This lesson introduces complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices. It defines CAM as non-mainstream health practices used together with or instead of conventional Western medicine. Common CAM categories discussed are natural products and mind-body practices like meditation, yoga, and Reiki. The lesson highlights that over 30% of U.S. adults and 12% of children use CAM for issues like musculoskeletal pain, colds, and cancer treatment. People seek CAM for potential health benefits and comfort in addition to mainstream medical therapies.

1. Unit 5 CAM Project
Lesson 1 Lecture
Lesson Summary: This lesson addresses the question, "What is Complimentary and
Alternative Medicine (CAM)?” The lesson will also highlight some commonly used
practices and the benefits.
Lesson Content:
The term complimentary and alternative is used to discuss practices and products of
non-mainstream origin ("Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health: What’s
In a Name?", 2017). The term integrative health is used to discuss incorporating
complimentary health practices with mainstream health care. More than 30% of
adults and 12% of children in the American Health care system use approaches that
are considered outside of mainstream Western, or conventional, medicine. When
used together the term is complementary and when the non-mainstream practice is
used in place of conventional medicine is considered “alternative” hence the term
complimentary and alternative medicine. There are two typical categories when
discussing complementary health approaches and these are natural products, such
as herbs, vitamins, minerals, and even probiotics, which I am sure many of you take
on a daily basis and didn’t even realize you were being alternative. The other
subgroup is the mind and body practices, which we will be focusing on for the next
three weeks. This group includes deep breathing, yoga, Tai Chi, or Qi Gong,
chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, medication, massage, special diets,
homeopathy, progressive relaxations, healing touch like Reiki, as well as guided
imagery. For the scope of this course we will focus on meditation, yoga, and Reiki.
Why are complimentary and alternative practices used?
All types of people use for multiple reasons and CAM. Even doctors are embracing
the use of CAM therapies often combining them with mainstream medical therapies
creating the term “integrative medicine”. People use CAM for an array of diseases
and conditions ("Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health: What’s In a
Name?", 2017) including musculoskeletal problems with the back, neck, or joints.
CAM therapies are used for head or chest colds. Often cancer patients will choose to
do alternative therapies along with chemotherapy and radiation. However, it is
important to discuss any CAM treatments you are using with your doctor to ensure
that any herbal and dietary supplements will not interact with prescription
medicines or other treatments. Some people find comfort and ease of pain from
alternative practices like Reiki and Acupuncture as well as deep breathing,
meditation, and yoga.
Manipulation and body-based practices
These methods use human touch to move or manipulate specific parts of the body.
The main methods include chiropractic and osteopathic manipulation and massage.
These methods focus on the relationship between structure and function and the
understanding that the nervous system is the primary coordinator of function

2. throughout the body. The idea is that disease is seen as a cause of interference on
the continuum in the body restricting optimal health.
Energy Medicine
Energy medicine follows the belief that there is an invisible energy force flow
through the body. When there are blocks or imbalances in the energy flow this can
lead to sickness. The goal of these therapies is to unblock and re-balance the energy
force in the body. Energy therapies include qi gong, therapeutic touch, reiki, and
magnet therapy. Over the next three weeks we will go into more detail about reiki,
the history, origin, purpose, use, and evidence based practices.
Mind Body Practices
In today’s world many people suffer from anxiety and depression, which is often
treated with prescription drugs. Major depressive disorder is the leading cause of
disability in the United States for people ages 15 to 44 ("Prescription Drugs vs. Yoga
as Treatment for Depression | Alex Howlett Yoga", 2017). This is depression that
last for two or more weeks affecting around 14.8 million American adults in a year.
This type of diagnosis oven comes with a prescription for antidepressant drugs.
These drugs can have serious side effects and the use of these drugs has increased
400% over the last two decades according to the Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) ("Prescription Drugs vs. Yoga as Treatment for Depression | Alex Howlett
Yoga", 2017). Other alternatives to treating depression can include yoga and
meditation. These non-medicated alternatives help individuals to find a more
spiritual connection facilitating health and well-being through a connectedness that
offers a coping strategy to combat the depression and anxiety symptoms. We will
get into these practices in more detail over the next few weeks.
Underlying root of CAM
We are only given one body to live in and we need to take care of the home we
reside in to the best of our ability. Often, times we take drugs to treat a symptom,
such as an Advil for a headache. What we need to be doing is treating the whole
body from the inside out. Focus on the root cause of the ailment instead of masking
the symptoms with drugs. To get to the root cause is the focus of complimentary
and alternative medicines. If you are anxious, masking the symptom with a
prescription will not help you ultimately get rid of the anxiety, but learning how to
breath and focus your energy on yourself will uncover where the anxiety is coming
from. Taking medicine to mask a pain in your back does not treat the cause of the
pain, but a manipulation from a chiropractor can realign your spine to take the
pressure off the nerve causing the pain. We are a society that masks pain instead of
finding the cause and untangling the knots. By integrating western medicine with
non-traditional methods, the one body we are given can become a haven. I look
forward to the next few weeks of sharing my knowledge and challenging your
understanding of what alternative methods are, their purpose, and the benefits.
Remember any changes you make should be discussed with your doctor.
Videos

3. Why People Use CAM (8 min 27sec)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WXgZnHjmA4
Opportunity for Questions and Discussion
Ask students if they use any CAM
What do they do when they have a cold?
How do they relax?
Tie in their answers to CAM.

4. References
Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health: What’s In a Name?. (2017). NCCIH.
Retrieved 19 October 2017, from https://nccih.nih.gov/health/integrative-health
Prescription Drugs vs. Yoga as Treatment for Depression | Alex Howlett Yoga. (2017).
Alex Howlett Yoga. Retrieved 19 October 2017, from
http://alexhowlettyoga.com/yoga-as-treatment-for-depression/