What factors account for the rise in CAM usage/popularity in certain populations in the U.S.? According to MacLennan, Wilson, and Taylor (2002), many people desire ways to heal themselves naturally without using strong allopathic medicines or resorting needlessly to surgery. Also, they are disenchanted with the conventional medical approaches to health and healing, including reasons such as being treated as a disease opposed to a person, covering up symptoms while not addressing the cause, and the lack of reasonable treatment options. Still, for others, a simpler reason is that someone told them CAM therapies could help, and they were willing to give them a try. Still, others are attracted to CAM as a prophylactic measure to ensure continued overall balance and health, or the last resort (MacLennan, Wilson & Taylor 2002). Increasingly, more military veterans, women, college-educated and middle-class adults ranging from age 25 to 49 are seeing a physician in addition to using CAM and hadn't informed their doctors about receiving alternative therapy (Baldwin, Long, Kroesen, Brooks and Bell (2002). Interestingly, when asked if they used a CAM provider solely for cancer, diabetes, respiratory conditions, skin ailments, high blood pressure, urinary tract symptoms, or dental problems, zero percent answered yes (Millar, 2001). Reference Baldwin C, M. Long K, Kroesen K, Brooks A, J. Bell I, R. (2002). A profile of military veterans in the southwestern United States who use complementary and alternative medicine: implications for integrated care. Arch Intern Med. 162(15):1697–1704. 2002 Aug 12-26. MacLennan A, H, Wilson D, H, Taylor A, W. (2002). The escalating cost and prevalence of alternative medicine. Prey Med. 35(2):166–173. 2002 Aug. Millar W, J. (2001). Patterns of use—alternative health care practitioners. Health Rep. 13(1):9– 21. 2001 Dec. What are the benefits of using complementary and alternative therapies in treating illness and pain? First, I think it would be beneficial to give the definition of complementary and alternative medicine or CAM, this is the practice and usage of diagnosing, and therapy techniques that fall outside of the more conventional biomedicine (Straub, 2014). This term of ‘alternative’ has been around for a while basically meaning that it is knowledge that is not typically taught in medical schooling (Straub, 2014). It is also beneficial to know some of the domains of complementary and alternative therapies to get a better understanding, there are four main areas, whole medical systems, mind and body medicine, natural products, and manipulative and body-based practices (Straub, 2014). Whole medical systems is a complete independent evolution of biomedicine and some example include homeopathy and Ayurveda (Straub, 2014). Mind and body medicine is exactly like it sounds, the manipulation of the mind to create positive effects on the body, such as yoga, acupuncture, hypnosis, etc. (Straub, 2014). Natural products is the variety of herbal medicines that can be used (Straub, 2014). Manipulative and body-based practices are techniques that focus on structures and systems of the body like bones and joints, an example is massage therapy (Straub, 2014). Now if we were to weigh the benefits of complementary and alternative therapy we can do so much easier, the first is the amount of personal attention that is given to the patients. Typically practioners that work in alternative medicine offer a higher amount of personal attention because of the big emphasis in “whole body care” (Straub, 2014). Another benefit that could be considered is that the methods listed above can all be attributed to being strong preventative measures, showing that complementary and alternative therapies help before illness and pain even starts or worsens. These methods are typically less expensive than conventional medicine, which is always a benefit (Straub, 2014). Straub, R. O.(2014). Health Psychology a biopsychosocial approach (4th ed.) New York, NY: Worth Publishers. What are the benefits of using complementary and alternative therapies in treating illness and pain? Complementary and alternative medicine therapies (CAM) are described by Straub (2014) as any type of non-western conventional medical practices or therapies that are not practiced in a normal hospital setting and is not normally accepted by insurance companies. Examples of CAM are as follows: Homeopathy, Chinese medicine, meditation, yoga, acupuncture, relaxation therapies, herbal medicines, botanicals, massage therapy, spinal manipulation, light therapy, and pilates. The main benefit of using complementary and alternative therapies, lies in the fact that western medicine was formed on the basis of treating symptoms and CAM tread outside of the western medical box to address other aspects of the human body concerning healing. Treating the symptoms has a flaw many times of negating where the basis of the problem stems from. Also, many practicing western medical doctors specialize in a particular area and might have to pass you around (refer) to other doctors concerning addressing pain and illness. CAM benefits the individual or patient by treating or attacking the illness or pain at the source, negating the circus of passing patients around to different specialists. Also, many western medical practices strongly in courage medication which produces other illnesses and pain. Sometimes the medication one takes produces side effects that are equal or greater than the ailment that the patient is being seen for. CAM therapies promote health and vitality by using older more established forms of varying cultures philosophies to address illness and pain which in return benefits the patient in the long run by not having to repeat the process of routinely seeking medical help and spending vast amounts of money on medical expenses. Reference: Straub, R. (2014). Health Psychology (4th ed.). New York: Worth Publishers.
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