alternative whole medical systems
–Mind-body medicine
–Biologically based practices
–Manipulative and body-based practices
–Energy medicine
29

30. Differences Between Conventional and
Alternative Medicine
Factor Conventional Medicine Alternative Medicine
Definition of
health
Normal function (ie, absence of
specific disease or dysfunction)
Optimal balance, resilience, and
integrity of the body, mind, and spirit
and their interrelationships
Definition of
illness
Disease based: Dysfunction of
organs or biochemical processes
Symptom and individual based:
Imbalance of body, mind, and spirit
Concept of life
force
Life processes that involve
physical and biochemical events
and not a nonphysical life force
A nonphysical life force that unites
mind and body, interconnects all
living beings, and is the underpinning
of health
Understanding
of consciousness
Results only from physical
processes in the brain
Not localized to the brain; can exert
healing effects on the body
Method of
treatment
External interventions (eg, drugs,
surgery, radiation therapy)
Support and strengthening of patients'
inherent capacity for self-healing
30

31. Types of Alternative Medicine
Overview Examples Description
Whole medical systems
All-encompassing approaches,
including theory and practice (eg,
explanation of disease, diagnostics,
therapy)
Ayurveda Aims to restore balance within the body
Uses diet, massage, herbs, meditation, therapeutic
elimination, and yoga
Homeopathy Based on the law of similars: A substance that causes certain
symptoms when given in large doses is used in minute doses
to cure the same symptoms
Naturopathy Aims to prevent and treat disease by promoting a healthy
lifestyle, treating the whole person, and using the body's
natural healing abilities
Uses a combination of therapies, including acupuncture,
counseling, exercise therapy, guided imagery, homeopathy,
hydrotherapy, medicinal herbs, natural childbirth, nutrition,
physical therapies, and stress management
Traditional
Chinese
medicine
Aims to restore proper flow of life force (qi) in the body by
balancing the opposing forces of yin and yang within the
body
Uses acupuncture, massage, medicinal herbs, and meditative
exercise (qi gong)
31

32. Types of Alternative Medicine
Mind-body medicine
Use of behavioral, psychologic, social, and
spiritual techniques to enhance the mind's
capacity to affect the body and thus to
preserve health and prevent or cure disease
Biofeedback Uses electronic devices to provide patients with
information about biologic functions (eg, BP, muscle
activity) and to teach patients to control these functions
Guided imagery Uses mental images to help patients relax or to promote
wellness or healing of a particular condition (eg, cancer,
psychologic trauma)
Hypnotherapy Puts patients into a state of relaxation with attentive and
focused concentration to help them change their
behavior and thus improve their health
Meditation Involves intentional self-regulation of attention or a
systematic mental focus on particular aspects of inner or
outer experience.
Relaxation
techniques
Aim to elicit a psychophysiologic state of hypoarousal
by reducing sympathetic nervous system activity and
BP, easing muscle tension, slowing metabolic processes,
or altering brain wave activity
32

33. Types of Alternative Medicine
Biologically based practices
Use of naturally occurring
substances (eg, particular foods,
micronutrients) to affect health
Biologic
therapies
Uses substances naturally occurring in animals
(eg, shark cartilage [to treat cancer], S-adenosyl-
l-methionine [SAMe], glucosamine [to treat
osteoarthritis]) to treat disease
Chelation
therapy
Uses a drug to bind with and remove a
hypothesized excess or toxic amount of a metal
or mineral in the body
Diet therapies Use specialized dietary regimens (eg, Gerson
therapy, macrobiotic diet, Ornish diet, Pritikin
diet) to treat or prevent a specific disease (eg,
cancer, cardiovascular disorders) or to generally
promote wellness
Herbalism Uses plants and plant extracts to treat disease
and promote wellness
Orthomolecul
ar medicine
Uses substances that occur naturally in the body
(eg, hormones, vitamins), often in doses higher
than the RDA, to treat disease and promote
wellness
33

34. Types of Alternative Medicine
Manipulative and body-based practices
Focused primarily on the body's
structures and systems (eg, bones,
joints, soft tissues)
Based on the belief that the body
can regulate and heal itself and that
its parts are interdependent
Chiropractic Involves manipulating the spine, other joints, and soft
tissue to restore normal spinal neuromuscular function
Also involves prescribing exercises and ergonomic
measures
Massage Involves manipulating tissues to promote wellness and
to reduce pain and stress
Postural
reeducation
Uses movement and touch to help patients become
more aware of their body, relearn healthy posture, and
move more easily
Reflexology Involves applying manual pressure to specific areas of
the foot that theoretically correspond to different organs
or systems of the body
Structural
integration
Involves manipulating and stretching the fascia to
reestablish healthy bone and muscle alignment
34

35. Types of Alternative Medicine
Energy medicine
Manipulation of the body's energy
fields (biofields) with the intent to
affect health
Based on the belief that a universal
life force or subtle energy resides
in and around the body
Acupuncture Stimulates specific points on the body,
usually by inserting thin needles into the skin
and underlying tissues to unblock the flow of
qi along energy pathways and thus restore
balance in the body
External qi gong Involves master healers using the energy of
their own biofield to bring the patient's
energy into balance
Magnets Placing magnets on the body to reduce pain
Pulsed electrical
field
Placing injured body parts in an induced
electrical field to facilitate healing
Reiki Involves practitioners channeling energy
through their body and into a patient's body
to promote healing
Therapeutic
touch
Uses the therapist's healing energy, usually
without touching the patient, to identify and
repair imbalances in the patient's biofield
35

36. Some of the complementary and alternative medical
health care practices:
 Acupuncture
 Anthroposophically Extended Medicine
 Ayurveda
 Community-Based Health Care Practices
 Environmental Medicine
 Homeopathic Medicine
 Latin American Rural Practices
 Native American Practices
 Natural Products
 Naturopathic Medicine
 Past Life Therapy
 Shamanism
 Tibetan Medicine
 Traditional Oriental Medicine
36

37.  Bioelectromagnetic Applications
Blue Light Treatment & Artificial Lighting
Electroacupuncture
Electromagnetic Fields
Electrostimulation & Neuromagnetic Stimulation Devices
Magnetoresonance Spectroscopy
 Diet, Nutrition, Lifestyle Changes
Changes in Lifestyle
Diet
Gerson Therapy
Macrobiotics
Megavitamins
Nutritional Supplements
37

38.  Herbal Medicine
 Echinacea (purple
coneflower)
 Ginger Rhizome
 Ginkgo Biloba Extract
 Ginseng Root
 Wild Chrysanthemum
Flower
 Witch Hazel
 Yellowdock
 Manual Healing
 Acupressure
 Alexander Technique
 Biofield Therapeutics
 Chiropractic Medicine
 Feldenkrais Method
 Massage Therapy
 Osteopathy
 Reflexology
 Rolfing
 Therapeutic Touch
 Trager Method
 Zone Therapy
38

39.  Mind/Body Control
 Art Therapy
 Biofeedback
 Counselling
 Dance Therapy
 Guided Imagery
 Humour Therapy
 Hypnotherapy
 Meditation
 Music Therapy
 Prayer Therapy
 Psychotherapy
 Relaxation Techniques
 Support Groups
 Yoga
 Pharmacological &
Biological Treatments
 Anti-oxidizing Agents
 Cell Treatment
 Chelation Therapy
 Metabolic Therapy
 Oxidizing Agents (Ozone,
Hydrogen Peroxide)
39

40. Alternative Medical Systems #1
• Complete systems of medical theory and practice.
• Homeopathic Medicine -In homeopathic medicine, there
is a belief that "like cures like," meaning that small, highly
diluted quantities of medicinal substances are given to
cure symptoms, when the same substances given at higher
or more concentrated doses would actually cause those
symptoms.
• Naturopathic Medicine -Proposes that there is a healing
power in the body that establishes, maintains, and
restores health. Practitioners work with the patient with a
goal of supporting this power, through treatments such as
nutrition and lifestyle counseling, dietary supplements,
medicinal plants, and exercise.
40

41. Homeopathy
•“In the late 1700s, Samuel Hahnemann, a
physician, chemist, and linguist in Germany,
proposed a new approach to treating illness.”
– Treatments of the time were harsh, and wanted a less
threatening way to practice medicine.
– “Like cures like”
– Potentization and holism.
• “The World Health Organization noted in 1994
that homeopathy had been integrated into the
national health care systems of numerous
countries, including Germany, the United
Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Mexico.”
41

42. Homeopathy
• “In European countries, training in homeopathy is usually
pursued either as a primary professional degree
completed over 3 to 6 years or as postgraduate training for
doctors.”
• “In the United States, training in homeopathy is offered
through diploma programs, certificate programs, short
courses, and correspondence courses.
• Also, homeopathic training is part of medical education in
naturopathy.
• Most homeopathy in the United States is practiced along
with another health care practice for which the
practitioner is licensed, such as conventional medicine,
naturopathy, chiropractic, dentistry, acupuncture, or
veterinary medicine (homeopathy is used to treat
animals).”
42

43. Alternative Medical Systems #2
Traditional Chinese Medicine –
Based on a concept of balanced qi, or vital
energy, that is believed to flow throughout the
body.
Qi is proposed to regulate a person's spiritual,
emotional, mental, and physical balance and to
be influenced by the opposing forces of yin
(negative energy) and yang (positive energy).
Disease is proposed to result from the flow of qi
being disrupted and yin and yang becoming
imbalanced.
Among the components of TCM are herbal and
nutritional therapy, restorative physical exercises,
meditation, acupuncture and remedial massage.
43

44. Ayurvedic Medicine –
• Has been practiced primarily in the Indian
subcontinent for 5,000 years.
• Ayurveda includes diet and herbal remedies
and emphasizes the use of body, mind, and
spirit in disease prevention and treatment.
Alternative Medical Systems #2
44

45. Mind/Body Therapy
Techniques designed to enhance the mind's
capacity to affect bodily function and symptoms.
 Meditation
 Prayer
 Mental Healing
 Art, Music and Dance Therapy
 Some techniques that were considered CAM in the
past have become mainstream (for example, patient
support groups and cognitive-behavioural therapy).
Example: Hypnotism
Approved by the AMA in 1958
45

46. Guided Imagery
Guided Imagery is not hypnotism. It forms only a
small part of hypnotic practice and is often used to
distract and relax rather than to suggest.
“Imagery is the language that the mind uses to
communicate with the body. You can‘t really talk to a
wart and say 'Hey, go away,' because that's not the
language that the brain uses to communicate with
the body.
You need to imagine that wart and see it shrinking.
Imagery is the biological connection between the
mind and body.
As we will see, this is extremely useful in mind body
healing.”
46

47. Biologically Based Therapies
 Using substances found in nature, such as herbs,
foods, and vitamins.
 Herbalism, Nutritional Counseling and Folk Medicine
Biologically Based Practices
Includes: botanicals, animal-derived extracts,
vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids,
proteins, whole diets, and functional foods
– Dietary supplements are a subset of biologically
based practices
47

48. Aromatherapy
“involves the use of essential oils
(extracts or essences) from flowers,
herbs, and trees to promote health
and well-being.”
Completely Unregulated. No
Authoritative Private Regulation.
48

49. Manipulative and Body Based Therapies
Chiropractic Medicine –
 Focuses on the relationship between bodily structure (primarily that
of the spine) and function, and how that relationship affects the
preservation and restoration of health.
 Chiropractors use manipulative therapy as an integral treatment
tool.
Massage Therapy –
 Manipulate muscle and connective tissue to enhance function of
those tissues and promote relaxation and wellbeing.
Osteopathic Medicine –
 Emphasizes diseases arising in the musculoskeletal system.
 There is an underlying belief that all of the body‘s systems work
together, and disturbances in one system may affect function
elsewhere in the body.
 Osteopathic physicians practice osteopathic manipulation, a full-
body system of hands-on techniques to alleviate pain, restore
function, and promote health and wellbeing.
49

50. Energy Therapies
Biofield Theories - affect energy fields that
purportedly surround and penetrate the human
body
Therapeutic Touch
Healing Touch
Reiki
Quantum Healing
Qi-Gong
Bioelectromagnetic Theories - unconventional use
of electromagnetic fields.
Magnetic Healing
Radionics
50

51. Top 5 CAM Therapies
1. Natural products, dietary supplements
2. Deep breathing exercises
3. Meditation
4. Chiropractic
5. Yoga
51

52. Top 10 Supplements
1. Echinacea
2. Ginseng
3. Ginkgo biloba
4. Garlic
5. Glucosamine
6. St. John’s Wort
7. Peppermint
8. Fish oil/Omega 3
9. Ginger
10.Soy
52

53. Other CAM Therapies
• Aromatherapy
• Colonic Irrigation
• Therapeutic Touch
• EDTA Chelation
• Cupping
• Primordial Sound Meditation
53

54. Clinical Trials and CAM
• Why are there so few CAM clinical trials?
– Drug companies have to do studies to go on the
market—supplement companies do not, so clinical
trials sponsored by supplement companies are rare
– Alternative treatments are often customized for a
specific person. Clinical trials try to prove something
works for most people.
– Belief systems of some CAM practitioners do not
agree with the idea of Western studies, so they do
not participate
– CAM has only recently become “legit” in the scientific
community
54

55. Why is Alternative Medicine so appealing?
 The use of CAM offers patients a sense of empowerment,
authenticity and connection with nature.
 Nature- “Purification” of self, return to simplicity from an
‘overly developed technological society’.
 Vitalism- enhancement of own “life forces”.
 Tradition- relying on the long history of human experience.
Awareness of more powerful than diagnostic tests.
 Spirituality- connection between health and religion. The
acceptance of what William James (1842-1910) called “the
religion of healthy mindedness.”
55

56. Who uses CAM?
 More educated
 In poorer health
 More affluent
 Possess a holistic orientation to health
 Had a ‘transformational experience’
 Identification with environmentalism, feminism,
spirituality
 Report chronic anxiety, pain, UTI, back
problems
56

57. Challenges of Herbal Medicines
• Safety is assumed, not proven
• Lack of product standardization
• Contamination with drugs, heavy metals
• Allergic reactions
• Inherent toxicity
• Interactions with drugs
• Replacing proven therapies
57

58. 58

59. CAM Modalities Now in Mainstream Medicine
• Codeine for pain
• Digitalis for heart failure
• Ipecac for poisoning
• Quinine for malaria
• Aspirin for fever
• Behavioral therapy for headache
• Hypnosis for smoking cessation
• Exercise for diabetes
• Support groups for breast cancer
• Low fat, low cholesterol diets
59

60. Examples: Areas of promise in research on
mind and body CAM approaches
 Benefits of yoga and Tai chi for balance and
avoiding falls in elderly people
 Insight into of central mechanisms of placebo
analgesia
 Contribution of acupuncture and other mind and
body practices to pain management
60

61. Traditional vs modern medicine
 The table below provides a summary of comparison between Traditional
Medicine and Modern Medicine
No. Description Traditional Medicine Modern Medicine
1 Healing approaches Holistic Individual
disease
2 Diagnosis Not scientific Scientific
3 Influence of culture
and religious
high No
4 Cost Cheaper Costly
5 Accessibility More Less
6 Acceptability More Less
61

62. Popularity of traditional medicine
 TM has maintained its popularity in all regions
of the developing world and its use is rapidly
spreading in industrialized countries.
 In developing countries its popularity is
mainly due to:
Accessibility (easily available)
Affordability (cheaper)
Cultural and religious influence
Lack of knowledge about modern /
allopathic medicine, etc.
62

63. Popularity of TM cont.
 In developed countries its popularity is mainly
due to:
 Fear of adverse effect of chemical drugs,
 Questioning of the approaches and assumptions of modern medicine,
 High cost of modern drugs,
 Perception of natural medicines as safe,
 Greater public access to health information
 Preference for CAM in the management of chronic illness like diabetes, heart
disease, cancer, etc. than allopathic medicine
63

64. Advantages of TM
• TM can have many advantages and drawbacks and the following
are some
• Advantages of TM include:
1. Cheaper (relatively affordable)
In the rural areas, one sometimes travels for
several days before finding the nearest dispensary
and pharmacy.
He/She can prevent the loosing of working days,
transport cost and the high cost of medicine by
attending traditional medicine.
64

65. Advantages of TM cont.
2. Accessible
 Provides self treatment-
 in the rural areas, as a whole, people begin by
treating themselves before going to a traditional
practitioner or a modern doctor.
The lack of health care systems in rural areas
forces local people to treat themselves, either
by using medicinal plants or by buying high-
cost medicine in the rural markets.
65

66. Advantages of TM cont.
3. Acceptable by the society
 Many rural communities, especially in
Africa, still have areas where traditional
herbal medicine is the major and in some
cases the only source of health care
available.
 Thus there can be no doubt about the
acceptability and efficacy of herbal remedy.
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67. Advantages of TM cont.
4. Source of new drugs, cheaper starting material for semi-synthetic
drugs
 We are at a stage where TM is considered more for its capacity to
generate other medicine than for its own sake.
 TM is a source for identification of bio-active agents that can be
used in the preparation of synthetic medicine.
 Examples of drugs developed from traditional medicine are:
Morphine and codeine from capsule of Opium poppy
(treatment of pain and cough).
Digoxine from Digitalis purpurea and Digitalis lanta
(treatment of heart failure).
Vincrestine and vinblatine from Catharantus species
(treatment of cancer).
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68. Advantages of TM cont.
5. Traditional medicine practitioners serve as additional health
manpower to fill the gap in developing countries.
E.g. Traditional birth attendants (TBA)
6. Development of resistance to synthetic chemotherapeutic
agents is known to occur in modern medicine but not in TM
b/c of absence of records, and the use of multi-component
preparations that have different effect.
7. Certain diseases are believed to be better treated by one of
traditional medical systems.
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69. Disadvantages or drawbacks of TM include
1. Insufficient data on quality, safety and efficacy
of most TM
2. The absence of written records about the
patients
3. Imprecise or incorrect diagnosis
This is due to lack of knowledge on
pathology of certain diseases and
As a result TM tends to treat the
symptom rather than the cause of the
diseases which can sometimes leads to
complication of the diseases.
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70. Drawbacks of TM cont.
4. Imprecise dosage ( nowadays improving)
5. Poor hygiene (has low hygiene standards)
6. It can delay the need for treatment of those diseases
which can be effectively treated by modern medicine.
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71. Drawbacks of TM cont.
7. Risky practices (e.g. removal of deciduous
canine follicles, uvulectomy- potential for HIV
transmission, numerous dental complications
and death etc)
8. The secrecy of some healing methods and
9. The intangible aspects of TM cannot be
explained scientifically.
71