HPR05B - MEDICINA COMPLEMENTARE

There's no universally agreed definition of CAM.Although "complementary and alternative" is often used as a single category, it can be useful to make a distinction between the terms.The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) uses this distinction:When a non-mainstream practice is used together with conventional medicine, it's considered "complementary".When a non-mainstream practice is used instead of conventional medicine, it's considered "alternative".There can be overlap between these categories.For example, aromatherapy may sometimes be used as a complementary treatment and in other circumstances is used as an alternative treatment.A number of complementary and alternative treatments are typically used with the intention of treating or curing a health condition.To understand whether a treatment is safe and effective, we need to check the evidence.You can learn more about the evidence for particular CAM practices by reading about individual types of treatment.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides guidance to the NHS on effective treatments that are value for money.NICE has recommended the use of CAM in a limited number of circumstances.For example:the Alexander technique for Parkinson's diseaseginger and acupressure for reducing morning sicknessmanual therapy for lower back pain.The teaching will focus on the description of CAM therapies with greater scientific evidence for the profile of healthcare professions.