Defining ‘complementary and alternative medicine’

Authors

  • Samuel P. Trethewey University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
  • Julien Morlet University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
  • Christopher S. Trethewey Leicester Cancer Research Centre, University of Leicester
  • Ella K.M. Reynolds Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18573/bsdj.74

Keywords:

complementary medicine, alternative medicine, CAM, evidence-based medicine, evidence-based medical education

Abstract

The topic of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is controversial. CAM is a confusing term used to encapsulate a broad range of health-related practices. In this article we explore several CAM practices including homeopathy and manipulation therapies such as osteopathy and chiropractic. We examine the difficulty in understanding the meaning of the term CAM and argue that the term is unhelpful and should be avoided in the education of healthcare professionals. Medical educators should be careful to highlight the heterogeneity of health-related practices in teaching and treat each health-related practice as an individual entity without the need for the umbrella term CAM.
The BSDJ Vol 3, No 1 Cover

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Published

2019-01-31

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 1 (2019)

Section

Life – Discussion Starters

License

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