Paper Example on CAM Therapeutic Modalities

Introduction

High inflation characterizes the modern economy which makes life to be difficult. In this respect, numerous people are seeking other alternatives to improve their wellbeing. In this respect, many individuals opt to purchase alternative medicine which in most cases are usually readily available at the over the counter chemists. These medicines are often cheaper as compared to seeking help from a certified doctor. However, it is always advised to visit a doctor to get a medical prescription to purchase medicines because this is the safest way of obtaining medical assistance. However, there are cases where these alternative methods help a great deal. As a result, there is a need to focus more on these alternative methods with an objective of improving them. Through this, people will be in a position to identify the medicines that work best for them at affordable prices.

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Thomson, Jones, Evans, and Leslie (2012) defines alternative medicine as the medicinal products and practices which are not part of ordinary or approved health care. Regular medical care is what the professional medical practitioners provide. People use alternative medicine instead of standard medical care. They further assert that complementary medicine is a little bit different from alternative medicine. They are medicines used together with conventional medicine. They are a group of diagnostic and therapeutic drug (Thomson, Jones, Evans & Leslie, 2012). Complementary medicine includes a variety of practices and systems of healthcare which the mainstream western medicine has not adopted. It is due to economic, social, scientific or cultural reasons.

Complementary medicine can be used to help a patient to recover from surgery through the use of aromatherapy. In this regard, complementary medicine is a form of treatment used by an individual to look after a patient. On the other hand, Trail-Mahan, Mao, and Bawel-Brinkley (2013) suggest that integrative medicine makes use of both alternative and conventional medicine to discourse the social, psychological, biological, and spiritual traits of health. This form of medicine looks into the treatment of the person as a whole instead of looking into what is ailing him or her.

The Philosophy of CAM and its relation to Conventional Medicine

A large number of people have much information on conventional medicine, but in most cases, they are usually not familiar with the philosophy of CAM (WebMD, 2018). The philosophy of CAM has always existed throughout human history. A typical example of a conventional treatment that many people are familiar with is the Yoga. According to Li and Goldsmith (2012), yoga is a form of meditational exercise for the body and the mind. The activity has been practiced for a very long time, and it makes use of the methods of health benefits which involves breathing techniques, posture, and meditation technique. Li and Goldsmith (2012) further assert that the exercise puts much emphasis on deepening and lengthening the person's breathing. The conventional activity is known to relax the mind and relieve the patient from stress.

The art of Yoga is sometimes religious, and Patanjali came up with the technique between 2000 and 2500 years ago. The art emphasizes the unification between the mind, body and the spirit. It began as a spiritual activity, and modern medicine has adopted it due to its effectiveness in relieving the body. Due to its efficacy, the art has become more popular, and many forms of Yoga continue to be developed by people. The majority of the population in the United States uses Hatha Yoga, and Yogi Swatmarama developed it in the 15th century. Currently, the art is among the top modalities used in the United States.

How NCCAM Classifies Complementary Health Approaches

NCCAM classifies complementary health approaches using five categories. These categories are alternative therapeutic schemes, comprehensive schemes of cure and practice, mind-body mediations, naturally grounded schemes, unorthodox and body-based approaches, and energy remedies. Massage therapy is becoming more popular, and it is being offered in more locations such as hospitals, clinics, airports, and even in some businesses. According to Field (2014), massage refers to the pressing, rubbing and controlling of the skin. Doctors conduct body massage by using their hands, forearms, fingers, elbows, and sometimes their feet to give a deep massage. There are different types of massage which includes Sports massage, Swedish and tripper point. Based on research findings, massage is also helpful in relieving stress, pain, anxiety, and depression. Massage therapy is not meant to replace the medical treatment that the physician provides. It is used after a doctor's consultation to be assured that the procedure will not have adverse effects on the patient.

Besides Yoga and massage, there is also Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This form of medicine was created in 2000 to 3000 years ago (WebMD, 2018). Its approach is, however different from western medicine since it makes use of herbal medicines and qigong exercises. Herbal medicines used by Chinese physicians to work on the zang-fu organs while qigong exercises aim to restore the information flowing through the body network.

Conclusion

A large number of people are getting away from conventional medicine for some reasons. Unemployment and lack of insurance are among the most common causes. Many people have discovered that prescription medication does not only take care of their ailments. Due to this reason, they opt to apply other alternatives for medical care. It means that alternative medical care may be more beneficial to individuals suffering from chronic illness and diseases, but there has not been a solid proof to verify the fact that alternative therapies are better for a patient as compared to conventional medicine.

References

Field, T. (2014). Massage therapy research review. Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 20(4), 224-229.

Li, A. W., & Goldsmith, C. A. (2012). The effects of yoga on anxiety and stress. Altern Med Rev, 17(1), 21-35.

Thomson, P., Jones, J., Evans, J. M., & Leslie, S. L. (2012). Factors influencing the use of complementary and alternative medicine and whether patients inform their primary care physician. Complementary therapies in medicine, 20(1-2), 45-53.

Trail-Mahan, T., Mao, C. L., & Bawel-Brinkley, K. (2013). Complementary and alternative medicine: nurses' attitudes and knowledge. Pain Management Nursing, 14(4), 277-286.

WebMD. (2018). Whole Medical Systems: An Overview. Retrieved July, 11 2018, from https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/understanding-alternative-medicine#1